The Best Manager Feedback Tools for Companies in 2024

Lani Le

Productivity Consultant & Writer

6 min read

Published: Jan 10, 2022

Revised on: May 30, 2024

Feedback is a gift. 

It is one of the ways businesses quickly discover what is working or not working. It is also how employees track what they are doing well and the areas to improve. Most importantly, feedback is how astute managers stay on the pulse of their employee's work satisfaction levels, the overall perception of the organization, and their management style. 

According to a 2022 study, employee feedback is crucial to creating a “welcoming company culture that encourages [team members] to do their best, learn, and get promoted.”

So, how do rockstar managers discover what's working? 

By asking the right questions, and just as importantly, using the right employee engagement tools. 

Thankfully, there are numerous workplace feedback tools available for this purpose. But before we dive into each one, let’s break down the importance of manager feedback tools and what to consider before choosing one.

What Is Manager Feedback?

Manager feedback is the process where a manager provides employees with information about their performance, behavior, and overall contribution to the organization. This feedback can be formal or informal and is often given during performance reviews, but can also occur during regular one-on-one meetings, project debriefs, or spontaneously as situations arise. Effective manager feedback is specific, actionable, and delivered constructively, focusing on both strengths and areas for improvement.

What Are Manager Feedback Tools, and Why Are They Important?

Manager feedback tools are systems or software solutions designed to facilitate the collection, delivery, and analysis of feedback within an organization. These tools enable managers to gather insights about their performance from employees, peers, and other stakeholders, and to provide constructive feedback to their team members.

Manager feedback tools are crucial for fostering a productive, engaged, and high-performing workforce. They ensure that feedback is systematic, actionable, and aligned with the organization's goals, ultimately leading to better management practices and a more robust organizational culture.

Here are more key points why they are important:

1. Enhanced Communication

• Two-Way Feedback: They promote open communication channels between managers and their teams, allowing for a more transparent and honest exchange of feedback.
• Real-Time Feedback: Managers can receive and give feedback in real-time, addressing issues promptly and acknowledging positive behavior as it happens.

2. Improved Performance

• Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses: These tools help in identifying areas where managers excel and areas that need improvement, enabling targeted development.
• Goal Setting and Tracking: Feedback tools often integrate with performance management systems, helping managers set measurable goals and track progress over time.

3. Employee Engagement and Morale

• Empowering Employees: When employees feel heard and see that their feedback leads to tangible changes, their engagement and satisfaction levels increase.
• Recognition and Appreciation: Managers can recognize and reward employees effectively, boosting morale and motivation.

4. Professional Development

• Training Needs Identification: Feedback tools can highlight areas where managers need additional training or development, guiding investment in professional growth.
• Continuous Learning: Regular feedback fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement, essential for both personal and organizational growth.

5. Culture of Accountability

• Performance Monitoring: Feedback tools make it easier to monitor performance consistently, ensuring that managers are held accountable for their actions and decisions.
• Transparency: By maintaining a transparent record of feedback, these tools help create a culture of accountability and trust within the organization.

Examples of Manager Feedback Tools

• 360-Degree Feedback Systems: Collect feedback from a manager's subordinates, peers, and superiors.
• Employee Pulse Surveys: Regular, short surveys to gauge employee sentiment and feedback on management.
• Performance Management Software: Integrated solutions that include feedback as a core component.
• Feedback Apps: Standalone apps designed to facilitate continuous feedback.

What Are the Benefits of Manager Feedback Tools?

1. Builds Trust with Team Members

People like to be listened to. So, any environment that encourages feedback from junior colleagues shows them that their opinions matter and makes them feel valued. Consequently, this can improve employee engagement, boost morale, and help retain top talent.

2. Help Managers Make Better Decisions

Timely employee feedback helps keep management and employees on the same page regarding company activities. In addition, constantly listening to employees’ concerns and acting on their recommendations/solutions can also lead to better organizational performance. 

3. Helps to Increase Proactiveness Among Managers

The best managers understand that feedback is a clairvoyant ability. That is, feedback allows them to discover problems early enough before they get out of hand. As such, rather than spending all their precious time firefighting, managers can identify and eliminate any obstacles that may prevent them from reaching their objectives and targets. 

