Companies are increasingly using digital platforms that ask workers to give, receive and rank feedback in real-time. Not only do digital platforms accelerate the feedback process, they also capture previously unavailable data about the quality and quantity of feedback.

Relying on data from a digital feedback platform, Michael Rivera finds that people who are highly influential within the workplace tend to give more conservative feedback. Furthermore, Rivera finds that individuals with many workplace connections tend to give accurate feedback.

These findings can inform how organizations using digital feedback systems track their data and train employees.