- Eight in 10 employees (80%) said that they are able to have an open conversation with their managers during performance reviews.
- 15% of respondents were never asked for feedback during their performance appraisals.
- 3 in 5 respondents (60%) said that they value their employer’s feedback because it helps them get a clearer understanding of what they need to do to achieve their next career milestone.
According to 47% of survey respondents based in Singapore, performance reviews are only conducted once a year. More than 8 in 10 employees (87%) said that their work performance is still being graded against a perfect score.
As the working environment changes and working relationships become more informal, Randstad - one of the world’s largest HR solutions agencies - seeks to understand how the perception of performance reviews has changed and how feedback are being shared today.
instant feedback is most valued by employees
Real-time feedback is finding its way into the office these days. It gives employees a chance to ask for new growth opportunities as they present themselves, or raise any red flags before it is too late.
In Singapore, 49% of the employers have adopted the use of real-time feedback to monitor work productivity and to share a response on how to improve using the context of a current situation.
More than 7 in 10 respondents (72%) said that they feel comfortable in giving and receiving feedback to their managers. 73% said that they work in an open environment where feedback can be shared with each other, including their managers, at any time.
Despite working in an environment where real-time feedback is encouraged, 88% of respondents still feel that performance review is a session that is used by the manager to give them feedback. In fact, 15% of respondents felt that they do not have the opportunity to speak out about their career aspirations or concerns at work.
at my employer, we give our feedback via the following channels:
| face-to-face | 55% |
| online survey | 16% |
| in writing on paper | 12% |
| employees are not asked for feedback | 15% |
| others | 2% |
feedback helps with collaboration but employees do not know how to react to them
Employees have mixed emotions towards both real-time feedback and scheduled job performance reviews.
People consider giving and receiving feedback as a positive thing, as it
- helps them have a clear understanding of what they need to achieve and how to do it (60%)
- encourages open communication (49%)
- helps them learn and develop (45%)
However, people do not look forward to receiving or giving feedback to their colleagues and managers, as they
- feel vulnerable (32%)
- do not know how to react (29%)
- feel uncomfortable (26%)
The feedback that is shared between colleagues does not always need to highlight areas of improvement; it can also be recognising someone on the team for a job well done. The balance between sharing positive and negative feedback helps point the employees in the right direction of growth, motivate them to be more productive and collaborative, and promote employee loyalty.
The survey showed that 45% of respondents said that their employers organise training on how to give and receive feedback. It is important for organisations to ensure its entire workforce knows how to share and receive constructive feedback both professionally and effectively, so that managers and employees can have a more meaningful and productive conversation.
It is also the manager’s responsibility to ensure their employees have the opportunity to contribute by sharing their own perspectives, the challenges they face at work and suggest the type of support that they will need from the company.
annual performance review still a norm in singapore
Globally, 32% of respondents said that their managers review their performance only once a year. In Singapore, 47% of respondents said that they still have regular annual performance reviews.
how often are performance reviews conducted?
| yearly | 47% |
| half-yearly | 19% |
| quarterly | 15% |
| monthly | 8% |
| weekly | 3% |
| never | 8% |
'great conversations’ was introduced to promote open conversations in randstad
The annual graded performance reviews at Randstad were fully replaced by ‘Great Conversations’ in 2018. Under the new practice, managers and employees engage in an open discussion to share and receive feedback on their work performance, as well as discuss opportunities for growth and the kind of support they hope to have. To facilitate these conversations, Randstad organises training sessions for all of its employees so that they would feel more comfortable and confident with receiving and giving feedback to each other.
Jos Schut, Global Chief Human Resource Officer at Randstad said, “We moved from the traditional backward-looking appraisal process to a future-oriented process using real-time feedback to make the conversations meaningful, aspirational and progress-focussed. This new approach made sure all of our employees have the opportunity to provide and receive frequent feedback to improve their performance, something the traditional appraisal process didn't offer.
randstad workmonitor: quarter one, 2019
The minimum sample size for the Randstad Workmonitor survey is 400 respondents per market. The 2019 quarter one survey was conducted between January 30 and February 15, 2019.
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about the randstad workmonitor
The Randstad Workmonitor was launched in the Netherlands in 2003, and covers 34 markets around the world. The study encompasses Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas. The Randstad Workmonitor is published four times a year, making both local and global trends in mobility visible over time.
The Workmonitor’s Mobility Index, which tracks employee confidence and captures the likelihood of an employee changing jobs within the next six months, provides a comprehensive understanding of sentiments and trends in the job market. Besides mobility, the survey addresses employee satisfaction and personal motivation as well as a rotating set of themed questions.
The study is conducted online among employees aged 18-65, working a minimum of 24 hours a week in a paid job (not self-employed). The Survey Sampling International (SSI) panel is used for sampling purposes.
about randstad
Randstad is the global leader in the HR services industry. We support people and organisations in realising their true potential. We do this by combining the power of today’s technology with our passion for people. We call it Human Forward.
Our services range from regular temporary Staffing and permanent placements to Inhouse Services, Professionals, and HR Solutions, including Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Managed Services Programmes and outplacement.
Randstad has active operations in 38 markets around the world and has top-three positions in almost half of these. In 2018, Randstad had on average 38,820 corporate employees and 4,826 branches and Inhouse locations. In 2018, Randstad generated revenue of €23.8 billion. Randstad was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Diemen, the Netherlands. Randstad N.V. is listed on the NYSE Euronext Amsterdam, where options for stocks in Randstad are also traded.
Hear what our leaders have to say about #HumanForward or head over to our website and learn more about our Human Forward brand promise.