4. Improves Manager's Overall Self-awareness

Most companies run at breakneck speed. As a result, managers can get caught up in daily activities that they forget to evaluate their progress. Feedback — and feedback tools — offer some respite to the weary manager. Like any other employee, managers benefit from ongoing feedback as it allows them to understand how their direct reports perceive their management style and recognize their strengths and areas for improvement. This can be especially valuable for managers who may not have time to reflect on their performance due to the demands of their role.

5. Reduces Burnout and Turnover

Recruiting and retaining top talent remains a problem among recruiters, according to a 2018 study. This stat becomes even more stressful when you realize that 75% of employees report experiencing burnout. The implication is that most companies struggle to get and keep top employees. One solution to this problem is creating ways for employees to communicate their frustrations and specific dissatisfactions with work. Promptly addressing these issues ensures that employees stay longer and don’t check out of work. 

6. Improves Workplace Relationships

Interpersonal relationships are everything. Nowhere is this more important than at work, where people spend most of their lives. Although managers can not magically build relationships with and for their employees, they can remove friction points by creating avenues for people to give feedback without being dismissed. This can, in turn, build solid work relationships and a positive work culture that results in advantages over competitors. 

How to Pick the Right Manager Feedback Tool?

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to picking the “right” manager feedback tool. The most appropriate tool depends on the needs — current and future — of your company. The only problem is that there are numerous options available in the market.

So, how do you decide on what tool to pick? 

We compiled a list of manager feedback tools to help you solve this dilemma. Regardless of your company's needs, we’re here to help you find YOUR right choice.

Top Manager Feedback Tools

1

Motivosity

Pricing

$2.00 per user/month

• Seat Minimum: 10 Users

Rating 4.7 (3,996)

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Motivositiy’s biggest secret is that it bundles four integrated solutions together to address various employees' concerns all in the same place. Living up to the name of the “one-stop-shop for employee engagement,” Motivosity approaches workplace concerns in four ways: connect, recognize, lead, and listen. This means that with Motivosity you can improve interpersonal relationships among team members, reward top-performing employees, upskill managers into leaders, and listen to employee pain points — all of which ultimately result in a motivated workforce.

Things We Love About Motivosity:

• In-built robust reward system
• Different ways of identifying, incentivizing, and recognizing people
• Numerous use cases are available for organizations
• Discount available for bulk orders/bigger teams
• Flexible and affordable pricing

Pros

1. Makes it easy and fun to recognize and reward peers and employees. Many reviews mentioned how Motivosity makes it simple to give thanks and praise to coworkers.
2. Improves employee morale, culture, and engagement. Multiple reviews highlighted how Motivosity has enhanced company culture, boosted team morale, and improved employee engagement.
3. Fosters connections between remote/hybrid teams. Reviews noted how Motivosity helps remote and dispersed teams stay connected.
4. Provides visibility into what's happening across the company. Reviews liked being able to see praise and recognition across the organization.
5. User-friendly interface. Many reviews complimented Motivosity's clean and easy-to-use interface.

Cons

1. Leaderboards can cause unwanted competition. Some reviews felt the leaderboards promoted competition instead of true recognition.
2. Money rewards aren't always motivating. A few reviewers felt the money wasn't the real motivator - the recognition was more meaningful.
3. Reporting and analytics could be better. Some reviews wanted more robust reporting capabilities.
4. Mobile app lacks functionality. The mobile app was called out for missing key desktop features.
5. Technical glitches. A couple reviews cited occasional technical issues with the software.

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2

Assembly

Pricing

$2.80 per user/month

• Free version
• Free trial available
• Seat Minimum: 1 User

Rating 4.7 (291)

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Assembly is a workplace engagement and productivity tool that saves companies time through 50+ automated templates. Drawing from various solutions, Assembly’s software improves employee recognition, and workplace communication, and supercharges employee engagement. 

For instance, Assembly’s manager feedback template allows teams to create, collect and track feedback. This data can then be used in goal setting and measuring growth and progress over time. The best part is that Assembly is free for the first ten members!

