Receiving vague, unfair and emotionally charged feedback from managers has pushed half (49%) of UK office workers to look for new jobs, according to new research from business technology provider Brother UK.

The research found that one in 10 (11%) have handed their notice in over the issue and more than a third (38%) have considered it.

The issue is disproportionately impacting young people early in their careers, with Gen Zs twice as likely as their Boomer colleagues to consider walking out because of experiencing consistently poorly delivered feedback, according to the findings.

More than one in five (22%) of young workers say they receive insulting assessments of their work at least once a week, with more than a third (37%) saying they get heated criticism from managers that they feel is unfair on a weekly basis.

The research, which polled 2,000 UK officer workers, reveals the productivity impacts the issue is having on businesses.

Almost half (48%) of the respondents said that poorly delivered feedback is resulting in staff becoming demotivated, with 30% saying it is driving high staff turnover and 26% claiming it’s resulting in time wasted on redoing tasks.

More than three quarters (76%) of the respondents agreed that better quality and well delivered assessments of work would lead to improved business outcomes.

Greig Millar, chief revenue officer at Brother UK, said: “Productive, happy workplaces rely on feedback being shared effectively between colleagues to nurture relationships and drive positive business outcomes.

“But doing it badly has clear consequences that many people and companies across the UK are feeling, and particularly for those that are relatively fresh into their careers.

“We can all dwell on bad experiences at work and these findings demonstrate just how important it is for business leaders to equip their managers to give feedback in a way that encourages and motivates people.

“Thankfully it’s not all doom and gloom – the research shows that this is happening regularly for many people. But there is a clear workplace productivity issue here.

The UK needs to upskill on feedback

The findings highlight that a lack of training is an issue. Despite the clear impact on business outcomes, almost half (47%) of respondents haven’t received any training on how to deliver effective feedback.

That means the quality and frequency of how people assess colleague’s work – and understanding of how to deliver it – varies across the economy. Just three in five (59%) respondents say they adapt their delivery style to cater to different personalities and working styles to generate a positive result.

Meanwhile, Gen Z workers are the most likely to use print outs for giving feedback (27%), which they use as frequently as email or Word (28%).

www.brother.co.uk/fabulous-feedback