Executive Summary: Does feedback format impact feedback Engagement?
Background:
The research explored a way to improve Engagement with written feedback. Mendas regularly provides candidate feedback after Assessment/Development events. In this context, Engagement refers to the attendance to, acceptance, and receptiveness of feedback. In the current working environment, where there is a focus on self-development, organisations should be striving to improve this Engagement. Reasons for this, in the selection context, are because Engagement leads to, amongst other things, positive impressions of an organisation (and subsequent job acceptance), a platform for development of strengths and weaknesses for the successful candidates, and feelings of procedural justice for the unsuccessful candidate.
A number of variables impact Engagement that cannot be controlled for, such as personality variables, context and consequences of feedback. Format is a variable that can be controlled and providers of feedback should be aware of the impacts of different format types. Written reports can come in a variety of formats, pictorial and narrative being one key format variable. Our individual cognitive styles impact our receptivity to the format.
Hypotheses:
Mendas wanted to consider whether tailoring feedback to peoples’ preferences for format (influenced by their cognitive style), would lead to greater Engagement. If evidence suggested so, it may be worth making this investment, of asking for preferences and tailoring feedback accordingly.
H1:Individual differences exist in feedback format preference.
H2:Matching feedback format preference with feedback will lead to greater Engagement.
Method:
Participants completed a personality survey online. Data was collected regarding participants’ preferences for receiving information: pictorial or narrative. Participants were provided with a feedback report that either matched their format preference, or opposed it. Some received a match with their preference, and others received a mis-match. On receiving feedback, they completed an Engagement Reactionnaire.
Results:
H1: Individual differences in format preference exist. There was an equal split of preferences. It could be that learning and cognitive styles impact individuals’ preferences for pictorial/narrative feedback.
H2: Matching feedback does not lead to greater Engagement. However, format provided, irrelevant of preference, impacts Engagement: narrative reports led to greater Engagement than pictorial.
Conclusions:
There is no support from the present study to match feedback to format preference. There is support for narrative feedback over pictorial, as a method of improving Engagement.
These initial findings are contradicted by previous research that i: matching cognitive styles (and therefore preferences) leads to greater Engagement and ii: pictorial feedback leads to greater Engagement than narrative. Therefore, due to these mixed results, the following recommendations take into account both the current and previous research:
Work with the client (organization/individual) to understand the objective of the feedback – there is not only one ‘right’ way. Consider both its short and long run uses.
Consider the use of pictures for descriptive information and developmental tracking, and more detailed narratives for deeper interpretation. A combination of a report with both pictorial and narrative feedback might meet this need.
Be aware that providing individuals with different formats, may result in making comparisons between individuals more difficult, and/or reduce feelings of fairness between candidates.
The current research alone, recommends that narrative feedback is provided above pictorial, for greater Engagement. However, when deciding what format to use, the following variables should be taken into account:
Subject of feedback (e.g. personality, ability, competency). More ‘sensitive’ data may need further exploration and detail, descriptive data could be less detailed
Consequences of the feedback (if long run advantages are explicit and obvious, feedback tends to be better accepted)
Context of feedback (assessment/appraisals/development – individuals expect their development areas to be identified in appraisals and development, more so than in assessment and so are more open to receiving the feedback)
Recognise if an individual is struggling to engage with their feedback, and consider providing it through a different approach, so that they are better able to receive it and act upon it.
Katrina Collinson Msc