Things We Love About Assembly:

• Rich features on the free plan
• Seamless integration with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and other HR tools
• 5GB worth of storage on the free version
• Pocket-friendly prices
• User-friendly and intuitive interface

Price:

• Free for under ten members 
• $3.50 per member/month for over ten members 

Pros

1. Easy to use and intuitive interface. Many reviews mentioned Assembly is simple, easy to navigate, and user-friendly.
2. Good customer support. Reviews mentioned Assembly's support team is responsive in resolving issues.
3. Rewards redemption process is smooth. Users liked the gift card and other reward options that can be redeemed with points.
4. Integrates well with Slack and Microsoft Teams. The integration makes giving recognition quick and seamless.
5. Good for employee recognition and engagement. Reviews highlighted Assembly's peer-to-peer recognition features that help boost employee morale.

Cons

1. Limitations in analytics and reporting features. Some reviews wanted more detailed analytics and user statistics.
2. Creating flows and automations can be tricky. Reviews noted workflows and automations are sometimes hard to setup.
3. Limited customization options for recognitions. Users wanted more ways to customize recognitions with images/GIFs.
4. Lack of mobile apps earlier on. Reviews mentioned lack of mobile apps made it hard to use when not by a computer.
5. Confusion due to branding changes. Reviews noted frequent name changes of the reward units was confusing initially.

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3

15Five

Pricing

$4.00 per user/month

• Free version
• Free trial available
• Seat Minimum: 1 User

Rating 4.6 (4,336)

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15Five software dubs itself on a mission to “create highly-engaged, high-performing organizations by helping people become their best selves.” They aim to do this through a mix of psychology and cutting-edge software. Their platform combines coaching and manager training, 360 performance reviews, in-depth engagement surveys, robust goal & OKR tracking, and manager-employee feedback tools like 1-on-1s and pulse ratings. Together, these features enable companies to monitor engagement and employee performance and empower managers to drive top-to-bottom changes. 

Things We Love About 15Five:

• The app is easy to set up and use
• Employees can request feedback directly from specific people
• Budget-friendly prices for the number of features offered
• Automated functions like setting reminders for performance assessment and emailing team members

Pros

1. Improves communication between employees and managers through weekly check-ins. Allows for timely feedback and discussions.
2. Easy to use interface and setup. Intuitive for both employees and managers.
3. Provides visibility into team and individual goals and objectives. Allows tracking progress over time.
4. Facilitates employee recognition through features like High Fives. Boosts morale.
5. Centralizes performance management and reviews. Provides useful records and insights.

Cons

1. Can feel repetitive answering the same questions every week. Questions get stale over time.
2. Not all employees like documenting work and giving constant feedback. Can feel like micromanaging.
3. Pricing can be high for large teams. Expensive for big organizations.
4. Lack of advanced custom reporting and analytics features. More metrics would be useful.
5. Mobile app capabilities are limited compared to desktop. Missing some features.

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4

Energage

Pricing

Contact sales for pricing

Rating 4.5 (182)

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Energage employs a four-pronged integrated solution to fulfill its mission of helping companies “recruit and retain the right talent.” 

With the aid of custom workplace surveys, data insights, and coaching tools, the Energage platform helps to collect, understand and amplify the voice of employees. The software is not only easy to set up, but it also has an appealing interface. 

Things We Love About Energage:

• Easy to integrate with external tools
• Robust reporting view with data analytics dashboards
• Straight forward user experience
• Highly customizable to users’ needs and preferences

Pros

1. Provides good insights into employee engagement and areas for improvement
2. Easy to use survey platform and user-friendly interface
3. Useful benchmarking data to compare against other companies
4. Good reporting capabilities to analyze results
5. Helpful customer service team

Cons

1. Expensive, especially for smaller companies
2. Restrictions on accessing full data without purchasing premium packages
3. Survey questions could be better worded or more customizable
4. Can be overwhelming amount of data to analyze
5. Limited ability to compare data across different company sizes/industries

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5

BambooHR

Pricing

Contact sales for pricing

• Free trial available

Rating 4.5 (4,993)

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BambooHR is an all-encompassing HR software tool that helps small to medium businesses with hiring, onboarding, compensation, off-boarding, and promoting company culture. Specifically, BambooHR’s software allows teams to streamline self-assessment and manager feedback with overall organizational goals.

