Creating a culture of feedback: How to build trust and improve your workplace

Creating a culture of feedback is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a competitive advantage.  

According to Harvard Business Review, teams that receive weekly, meaningful feedback see up to 25% higher productivity and stronger engagement across the organisation.

And yet, in many companies, feedback is still a once-a-year ritual (hello, annual review season).

So how can you as a HR and L&D professional create a feedback culture that is consistent, constructive, and actually drives performance for your organisation?

In this article, we’ll explore:  

• What a true culture of feedback looks like

• Why it’s crucial for today’s workplace

• Practical steps and frameworks to make it work

• The common pitfalls to avoid

• Real-world examples from companies like Netflix, Airbnb, and ZenHub

What is a culture of feedback?

Before we dive into how to build a culture of feedback, let’s get up-to-speed on what it is, and what it looks like.

A culture of feedback is an environment where giving and receiving feedback is:

• Frequent: It happens regularly, not just once a year

• Normalised: It’s a natural part of everyday conversations

• Safe and constructive: People feel comfortable sharing honestly

• Mutual: Feedback flows in all directions, regardless of hierarchy

In a healthy feedback culture, feedback isn’t a box to tick during an annual performance review. It’s a tool for daily growth, clarity, and alignment.

“Feedback shouldn’t be a one-off event. It’s something that should be woven into how people work, collaborate, and develop every day.”
Sandrien/Alix from the Moving Forward Podcast

Shifting from formal to ongoing feedback creates a more agile workplace.  

Everyone, from interns to senior leaders, improves continuously. Employees get clarity on how they’re doing when it matters most, not months later when it’s too late to change things.

What are the benefits of a feedback culture?

Creating a culture of feedback pays off in more ways than one. Here are four powerful benefits it brings to your organisation:

1. Trust and transparency

When feedback is part of everyday conversations, it builds trust and psychological safety. People feel safe speaking up, sharing ideas, and voicing concerns. In fact, 89% of employees say is essential to workplace wellbeing.

2. Continuous learning and improvement

Regular feedback turns work into a constant learning loop. Employees know where they’re doing well and where they can improve, which drives better performance. In fact, research shows that 80% of employees who receive meaningful feedback are fully engaged at work.

3. Innovation and risk-taking

When feedback is encouraged, employees are more likely to experiment and take creative risks. Instead of fearing failure, they see mistakes as opportunities to learn. Teams with strong feedback and psychological safety are more than twice as likely to be top performers in innovation.

4. Better decisions and team effectiveness

Open feedback leads to richer dialogue, thoughtful collaboration, and more informed decisions. It reduces blind spots, prevents bottlenecks, and improves overall team performance with diverse perspectives and improved outcomes.

“Feedback shouldn’t be a one-off event. It’s something that should be woven into how people work, collaborate, and develop every day.”
Sandrien/Alix from the Moving Forward Podcast

How to create a culture of feedback (step-by-step)

A culture of feedback doesn’t just happen overnight. In reality, it’s built through consistent, deliberate action.  

Here’s how to start:

1. Lead by example

A feedback culture starts at the top. If leaders are closed off, hesitant, or inconsistent in asking for feedback, employees will do the same.  

Instead, leaders who ask for feedback and act on it send a clear signal that everyone’s perspective matters. This builds credibility and encourages a two-way dialogue.

Train your leaders to:

• Regularly ask their team for input on their decisions and actions.

• Value suggestions by acting on them and communicating the changes.

• Publicly acknowledge when feedback has helped them improve.

Framework to try: Radical Candor. Help leaders show care for people while still challenging them (and themselves) directly.

2. Create psychological safety

Without psychological safety, even the best feedback systems will fail.  

Employees must feel confident that speaking up won’t harm their relationships or careers. A culture of openness makes it easier to surface problems early, share innovative ideas, and grow collectively.

Train your leaders to:

• Respond to feedback with curiosity, not defensiveness.

• Welcome healthy debate in meetings and show that differing opinions are welcome.

• Share their own mistakes openly to normalise vulnerability.

Framework to try: 360-Degree Feedback. Help leaders gather perspectives from teammates, managers, and direct reports to help normalise feedback as a shared responsibility.

3. Make feedback a habit

As we know, feedback shouldn’t live only in performance reviews. The more it’s part of the daily workflow, the less intimidating it feels. This also helps make sure feedback is timely, relevant, and actionable.

Train your leaders to:

• Open meetings with quick “feedback rounds” to keep the habit alive.

• Hold project debriefs after key milestones to reflect on wins and opportunities.

• Dedicate part of every one-to-one to mutual feedback, e.g. 10 minutes each way.

Framework to try: Feedback Cycles. Establish a regular schedule (e.g. monthly) for structured feedback, alongside informal touchpoints.

4. Celebrate positive feedback

Feedback isn’t only about improvement, it’s also about recognising what’s working well.  

Celebrating a job-well-done boosts morale and makes teams more receptive to constructive feedback. People are more likely to embrace change when they feel valued.

Train your leaders to:

• Give public shout-outs during team meetings.

• Introduce peer-to-peer recognition channels (Slack, Teams, etc.).

• Share positive feedback highlights in company updates.

5. Be consistent and fair

Nothing undermines a feedback culture faster than inconsistent communication or perceived bias. When feedback is predictable and has equal standards, trust grows. And so does the motivation to act on it.

Train your leaders to:

• Hold all roles and teams to the same performance criteria.

• Give feedback promptly while details are still fresh.

• Focus on behaviours and outcomes, not personal traits.

6. Master the art of giving feedback

Even in a strong feedback culture, the way you give feedback matters as much as the feedback itself. Poor delivery can damage trust, while great delivery can spark real growth.

