It’s that time again—the mid-year check-in. Cue the collective sigh from employees and leaders.
Leaders dread it.
Employees brace for it.
And HR? They’re stuck chasing forms, compliance, and follow-ups, just hoping people take it seriously.
But here’s the thing, it doesn’t have to feel this way.
Mid-year reviews aren’t the enemy. Time suckers, yes, but really, it’s the way we approach them that is broken.
Some HR Empathy Here
To the HR professionals out there, I see you.
You create the process, design the forms or portals. You send the reminders. You design the timelines.
You enable consistency and fairness across the leaders, team members, and the business.
And for some of you? You’ve even invested in a performance management platform or HRIS tool to help automate it. Great! Structure matters.
But here’s what no software can do:
- Have the hard conversation.
- Replace a leader’s courage.
- Build the trust that only shows up in real-time, human interactions.
Tech can support the how. But the when, why, and follow-through? That still belongs to leaders.
And when that leadership piece is missing—when the tools are there, but the dialogue isn’t?
That’s not an HR failure. That’s a leadership gap—and a growth opportunity.
The Truth About Feedback
Let’s put one myth to rest—employees don’t dread feedback. They crave it, especially younger generations.
A 2025 Deloitte survey confirms that Gen Zs and Millennials are ambitious, growth-driven, and eager to learn. One of the top reasons they choose a workplace? Opportunities for learning and development.
But here’s the thing. Many people feel that their managers are falling short. They don’t just want oversight of daily tasks; they want mentorship, inspiration, and guidance to support their growth.
Source: Deloitte 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey
And it’s not just Deloitte saying so. Gallup research continues to reinforce that regular, meaningful feedback is a critical driver of engagement:
- Employees who received meaningful feedback in the past week are 4x more likely to be engaged. Source: Gallup – Effective Feedback Fuels Performance
- Millennials and Gen Z expect frequent check-ins, not just an annual review.
Source: Gallup
So if you’re worried that you’re overwhelming your team with too much feedback, don’t be.
If anything, the risk is in not giving enough.
Feedback isn’t about fixing.
It’s about clarity, confidence, and connection.
It’s a sign of investment, not criticism.
What Leaders Often Get Wrong
Too often, performance check-ins become a transactional HR checklist—a form to fill, a deadline to meet.
What gets missed?
- The real conversation about strengths, blind spots, and stretch goals.
- The opportunity to connect the dots between today’s work and tomorrow’s growth.
- The chance to align, recalibrate, and build momentum for the second half of the year.
And perhaps most importantly, the opportunity to build trust through consistent, honest, human dialogue.
Don’t Wait for the Mid-Year
If you’re waiting until mid-year to talk about performance, you’re already behind.
The data is clear: Employees—especially Gen Z and Millennials—want meaningful, in-the-moment feedback. Not annual surprises or mid-year course corrections.
When that feedback is delayed, growth opportunities are lost, clarity fades, and motivation dips. That’s not just a miss—it’s a risk.
Start with Just-in-Time Feedback
Waiting weeks (or months) to share feedback? That’s a missed opportunity.
When something happens, good or not-so-good, say something. Right then. Not in a formal review. Not when it’s slipped from memory. In the moment.
That’s when learning lands.
Providing feedback in the moment:
- Reinforces accountability
- Fosters clarity
- Creates space for reflection while the experience is still fresh
Leaders can also reverse the feedback model, asking employees what they’re doing well and what they could do differently. This builds authentic, two-way dialogue that strengthens trust.
Over time, this consistent practice boosts self-awareness and emotional intelligence, making feedback feel less like a confrontation and more like a shared growth moment.
Then, Ground It in the One-to-One
One-off feedback is helpful. But it doesn’t drive sustained growth on its own.
That’s where the one-to-one comes in. When done well, it’s not a status update—it’s a steady, meaningful space to:
- Revisit and reinforce feedback
- Build skills and confidence
- Build trust and connection
- Reflect on patterns of behaviour
- Explore mindset and progress
- Keep development goals alive and momentum moving
Whether weekly or monthly, consistency is what makes it effective.
When leaders pair just-in-time feedback with one-to-one conversations, performance discussions become more honest, less stressful, and far more effective.
So, when mid-year arrives?
There are no surprises.
Feedback Is a Gift. Self-Awareness Is the Wrapping.
The feedback model I teach helps slow down and ground the conversation in learning. It follows a simple structure:
What do you think you did well?
Here’s what I think you did well.
What would you do differently next time?
Next time, I’d like you to…
This creates clarity, encourages ownership, and supports confidence—without sugarcoating or avoidance.
The one-to-one tool builds on this, starting with a check-in and big-picture reflection, then explores:
- Employee Green Flags: Recent accomplishments and the behaviors behind them
- Leader Green Flags: Reinforce what’s working and recognize contributions
- Employee Red Flags: Reflect on mistakes or challenges—where growth happens
- Leader Red Flags: Name missed expectations in a supportive, accountable way
It ends with clear action-setting and mutual accountability:
What actions will you take? By when?
What do you need from me?
What do I need from you?
Together, the feedback model and one-to-one create:
- A blueprint for courageous conversations
- A rhythm for meaningful reflection
- A space for real-time course correction
- A platform to celebrate progress—not just performance
Make This Year Different
Let’s reframe the mid-year check-in.
It shouldn’t be about what you did well and areas for improvement—that dialogue should already be happening.
The check-in should be a culmination, not a revelation.
No surprises. No scrambling. Just clarity, confidence, and commitment.
Want to Make Feedback a Way of Leading?
If you’re ready to move from twice-a-year dread to day-to-day growth…
If you want to help your leaders go beyond the checkbox…
Start embedding feedback into your everyday rhythm.
Leverage just-in-time feedback. Use one-to-ones with intention.
Because performance isn’t built in a form. It’s built into everyday life.
And if you’d like to bring this to life in your organization—reach out. Let’s make feedback part of your leadership culture.
