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Employee Performance Best Practices: What are your 3 tips for giving an annual performance review?
Please list, in detail, 3 best practices that you would like to share with the Focus community on conducting annual performance reviews for your employees. High quality contributions will be included in an upcoming report on HR management best practices.
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10 Answers
I think the best tips are not for the actual performance review but what needs to be done before hand and in the 12 months prior. Meaning - the actual sit down review should only be summary with no surprises (unless it's a promotion) of an employees performance.
1. Consistent Feedback. Your employees/direct reports need consistent feedback on how they are doing - good, bad or tweeks. This feedback will assist in open communication and expectation setting throughout the year.
2. Two-way Communication. Your employees need to also be able to speak to you on how you can further assist them in their career, better coach or simply by proving more information. Too often reviews are a one-way communication vehicle and this will not suffice or encourage growth. If you are willing to give, you must receive.
3. Expectations. Set them, communicate them and help with filling in the gaps, whether it is in training, on-the-job or other. If people don't know what is expected of them, anything they do will be perceived as acceptable. Once the expectations are meet - make new ones. Increase the level of performance that is required.
If you are not being a great leader before the annual review - no one will take the review seriously. Therefore, utilize the time you work with a person to make them better and in turn they will make you look better.
1. An annual performance review must be a review of all the feedback given to the employee during the preceding 12 months. In other words, no surprises.
2. Do not discuss salary increases and/or bonuses during the annual review.
3. Schedule another meeting to discuss and set goals for the next 12 months.
Barry raises important points. I add that the employee should be asked to summarize - if not indeed detail - their own evaluation of their performance in the past twelve months. It may give the evaluator a reminder of overlooked accomplishments and/or hurdles that the employee reached beyond.
I add goals and time lines to every evaluation and ask the employee to comment and add to those.
In additon to the above:
The APR is the acumulation of the total performance of a staff member which should be monitored throughout the year, reflecting on the achievements as well as the areas in need of improvement.
The APR is a formal process, such being transparent, earnest, fair, guiding and clarifying. This requires good listening skills.
The organziational's and the staff member's ambitions (based on the Strategy & BP), requirements, wishes and needs are to be addressed in incorporated, to extend possible, into the next cycle of the PMS.
1. Be well prepared but open to make changes in the evaluation after a conversation with the employee and any subsequent research.
2. Lead a conversation not focused on the form but asking the employee how they feel about their position, performance, department and the organization.
3. I agree with Roberta about the importance of self evaluations. This can be accomplished by having an individual complete the appropriate form or a summary memo that describes what went well and what results could have been better, including steps to improve in the future.
See my post on The HR Answer Blog; 6 Steps to Improve Performance Evaluations in 2011 http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/software-services-applications-markup/1...
What is the purpose of annual performance review? I believe the goal to be sustainable success for both the company and the employee. A performance measurement system should align the Company’s human capital strategies to support business decisions and corporate strategies. Can a once-a-year one-size-fits-all performance review do that? For a global, multi-national company I don't believe it can. I find the annual review to be a by-gone process that should be replaced by quarterly coaching briefs which encourage communication to help ensure continual alignment with the business (unit) and human capital strategies.
Janell, excellent comments however many employers still use an annual performance review.
My recommendations are that you:
1. Confine your discussion to past performance. The word "appraisal" means to "give praise." It doesn't mean to develop, to promote, or to determine the amount of a bonus.
2. Offer ongoing feedback to your employees throughout the evaluation period so that there are no surprises when the official review takes place.
3. Limit your evaluations to the performance of those with whom you are personally familiar. If your knowledge of your employees' performance is so sparse that you have to ask for their input, you shouldn't be rating them in the first place.
Monthly one and one check-in has served as a great tool for evaluating and going over the key concepts with my associates.
1. Start with expectations: Between you and the employee, have a set of KRAs (Key Result Areas) evolved for the next year. Break this down into mid-year targets if not targets for each quarter. Let this also include your commitments, provision of infrastructure, grants etc that would be necessary for the job. This will be the basis of any review done by you.
2. Consistent and regular feedback, if not on a monthly/fortnightly basis, definitely at the review points. Review the work output and not the employee.
3. Have a two-way communication channel where the employee can also interact with you and discuss issues.
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