Year end is fast approaching and everyone will look to kick off their performance reviews.
We have put together a list of top tips on how to conduct effective performance reviews and make them a success story. Enjoy!
Get Off The ‘Annual’ Schedule
“If your company still holds annual reviews, you are missing out on a great opportunity to connect with employees,” says Andy Teach, founder of The Adept Blog. “These meetings are great for getting to know your employees, but they are not great for providing feedback.”
Teach recommends using quarterly meetings with employees to provide more frequent feedback. “The more often you provide feedback, the more opportunities you have to help employees grow,” he says.
Make It A Conversation
“Reviews should be more of a conversation than a lecture,” says Josh Tolan, CEO of Brigade. “The best way to do this is to create a culture where everyone is comfortable sharing openly and honestly. The best way to do this is to make sure that your team members are truly engaged in their work.”
Tolan recommends using a tool like Brigade to create a culture of feedback, where team members can provide and receive feedback without feeling like they’re in trouble. “This helps create a culture where everyone is comfortable giving and receiving feedback, and it makes reviews more of a conversation than a lecture,” he says.
Make It A Two-Way Street
“The review process should be a two-way street,” says Chris Brantner, founder of CutCableToday.com. “It’s important for managers to share their expectations for the employee, but it’s also important for the employee to share how they see themselves fitting into the company’s overall mission.”
Brantner recommends having employees write out their own review, so they can provide their own feedback on how they performed over the past year. “This helps them see where they need to improve, and it makes them feel more invested in the process,” he says.
Focus On Desired Outcomes
“The best way to make the annual review process more productive is to focus on desired outcomes instead of activities,” says Todd Brown, vice president of sales at Jobvite. “Too often, managers fall into the trap of evaluating an employee based on their activities, when in reality they should be evaluating them based on the results they achieve.”
Brown recommends using a tool like Jobvite to help managers and employees focus on the results they want to see. “This will help employees get the feedback they need to improve, and it will help managers do a better job of coaching their employees,” he says.
Have A ‘No-Blame’ Culture
“The best way to make the annual review process more productive is to have a no-blame culture,” says Barry Maher, CEO of Maher Marketing. “This means that employees are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions and learn from their mistakes.”
Maher recommends using a tool like Desk.com to help employees take more ownership over their performance. “This will help them improve, and it will help them feel more engaged in the process,” he says.
Include A ‘What’s Next?’ Section
“The best way to make the annual review process more productive is to include a ‘What’s Next?’ section,” says J.T. O’Donnell, founder of Careerealism. “This is where you talk about what you want to see from the employee in the next year.”
O’Donnell recommends using a tool like Workable to help managers and employees plan for the future. “This will help employees set goals for themselves, and it will help managers hold them accountable,” she says.
Make It Timely
“The key to making the annual review process more productive is to make it timely,” says Scott Gerber, founder of Gerber Kawasaki. “Too often, managers wait until the end of the year to have these conversations, so they tend to be rushed and not very helpful.”
Gerber recommends having annual reviews at the end of each quarter or at the end of each month. “This will help ensure that they are more useful,” he says.
Make It A ‘Feedback Sandwich’
“The best way to make the annual review process more productive is to make it a feedback sandwich,” says Chris Perry, CEO of The Human Element. “You should start with positive feedback, then give constructive feedback, and then end with more positive feedback.”
Perry recommends using a tool like Achievers to help managers give more positive feedback. “This will help employees feel more engaged in the process, and it will help them see how their work is impacting the company’s bottom line,” he says.
Give More Frequent Feedback
“The best way to make the annual review process more productive is to give more frequent feedback,” says Robert J. Moore, founder of RJMetrics. “This will help managers provide more timely feedback, and it will help employees see how their work is impacting the company’s bottom line.”
Moore recommends using a tool like Achievers to give more frequent feedback. “This will also help managers focus on specific skills and behaviors that they want to see from their employees,” he says.
Make It A Team Effort
“The best way to make the annual review process more productive is to make it a team effort,” says Rebecca Corliss, career expert at TheLadders. “This means that the manager should be working with their team to create goals for the year ahead.”
Corliss recommends using a tool like Achievers to help managers and employees work together to create goals. “This will help employees feel more engaged in the process, and it will help managers provide more timely feedback on performance,” she says.