Our best thoughts and ideas can often come from peer feedback. While a performance review can often allow us to self-reflect on our own performance, they can also be incredibly stressful and intimidating. That's why peer feedback sessions are so important.
As a team member, how do you ask for peer feedback? Today we'll be covering 9 peer feedback questions you can ask your fellow peer.
By asking these review questions to a peer, you should be able to have a better idea of how you're doing as an employee, and also have a better idea of how to improve yourself as a worker.
1. What do I do well now, and what can I improve on in the future?
This question is an important one to ask early on in a peer feedback session, as it's meant to be a very general self-evaluation question that directly asks your peer how they think you are performing. It allows your peer to be honest and up-front about your performance, hopefully give you effective and meaningful feedback, and will help set the tone for the rest of the peer review.
2. Do you think I interact enough with my team members?
As your fellow coworker, your peer reviewer might be able to notice patterns with who you collaborate best with at work and who you don't necessarily get along with as well. This question may prove valuable as another person's perspective may help you realize which peers you have a lower engagement with as well.
3. How can I better support you in your work?
A peer review session is not just about improving yourself; it's also about improving the relationship between yourself and your peer. This question shows that you care about your peer and that you're able to help them achieve their goals while performing their own duties.
4. What skills can I improve to be a better employee?
Sometimes our peers may notice gaps we didn't even know existed! Being aware of your own skill gaps will help you to better understand how to improve in these areas, and can prove to be very valuable feedback.
5. Can you provide a specific example of an area in which I excel?
Often, we focus on what we can improve, not realizing that maybe what is seen as a flaw to us is actually something highly valued by our peer and the company. So it's important to take note of the skills and behaviors your peer values and wants you to continue doing!
6. Can you provide a specific example of an area in which I can improve?
Just because we've been told we do something well doesn't mean we shouldn't try to get better. This peer feedback question allows your peer to provide some guidance on where they see room for improvement within the company or yourself personally. It will also provide you with the chance to ask additional questions on how to improve in these areas.
7. What sets me apart from other team members?
As a peer review session is not just about improving ourselves, it's also about understanding how we can support our peers in a way that nobody else can. This peer feedback question helps us understand what strengths we have that make us unique and provide value to the company.
8. Have you noticed any gaps in my professionalism?
It's important to always be conscious of your workplace behavior! This peer feedback question will allow your peer to identify any gaps they see within your performance at work (i.e., timeliness, dress code etc.), or even extra-curricular behavior (i.e., arriving late, taking personal phone calls etc.). While this can sometimes be tough to hear, remember that constructive feedback is meant to better improve yourself as an employee.
9. Do you have any additional feedback?
The peer review session is a time for your peer to be open and honest about what they think of you as a peer! This open ended question will help them feel comfortable telling you anything else they feel the need to say before ending the feedback process.
Now it's time for you to ask your peers these 9 peer feedback questions! And while these are excellent sample questions, it's also fine to create new questions as well to ask. Ask for peer feedback today and get some valuable insight into how well your peers see you working within the company, and where there might be an opportunity for improvement that would benefit both yourself and your team. Best of luck in utilizing this peer feedback strategy in helping improve within your role at work!
For more information, feel free to take a look at our comprehensive guide to peer feedback. And if you got anything of value out of this article then consider trying out Matter, a free Slack app that allows for peers to give one another Kudos and constructive criticism. Try it out today for free.