Things We Love About BambooHR:

• Wide range of features and use cases for managers
• Safe, secure, and easy-to-use platform
• Available on both computers and mobile devices
• Seamless integration with Slack, Gmail, and other work tools

Pros

1. User-friendly interface - Many reviews praise how intuitive and easy to navigate BambooHR is. Both employees and HR admins find it simple to use.
2. Streamlined HR processes - Automates tasks like onboarding, document signing, PTO requests, etc. Saves HR teams time and effort.
3. Excellent customer support - Numerous reviews highlight BambooHR's responsive and knowledgeable customer support as a major plus.
4. Customizable - Can tailor BambooHR to fit organization's specific needs via custom fields, workflows, access levels, etc. Provides flexibility.
5. Integrations - BambooHR integrates with other HR tools like payroll, applicant tracking, and performance management systems. Allows connecting workflows.

Cons

1. Limited customization - Some reviews note inability to customize certain aspects like performance reviews. Can be an issue for unique needs.
2. Complex configurations - Setting up advanced workflows and custom fields requires learning and experience. Can impact productivity.
3. Missing features - Lacks some common HR features like scheduling, recognition programs, advanced analytics. Requires add-ons.
4. Lack of personalization - Dedicated account manager promised during sales but not provided post-signing according to some reviews.
5. Reporting limitations - Reporting functionality could be more robust and flexible as per some user reviews.

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6

Mercer Mettl 360-Degree Feedback

Pricing

Contact sales for pricing

• Free trial available

Rating 4.6 (41)

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Mercer Mettl 360-Degree Feedback tool employs a holistic approach to collecting feedback. Simply put, rather than getting reviews from a single source, employees can receive feedback from different sources like their peers, bosses, direct reports, and even customers. 

Beyond these, the tool also has features that help companies identify high-potential employees and employees with skill gaps. Mettl is a hit because it also helps companies gauge the overall competency levels of their organization.

Things We Love About Mercer Mettl 360-Degree Feedback:

• Simple feedback tool with excellent results
• Ability to generate feedback from multiple sources
• Mercer Mettl can identify high-potential employees
• Conversely, through surveys, it can also identify employees' weaknesses and suggest solutions

Pros

1. Provides authentic and honest feedback from peers, managers, and others to evaluate employees.
2. Helps identify strengths and weaknesses of employees to provide training.
3. Useful for appraisals and making fair compensation decisions.
4. Easy to use interface and user-friendly features.
5. Helps track employee performance over time.

Cons

1. Free trial period should be longer and subscription rates could be lower.
2. User interface and navigation could be improved.
3. More options needed to get a holistic view of employee skills and etiquette.
4. Some technical issues like extending deadlines.
5. More flexibility needed in adding custom features.

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7

WorkTango

Pricing

Contact sales for pricing

• Seat Minimum: 150 Users

Rating 4.5 (962)

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WorkTango’s platform offers managers information that is both useful and actionable. Through its various products, managers can meaningfully recognize and reward employees and align with them through goal setting and feedback. In addition, WorkTango also helps with coaching and mentoring support between team leads and their direct reports. This comprehensive approach to management helps to foster alignment and growth within organizations.

Things We Love About WorkTango:

• Eye-catching interface and colors
• Comprehensive performance management and rewards and recognition system all on one platform
• Dedicated email and mobile customer support services
• Ability to kickstart and sustain employee alignment conversations

Pros

1. Easy to use and user-friendly interface. Many reviews mentioned how simple and intuitive the platform is.
2. Ability to easily recognize and reward coworkers. Giving points and recognition is seamless.
3. Fun way to boost employee morale. The gamification and rewards help motivate employees.
4. Provides insight into employee engagement. The data and analytics provide valuable insights.
5. Good variety of rewards to choose from. Many gift cards and merchandise options in the catalog.

Cons

1. Point system not ideal. Reviews mentioned points being hard to earn or expiring too quickly.
2. Rewards catalog limitations. Some wanted more options, lower point costs, or better rewards.
3. Reporting and analytics could be better. Some found the data analysis functionality lacking.
4. Issues with notifications. Reviews cited missing or too frequent notifications as problems.
5. Navigation issues. Some found the site navigation confusing or unintuitive at times.

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8

TINYpulse

Pricing

Contact sales for pricing

Rating 4.4 (576)

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According to the TINYpulse website, their online tool allows companies to “cut through the noise and pinpoint where to focus [their] attention and resources to improve employee engagement in [organizations].” With TINYpulse, managers can stay on the pulse of employee engagement and performance levels. Their range of tools allows you to quickly identify the root cause of issues, receive feedback, and engage in anonymous conversations. Also, employees can shout out top performers through their in-built cheer for peer system.

