Providing feedback is one of the most powerful tools managers have for developing employees, but in diverse workplaces it must go beyond traditional approaches. Employees bring multiple, intersecting identities—including race, gender, class, sexuality, disability, and age—that influence their experiences at work. The concept of intersectionalality, introduced by Crenshaw (1989), argues that individuals cannot be understood through a single category but rather through how their identities overlap, producing unique forms of privilege or disadvantage.
Incorporating this into workplace practices means managers must deliver intersectional feedback: feedback that recognises diversity, avoids stereotypes, and supports employees equitably. Below, ten steps are outlined to guide managers in providing effective and inclusive feedback in diverse organisations.
Step 1: Prepare with Awareness
Before engaging in feedback conversations, managers must develop self-awareness of their own biases and assumptions. According to Aguinis (2013), preparation is essential for feedback to be constructive rather than harmful. Managers should reflect on whether they hold unconscious biases, particularly those that may relate to gender, race, or other identity markers.
Unconscious bias training and reflective practices can prepare managers to approach feedback with fairness. As Hancock (2007) stresses, intersectionality requires managers to critically interrogate how structures of privilege and oppression shape workplace dynamics. Preparation ensures feedback is based on evidence, not stereotypes.
Step 2: Recognise Individuality
Every employee is a unique individual, not a monolithic representation of a group. Recognising individuality prevents tokenism and demonstrates respect. According to Hill Collins (2015), failing to acknowledge individuals’ lived experiences reinforces marginalisation.
For example, feedback to a woman of colour should not generalise her performance based on assumptions about her gender or ethnicity. Instead, managers must centre the conversation on specific behaviours and contributions, while acknowledging that intersecting identities may shape her workplace experience.
Step 3: Create a Safe Space
Feedback must be delivered in an environment of psychological safety (Edmondson, 1999). This means employees feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of punishment or embarrassment. In intersectional contexts, safe spaces are particularly important, as marginalised employees may fear being judged more harshly due to bias.
Practical steps include holding feedback discussions in private, ensuring managers use respectful language, and affirming that feedback is part of developmental growth rather than punitive evaluation. The CIPD (2021) notes that inclusive spaces strengthen employee engagement and retention.
Step 4: Be Context-Aware
Intersectional feedback requires managers to understand the context in which employees operate. According to Bowleg (2008), performance cannot be separated from systemic inequalities. For instance, employees with disabilities may face inaccessible systems that impact their productivity. Similarly, women in leadership roles may face contradictory expectations due to gender norms (Eagly and Carli, 2007).
Being context-aware prevents managers from misinterpreting systemic barriers as personal failings. Instead, feedback can include both performance insights and recognition of organisational barriers that require institutional change.
Step 5: Focus on Behaviours, Not Identities
Feedback should be rooted in observable behaviours, actions, and outcomes rather than assumptions about identity. Stereotypes can undermine fairness and perpetuate exclusion. Bilge (2009) argues that intersectionality demands moving beyond surface-level identity markers to recognise actual contributions.
For example, rather than saying, “You are not assertive enough for a leadership role” (which could reinforce gender stereotypes), managers should specify behaviours: “In team meetings, I’ve noticed you often hold back your ideas. Let’s explore ways for you to share them more confidently.” This distinction prevents identity-based assumptions from clouding performance discussions.
Step 6: Tailor Feedback to Circumstances
Feedback must be tailored to employees’ individual contexts, strengths, and challenges. Aguinis (2013) highlights that effective feedback is specific and actionable. For employees with intersecting identities, tailoring feedback also means considering how unique circumstances affect their work.
For instance, an employee from a lower socioeconomic background may have had fewer opportunities for professional development. Tailored feedback could include recommending training programmes or mentorship to help bridge skill gaps. Tailoring demonstrates equity—providing individuals with the resources they need to succeed, not treating everyone identically.
Step 7: Show Empathy
Empathy is a critical component of intersectional feedback. According to Hooks (2000), empathy allows leaders to build genuine connections and recognise employees as whole individuals. Employees navigating systemic barriers may need additional understanding and encouragement.
