How to Give Better Peer Feedback (Without Sounding Like a Jerk)

You ever open a peer review and read something like:

“Sarah is great to work with.”

“Always so helpful!”

“No areas of improvement at this time.”

😬

Now, I love a hype moment. Let’s celebrate each other at work! But when it comes to meaningful peer feedback — especially anything constructive — people freeze. Or worse… they skip it altogether.

And I get it. Giving feedback is hard. Giving feedback to your peers? Even harder. You don’t want to sound harsh or make it weird. So we stick to vague compliments and move on.

But here’s the thing: thoughtful, balanced feedback is a gift. It’s how we grow. It’s how we build trust. It’s how we actually get better at work — together.

At PocketHR, we believe better workplaces don’t happen by accident. Whether you’re leading a team or managing peer review season with Fractional HR support (hi, I can help), this guide is here to help you level up your feedback culture — without the corporate fluff.

1. Be specific

“Always helpful” is nice. But what, specifically, was helpful?

Try this:

“During our Q1 launch, Sarah stepped in to help QA the product even though it wasn’t part of her scope. That level of ownership really supported the team under pressure.”

🎯 Specific feedback helps people see their impact — and repeat it.

2. Frame feedback as care

This isn’t about nitpicking. It’s about helping your teammates level up. When you frame constructive feedback with care, it lands better — and builds a stronger, people-first HR culture.

Try:

“One area for growth might be around giving updates during longer projects. Sometimes the lack of visibility makes it hard for others to support or align.”

Not personal. Just collaborative.

3. Use “I” statements

You’re not the voice of the company. You’re you. And that’s powerful.

Instead of:

“They don’t communicate well.” Try: “I sometimes found it hard to follow the status of their projects during weekly syncs.”

You're offering perspective — not passing judgment.

4. Don’t ghost the growth

Skipping the “areas to improve” part isn’t kind — it’s a missed opportunity.

We all have things to work on. Your work bestie can definitely revisit their Notion or Slack/Teams hygiene.

Real feedback = real development.

5. End with encouragement

Feedback is a loop — not a list of flaws. After sharing an area to grow, circle back to what’s working.

“You’ve already made huge progress in team presentations this year — can’t wait to see where you take it next.”

Reinforce momentum. Always.

📣 For Employers: Don’t Let Feedback Get Lost in the Fluff

I’ve worked for managers who thought they gave me feedback. And maybe they did… somewhere in the middle of a 1:1, wrapped in too many compliments, caveats, and disclaimers.

But if I left the conversation unsure of what I was supposed to change — did I actually receive feedback? Probably not.

If you want to build a culture of continuous learning and employee development, the feedback has to be clear. That doesn’t mean harsh. That means direct, kind, and rooted in growth. Creating a strong feedback culture isn’t about checkboxes during performance season. It’s about embedding real conversations into the rhythm of your company. That’s how trust is built. That’s how people level up. That’s how you keep your best talent growing with you — not outgrowing you.

And if you’re not sure where to start? That’s what we’re here for. At PocketHR, we support scaling teams with Fractional HR strategies to build systems that actually work — including your entire performance and feedback approach.

TL;DR — Great Peer Feedback Is:

Specific and clear
Kind and honest
Focused on impact
A balance of strengths + stretch areas
Rooted in helping, not hurting

✍️ Copy This Peer Review Template

Need a starting point?

Here’s a simple paragraph-style template you can personalize:

It’s been great collaborating with [Name] this review cycle. One thing that really stood out was [specific contribution or project they led/worked on]. Their ability to [describe the impact or behavior] really helped the team [result or outcome].

One area where I think [Name] could grow is [constructive feedback]. For example, [brief context or example]. I’m sharing this because I think strengthening this skill will make collaboration even smoother and support their continued growth.

Overall, I’ve appreciated [Name]’s [strengths or qualities]. I’ve already seen progress in [area], and I’m excited to see how they continue to build on this moving forward.

This structure keeps things real, respectful, and rooted in people-first HR — which is the whole point.

So next time you’re filling out a peer review, take a beat. Think about the real moments — the good, the tricky, the “I wish they knew this” — and just be honest. Because real feedback? That’s what actually helps people become their best at work.

And that’s what builds better workplaces.

✌🏽