Latest / Women at Work: Career, Leadership & Modern Work / Why Performance Feedback Is More Critical for Women
Transcript
- Lucas: Luna, I want to talk about something that came up in a 2024 study from Harvard Business Review that really stuck with me. Researchers analyzed thousands of performance reviews across a dozen companies and found that women receive significantly less actionable feedback than men. Luna: Less actionable meaning… what exactly? More vague praise? Lucas: Exactly. Women were far more likely to get feedback like 'great job' or 'you're a team player' — which sounds positive but tells you nothing about what to do differently. Men, on the other hand, got pointed, specific suggestions: 'you need to speak up more in client meetings' or 'your reports need tighter data analysis.' Luna: And that's a problem because if you don't know what to work on, you can't improve. It's like being told you passed a test but not which questions you got wrong. Lucas: Right. And the researchers called this the 'feedback gap.' It's not that women get less feedback overall — they get about the same amount of words. But the substance is different. Women's reviews tend to focus on personality and tone — 'be more confident,' 'don't be so aggressive' — while men's reviews focus on skills and outcomes. Luna: I've seen that in my own career. Early on, a manager told me I was 'too assertive' in a meeting. A male colleague who said the same things was praised for being 'decisive.' But neither of us got feedback on the actual content of our arguments. Lucas: That's exactly the pattern. And it has real consequences. Without specific, actionable feedback, women are less able to target their development, which can slow their trajectory for promotions and leadership roles. Luna: So what's driving this? Is it just bias? Or is there something structural? Lucas: The study points to a mix of factors. One is that managers — often unconsciously — hold women to different standards. They're more likely to attribute a woman's success to effort and a man's success to skill. So feedback to women focuses on effort: 'you worked hard,' while feedback to men focuses on ability: 'you have strong analytical skills.' Luna: And then when women fail, they're told they lack ability, while men are told they didn't try hard enough. It's a double standard. Lucas: Exactly. The study also found that women are more likely to receive feedback on their communication style rather than their results. Things like 'you need to smile more' or 'your emails are too long.' That kind of feedback is subjective and not tied to performance metrics. Luna: And that can be incredibly frustrating because it doesn't help you grow. It's just noise. So what can women do about it? If your manager isn't giving you useful feedback, how do you get it? Lucas: The researchers suggest a few strategies. One is to ask for specific, forward-looking feedback. Instead of 'How did I do?' you can ask 'What's one thing I could do differently in our next client presentation to be more effective?' That frames it around a future task, not a judgment of your past performance. Luna: I like that. It's concrete and it gives your manager a clear prompt. Another approach is to request feedback on a specific skill you're trying to build, like 'I'm working on my data storytelling — can you review my last deck and tell me where I could improve?' Lucas: That's smart. It also signals that you're proactive about your development, which can be a positive signal for promotions. The study also found that peer feedback can be more balanced than manager feedback, because peers see your day-to-day work without the hierarchy bias. Luna: So forming a small feedback group with trusted colleagues could be a workaround. You trade specific, honest critiques without the power dynamic. Lucas: Exactly. And for managers listening — the study has recommendations for them too. The biggest one is to standardize the feedback process. Use a rubric that focuses on observable behaviors and outcomes, not personality traits. Force yourself to give at least one specific developmental suggestion to every direct report, regardless of gender. Luna: That would go a long way. Because right now, many performance review systems are designed in a way that leaves room for bias. If you don't have clear criteria, managers default to stereotypes. Lucas: And that's exactly what the data shows. Companies that use structured, criteria-based reviews see a much smaller feedback gap. Some have even eliminated the open-ended comments section and replaced it with specific prompts like 'What is one skill this employee should develop in the next quarter?' Luna: That seems like a simple fix that could have a huge impact. It takes the guesswork out for managers and ensures everyone gets the same kind of feedback. Lucas: Right. And it's worth noting that this isn't just about fairness — it's about performance. When employees get specific, actionable feedback, they improve faster. That benefits the company too. Luna: Absolutely. And if you're listening and thinking, 'I wish my company would do that,' you can bring this research to your HR team. The HBR study is public, and it's a powerful data point. Lucas: You know, conversations like this are exactly why we do this show. If today was actually useful to you, the way these stay ad-free is listener support. You can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to keep this resource going. Every contribution helps us keep bringing you research and strategies like this. Lucas: So back to the feedback gap. One thing I want to emphasize is that this gap doesn't just affect women's development — it also affects their performance ratings and promotion chances. If you're not getting the same quality of feedback, you're not getting the same opportunity to improve. Luna: And that compounds over time. A woman who gets vague feedback for five years may have fewer concrete achievements to point to in a promotion interview compared to a man who got specific guidance on what to work on. Lucas: Exactly. The study found that women who received more actionable feedback were promoted at rates comparable to men. So closing the feedback gap is not just about feeling good — it's about real career outcomes. Luna: Let's talk about another angle: how women can advocate for better feedback systems. If you're in a leadership position, you can model the behavior by giving specific, actionable feedback to everyone on your team. Lucas: And you can also ask your own manager for the kind of feedback you want. Say something like 'I'd really value your input on how I can improve my strategic thinking — could you point me to a specific example from this quarter where I could have done better?' Luna: That's a great script. It's respectful, it's specific, and it frames the feedback as helpful rather than critical. Lucas: One last thing — the study also found that women of color face an even wider feedback gap. They're more likely to receive feedback on their race or ethnicity, like 'you're so articulate' or 'you're too aggressive,' which is doubly damaging. Luna: That's an important intersection. So the strategies we've discussed — asking for specific, forward-looking feedback, forming peer groups — are even more critical for women of color. Lucas: Absolutely. And companies need to be aware of these compounded biases and address them directly in their feedback training. Luna: This episode has given me a lot to think about. I'm going to start tracking the feedback I receive and see if it's genuinely actionable. Lucas: That's a great idea. And for our listeners, I'd encourage you to do the same. Pay attention to the feedback you get — and if it's vague, ask for more. You deserve feedback that helps you grow. Luna: Well said. Thanks for digging into this with me, Lucas. Lucas: Always a pleasure. Until next time.