As organizations prepare to launch and complete annual performance reviews in just a few months, now is the time to ensure you’re ready. For many, this process creates significant anxiety. Let’s discuss best practices to maximize the value of these annual reviews and strengthen the employee-employer relationship.
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DON’T SURPRISE a team member with new information about their performance. Likewise, the manager may be caught off guard by an employee’s unexpected announcement that they are unhappy, planning to leave, or seeking a transfer.
DO KEEP SHORT ACCOUNTS with your team members. Address HR issues promptly, and tackle performance issues in one-on-one meetings or a special meeting if necessary. Praise good work, and coach employees when they fall short. Build trust as a manager throughout the year by coaching, supporting, defending, and enabling your team members to be the best they can be and valuable contributors to the team.
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DON’T STRETCH for examples of good or poor performance at review time. Our memories are often short. It’s common to struggle to recall detailed aspects of an employee’s performance beyond three months unless it was a significant event.
DO KEEP NOTES of both the good and the bad. Tools like OneNote or Evernote can be invaluable for maintaining a dated log. When you expect specific improvements, follow up with trackable communication using HR systems or an email.
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DON’T GO ROGUE and rate your team members differently from the organization’s expectations. If you rate them higher than other managers, it may seem that you haven’t been honest. Rate them lower, and they might miss out on a raise. If you say, “I never give a 5,” but all other managers do, you’re doing your team and that individual a disservice.
DO FOLLOW THE ORGANIZATION’S guidelines for ratings. If a “1” means Needs Improvement and a “5” means Exceeds Expectations, stick to that standard. Most individuals believe they are a 4 or 5 in everything, but that’s not usually the case. If you give a score of 3 or less, provide a reason and guide them on improving. If you give a score of 5, document the reasons in the review.
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DON’T JUST DISCUSS the annual review in the one-on-one meeting. If the above recommendations are followed, the review part of the meeting should be relatively short, as there will be no surprises.
DO SPEND TIME discussing the employee’s career goals, opportunities for improvement, and how you can better support them. Ask if they have any ideas or projects for the new year that they’d like to participate in. Be sure to take notes and follow up in the coming months.