Onyinyechi Godwin, Human Resources professional and certified Emotional Intelligence/Life Coach
When change is constant and agility is essential, waiting 12 months to review performance is not just outdated, it is a missed opportunity.
Think about it: how useful is feedback that comes just once a year? Imagine dedicating yourself to your role for months, only to discover too late that you could have taken a different approach or improved in critical areas. Worse still, your contributions may go unnoticed because they have been forgotten by the time review season arrives. Unfortunately, this is not a rare experience, it remains the norm for many professionals across industries.
In an environment where agility is key, where teams must pivot quickly, deliver results faster, and learn on the go, feedback must be just as agile. That is why continuous feedback, ongoing, timely, and constructive communication between managers and employees, is no longer a “nice to have.” It is a necessity for performance, growth, and retention.
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Why annual reviews are no longer effective
For decades, organisations have relied on once-a-year appraisals to evaluate performance, reward excellence, and address challenges. However, these reviews have increasingly proven ineffective, anxiety-inducing, and disconnected from the fast-paced nature of modern work. In many cases, they feel more like a judgement day than an opportunity for development.
Annual reviews tend to be backward-looking and overly formal. Instead of encouraging improvement, they often become bureaucratic box-ticking exercises with little impact on performance. Employees primarily see them as opportunities to push for promotions or salary increases, shifting focus away from meaningful growth.
Delaying feedback for months results in missed opportunities for timely improvement. These reviews tend to focus on recent or memorable events rather than an employee’s full contribution over the year. This weakens trust and undermines employee development.
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Why continuous feedback is the way forward
Continuous feedback means frequent, honest, and actionable performance conversations between managers and employees. Whether through weekly check-ins, monthly reviews, or informal coaching, this approach helps employees stay aligned with expectations, course-correct early, and grow confidently in their roles.
Today’s workplaces move faster than ever. Business goals evolve rapidly, and employees juggle shifting priorities. Annual reviews fail to keep up, while continuous feedback allows teams to adapt in real time, making performance management more dynamic and responsive.
Employees who receive regular feedback are significantly more engaged. Research from Gallup shows they are 3.6 times more likely to be engaged at work, with organisations experiencing up to 43 percent lower turnover rates when feedback is timely and frequent.
Frequent feedback builds stronger relationships between managers and employees. When performance conversations become routine, trust increases, anxiety decreases, and employees feel supported in clarifying goals, addressing challenges, and celebrating small wins.
Continuous feedback fosters learning and development rather than just evaluation. Instead of waiting for an annual verdict, employees can reflect, adjust, and grow, leading to better individual and team performance over time.
Leading companies have already transitioned to this model, with measurable success. Adobe saw a 30 percent reduction in voluntary turnover and a 64 percent increase in employee satisfaction after replacing annual reviews with regular check-ins. Deloitte reported a 15 percent improvement in overall performance after adopting continuous feedback, while GE introduced a simple mobile app that enabled real-time feedback, resulting in five times more performance conversations and a more agile workforce.
The global workforce is evolving, and employees expect a more supportive approach to performance management. Annual appraisals no longer align with modern work demands, employees want ongoing conversations that help them grow and thrive.
What continuous feedback looks like in practice
Moving away from annual appraisals does not mean abandoning structure, it means evolving it. A continuous feedback model involves regular check-ins between employees and managers, ensuring progress is discussed, expectations are clarified, and goals are adjusted.
Real-time recognition plays a crucial role, allowing achievements to be acknowledged immediately instead of months later. This reinforces positive behaviours and motivates employees to sustain high performance.
Managers must transition from evaluators to coaches, guiding and empowering employees rather than merely grading them. Performance management should focus on development, not just assessment.
Technology can enable effective continuous feedback, with modern platforms offering real-time feedback, goal tracking, and analytics to facilitate meaningful conversations and data-driven decisions.
Overcoming the challenges
Transitioning to a continuous feedback model presents challenges, but they are not insurmountable. Managers need to be trained in providing constructive feedback, shifting away from directive instructions to meaningful discussions.
Organisations must integrate feedback into their work culture, ensuring it becomes an everyday practice rather than a yearly event. This change starts at the leadership level, where managers set the example.
Tracking progress is crucial, and simple tools such as shared feedback logs or HR support systems can ensure feedback is documented transparently.
Nigerian organisations must take a bold step towards modern performance management. Evaluations should be an ongoing journey, not a rigid annual event. Feedback should be embedded in daily workflows rather than confined to formal reviews.
Employees who receive regular, honest, and supportive feedback are more likely to innovate, stay motivated, and remain committed to their organisation’s success. This approach fosters not only better workers but better workplaces.
Feedback is not simply a tool for correction, it is the foundation of growth. The future of work demands a more agile, human-centred, and development-focused approach to performance management. The best time to begin the shift is now.
Nigerian organizations must take a bold step toward the future. Performance management should be a continuous journey, not an annual ritual. Feedback should be a part of everyday work, not confined to forms and formalities.
When employees receive regular, honest, and supportive feedback, they are more likely to innovate, stay motivated, and remain committed to their organization’s goals. It builds not just better workers, but better workplaces.
Feedback is not just a tool for correction—it is the engine of growth.
The future of work demands it. And the best time to begin the shift is now.
