Maximizing End-of-Year Evaluations for Female Leaders

End-of-year evaluations aren’t just a formality—they’re an important opportunity to help your team grow and thrive. Yet, research shows women often receive less actionable feedback than men, making it harder for them to develop as leaders. A study from Stanford found women are more likely to get vague comments like, “You’re doing a great job!” while men receive detailed, growth-oriented advice. This isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s a roadblock to advancing women into leadership roles.

As a supervisor, you can make a real difference. Here’s how to deliver better evaluations that empower your women leaders:

1. Be Specific About Results and Impact: Avoid generalizations. Instead, focus on measurable achievements and outcomes. For example, rather than saying, “You’re a good leader,” highlight, “Your ability to rally the first impressions team before service helped to get our parking lot turned over 15 minutes faster than last week.”
2. Provide Actionable Feedback: Women often get told what they’re doing right but not how to grow. Share concrete areas for development. For instance, “Your announcements are very engaging, and focusing on a tighter language could make them even more impactful.”
3. Acknowledge Bias: Women are often evaluated on their personality traits rather than their skills, such as being kind, energetic, or friendly. Be intentional about recognizing contributions based on facts, not perceptions.
4. Discuss Leadership Pathways: Talk about growth opportunities and align your feedback with their leadership and career goals. Research from McKinsey shows women are 21% less likely to be promoted than men despite equal performance. You can help them advance by clearly telling them their next step in your leadership pipeline.
5. Highlight Their Unique Strengths: Women leaders often naturally bring relational intelligence, collaboration, and a focus on team culture to the table. Don’t let those strengths go unnoticed. When you affirm these qualities, it validates their leadership style and encourages them to keep leaning into their strengths.

When you give thoughtful, specific, and growth-oriented feedback, you’re not just evaluating—you’re equipping women to lead at their best. That’s the kind of leadership development that transforms teams, organizations, and lives.