Things We Love About TINYpulse:

• Simple to use employee engagement platform
• Numerous options for gathering feedback
• In-built employee recognition system
• Privacy for employees

Pros

1. Allows anonymous feedback from employees, which encourages honesty.
2. Easy to use interface and questions.
3. Provides metrics on employee happiness and engagement.
4. "Cheers for Peers" feature boosts employee morale.
5. Customizable questions allow surveys tailored to the organization.

Cons

1. Participation can drop off over time if not kept engaging.
2. Some employees don't believe it is truly anonymous.
3. Can be perceived as a rant box rather than driving action.
4. Limited integration with other HR systems.
5. Reporting could be improved (e.g. filtering filler words).

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9

Reflektive

Pricing

Contact sales for pricing

Rating 4.2 (472)

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Reflektive promises its tool can help teams"scale constructive, ongoing conversations that keep their people and businesses continuously improving.” By empowering managers with a range of tools, Reflektive hopes to enable the creation of individual and team goals that align with the broader objectives of the organization.

Things We Love About Reflektive:

• Easy to use interface
• Numerous tools are available to managers
• Employee performance data and analytics support
• Smooth integration with other work tools

Pros

1. Easy to use and intuitive interface. Many reviews mention how simple and easy Reflektive is to navigate.
2. Recognition and feedback features. Reflektive makes it easy to give public, company-wide recognition and feedback to colleagues.
3. Performance management functionality. Reflektive provides features to help with goals, check-ins, reviews, and more for streamlined performance management.
4. Integrations with tools like Slack, Google, Outlook. Reflektive integrates with commonly used work applications for convenience.
5. Reporting and analytics. Reviewers mention useful analytics and reporting capabilities in Reflektive.

Cons

1. Can feel like an extra system/process. Some found Reflektive was an extra tool they had to go into vs using their normal workflows.
2. Steep learning curve. The administrative side and setting up processes in Reflektive had a difficult learning curve per some reviews.
3. Lack of customization in some areas. Reviewers pointed out lack of customization in goal setting and other areas of the platform.
4. Occasional bugs. Some mentioned bugs with Outlook integration and slow performance at times.
5. User engagement/adoption challenges. Getting consistent employee engagement and adoption of Reflektive was called out as an issue.

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10

Workleap Officevibe

Pricing

$3.50 per user/month

• Free trial available
• Seat Minimum: 1 User

Rating 4.31 (1,530)

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Workleap Officevibe is an online tool that encourages in-depth employee feedback. Their anonymous feedback surveys, 1:1 meetings, and other products allow managers and team members to build better work relationships and create better conditions for work. This tool also offers custom data-driven reports that can help managers identify areas of employee dissatisfaction and opportunities to increase efficiency. 

Things We Love About Workleap Officevibe:

• Option to set up 1:1 meetings with employees
• In-depth survey tools that provide insights into the well-being and general sentiments of team members
• Appealing interface
• Highly customizable to ensure that feedback is relevant to organizational needs

Pros

1. Provides anonymous feedback from employees, allowing them to be more open and honest. This gives managers insight into issues that may not otherwise surface.
2. Easy to use interface and quick weekly surveys make it simple for employees to participate regularly. High participation rates give more accurate data.
3. Real-time analytics and reporting allow managers to identify trends and issues early so they can be addressed promptly.
4. Pre-set questions based on validated models ensure relevant topics are covered from engagement to culture.
5. Integrations with tools like Slack make it convenient by sending survey reminders and notifications directly within commonly used platforms.

Cons

1. Questions can become repetitive if the same ones are used too frequently, leading to survey fatigue.
2. Limited customization options for surveys or modifying question banks in some versions.
3. Can be difficult to analyze data accurately for smaller team sizes while maintaining anonymity.
4. Support can be slow or provide generic responses rather than tailored help.
5. Buggy integrations with other software like Slack can cause issues logging in or accessing surveys.

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Conclusion

The importance of receiving feedback as a manager cannot be overstated, as the benefits far outweigh the potential drawbacks. The best managers and leaders prioritize input and take action based on what they learn, and using the right manager feedback tool can help you join their ranks. By seeking out and acting on feedback, you'll be well on your way to becoming a standout manager.