Here are some practical tips for giving effective feedback you can encourage in your organisation:

1. Start early: Give feedback as soon as possible.

2. Check biases: Focus on facts, not assumptions.

3. Ditch the feedback sandwich: Be direct and avoid diluting your message.

4. Be vulnerable: Share challenges to create mutual trust.

5. Be specific: Provide clear examples and actionable steps.

6. Reframe feedback as a gift: Position it as an opportunity to grow, not criticism.

Framework to try: Combine Radical Candor with regular Feedback Cycles to ensure both honesty and consistency.

Real-world examples of feedback culture

Netflix: “Sunshining” mistakes to build trust and speed up learning

• What they do: Netflix encourages radical openness. Employees are expected to share what’s working and what isn’t, and to openly discuss mistakes so teams can learn fast. Internally this practice is often called “sunshining.”

• How it works in practice: Beyond routine feedback, employees are urged to admit errors and share learnings widely, turning missteps into company-wide learning moments instead of quiet, siloed fixes. This sits alongside Netflix’s long-standing norm of candour in its culture memo.

• Why it helps: Normalising transparent feedback strengthens trust and reduces “blame culture,” allowing teams to iterate faster and avoid repeating mistakes. Netflix’s public culture explicitly calls for giving/receiving feedback and “admitting mistakes openly and sharing learnings widely.” And in the book No Rules Rules, they also describe “sunshining” as the expectation to surface failures and lessons so the whole organisation benefits.  

Want a deeper dive into Netflix’s feedback culture? Check out the Moving Forward Podcast with guest Alix Jacobson, former Vice President of HR EMEA at Netflix. In this episode, Alix shares how the company’s commitment to extreme candor and regular feedback became one of the driving forces behind its success.

Airbnb: Candid leadership, high-signal feedback, and communication craft

• What they do: Airbnb’s leadership has long treated culture and candid communication as strategic levers. The company invests in leadership communication skills and promotes direct, values-aligned feedback as part of “how we work.”

• How it works in practice: From the top down, leaders are explicit that culture is “the foundation for our company,” and they model clear, values-based communication. Airbnb has also partnered with communication experts to hone C-suite feedback and messaging for high-stakes settings, reinforcing a bar for clear, concise, respectful challenge.  

• Why it helps: When leaders set the tone (inviting honest input and communicating with clarity) teams are more likely to exchange meaningful feedback (up, down, and across). That consistency creates psychological safety and speeds alignment during change, a theme echoed across Airbnb’s public cultural writing and leadership materials.

ZenHub: Retrospectives with action items that actually get done

• What they do: ZenHub leans on regular sprint retrospectives to invite honest feedback about process, teamwork, and delivery. They're then able to track action items until they’re closed.

• How it works in practice: After each sprint, teams discuss what went well or poorly, agree on improvements, and log follow-ups so nothing gets lost. Guidance from ZenHub emphasises retros as open, learning-oriented forums and recommends capturing improvements as backlog items for real accountability.  

• Why it helps: Turning feedback into visible, owned tasks removes the “we talked about it and moved on” problem. Over time, this compounds into better flow, fewer repeat mistakes, and stronger team effectiveness.

Overcoming Challenges When Creating a Culture of Feedback

You might be feeling inspired and ready to put everything you’ve learned into action.

But before you jump in, it’s worth knowing the common pitfalls that can trip up even the most well-intentioned organisations. By spotting these early, you’ll be better equipped to overcome them, and keep your feedback culture on track.

1. Fear of conflict

For many people, “feedback” is synonymous with “criticism,” which can trigger defensiveness or discomfort. This fear can stall open communication before it even starts.

How to overcome it:

• Provide training on how to give feedback constructively. Focus on behaviours, not personalities.

• Introduce frameworks like Radical Candor to help balance honesty with empathy.

• Role-play feedback conversations in team workshops to build confidence.

2. Lack of trust

Without trust, even well-intentioned feedback can feel threatening. Trust is the bedrock of any feedback culture.

How to overcome it:

• Begin with small, low-stakes feedback exchanges to build comfort.

• Leaders should model vulnerability by asking for feedback first and acting on it.

• Recognise and reward examples of open, respectful feedback to show it’s valued.

3. Time constraints

“Giving feedback takes too much time” is a common objection. But it’s usually a sign it hasn’t been integrated into the flow of work.

How to overcome it:

• Incorporate feedback into existing routines: project wrap-ups, sprint retros, or weekly stand-ups.

• Use quick feedback tools like pulse surveys or one-question Slack check-ins.

• Keep feedback moments short, specific, and action-oriented—two minutes is often enough.

Pro tip: Over time, regular micro-feedback actually saves time by preventing small issues from growing into big problems.

Wrapping it up: Your feedback culture starts here

Hopefully you now understand how late, vague, or once-a-year feedback will leave your teams guessing, with problems growing, and opportunities slipping away.

The good news? You don’t need a massive overhaul to make change. Building a culture of feedback isn’t about huge, overnight transformations. It’s about small, consistent actions that add up to something powerful.

Here’s your starting point:

• Lead from the front: Ask for feedback yourself and act on it.

• Create psychological safety: Show that honest input is welcome and valued.

• Make it a habit: Embed feedback into everyday conversations.

• Recognise the wins: Celebrate successes as much as you coach improvements.

• Stay consistent and fair: Apply the same standards to everyone, every time.

Bit by bit, you’ll replace hesitation with trust, uncertainty with clarity, and silence with open dialogue. And soon enough, you’ll have a workplace where feedback isn’t feared, it’s a fuel for growth.