Empathetic managers listen actively, acknowledge challenges, and balance constructive criticism with recognition of achievements. For example, feedback could include: “I recognise you’ve faced additional challenges due to remote collaboration tools not being fully accessible. Despite this, your contributions have been excellent, and I’d like to explore solutions to support you further.”
Step 8: Offer Resources and Support
Feedback should not only highlight areas for improvement but also provide resources to help employees succeed. According to Carter (2011), addressing systemic inequities requires institutional responses, not just individual resilience.
Managers can link employees to:
- Mentorship programmes (particularly for underrepresented groups).
- Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that provide peer support.
- Professional development opportunities such as leadership training.
- Wellbeing resources, including flexible work arrangements.
Offering resources transforms feedback into a tool for empowerment, signalling that the organisation is committed to employee growth.
Step 9: Encourage Dialogue
Intersectional feedback should be a two-way process. According to London (2003), effective feedback involves reciprocal communication, where employees contribute insights into their experiences and challenges.
Managers should ask open-ended questions such as:
- “How do you feel about this feedback?”
- “What barriers do you face in achieving these goals?”
- “How can I support you better?”
This dialogue ensures that employees are active participants in their development, not passive recipients of critique. Encouraging dialogue also reinforces inclusivity by valuing employees’ voices.
Step 10: Commit to Continuous Learning
Delivering intersectional feedback is not a one-time skill but an ongoing practice. According to Cho, Crenshaw and McCall (2013), intersectionality requires continuous reflection and adaptation. Managers should commit to learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through training, reading, and engaging with diverse perspectives.
CIPD (2021) recommends that managers regularly seek feedback on their own performance as feedback-givers, creating a cycle of continuous improvement. By modelling humility and openness, leaders demonstrate that inclusivity is a shared organisational commitment.
The ten steps outlined—preparing with awareness, recognising individuality, creating safe spaces, being context-aware, focusing on behaviours, tailoring feedback, showing empathy, offering resources, encouraging dialogue, and committing to continuous learning—provide managers with a structured framework for delivering intersectional feedback in diverse workplaces.
Such feedback not only improves individual performance but also promotes equity, inclusion, and organisational success. In a competitive and globalised world, organisations that embed intersectionality into their feedback practices are better positioned to retain talent, foster innovation, and build cultures of respect. As McKinsey & Company (2020) highlights, diverse and inclusive workplaces outperform their peers financially—making intersectional feedback both an ethical obligation and a strategic advantage.
References
Aguinis, H. (2013) Performance Management. 3rd edn. Upper Saddle River: Pearson.
Bell, D.A. (1997) Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism. New York: Basic Books.
Bilge, S. (2009) ‘Beyond subordination vs. resistance: An intersectional approach to the agency of veiled Muslim women’, Journal of Intercultural Studies, 30(1), pp. 75–94.
Bowleg, L. (2008) ‘When black + lesbian + woman ≠ black lesbian woman: The methodological challenges of qualitative and quantitative intersectionality research’, Sex Roles, 59(5–6), pp. 312–325.
Carter, P.L. (2011) Stubborn Roots: Race, Culture, and Inequality in U.S. and South African Schools. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) (2021) Diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Available at: https://www.cipd.co.uk (Accessed: 18 August 2025).
Cho, S., Crenshaw, K.W. and McCall, L. (2013) ‘Toward a field of intersectionality studies: Theory, applications, and praxis’, Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 38(4), pp. 785–810.
Crenshaw, K. (1989) ‘Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics’, University of Chicago Legal Forum, pp. 139–167.
Edmondson, A.C. (1999) ‘Psychological safety and learning behaviour in work teams’, Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), pp. 350–383.
Eagly, A.H. and Carli, L.L. (2007) Through the Labyrinth: The Truth About How Women Become Leaders. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Hill Collins, P. (2015) Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. 2nd edn. New York: Routledge.
Hancock, A.M. (2007) ‘When multiplication doesn’t equal quick addition: Examining intersectionality as a research paradigm’, Perspectives on Politics, 5(1), pp. 63–79.
Hooks, B. (2000) All About Love: New Visions. New York: William Morrow.
London, M. (2003) Job Feedback: Giving, Seeking, and Using Feedback for Performance Improvement. 2nd edn. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
McKinsey & Company (2020) Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com (Accessed: 18 August 2025).
