Getting the Most Out of Your Employee Performance Review Process – Part III

posted on Jan 17 by admin in the Hiring Practices, Human Resource Administration, Management category

Part 3 of 4 in our Employee Performance Review Series

In Part I of “Getting the Most Out of Your Employee Performance Review Process” we covered an overview of the benefits to an employee appraisal program. In Part II, we discussed a few common performance review methods for getting the most of your program. In Part III, we provide you with employee performance review tips and strategies that will help the process proceed relatively smoothly.

Managers Are the Key to Effective Performance Reviews

The reviewing manager must effectively evaluate the employee’s past performance, provide constructive feedback, and set clear expectations for the coming year. For these reasons, managers are the key to effective performance reviews. The problem is that managers who perform this function once a year never have the opportunity to become efficient with the process. An annual refresher course on how to conduct effective performance reviews by human resources may alleviate this problem.

There are other issues to remedy however. An annual review has managers reaching back in memory when trying to gauge employee performance over the course of the year. This can result in key performance issues being forgotten or skewed due to the effect of time. A manager may take an overall impression of the employee and apply it across the board without regard to actual performance or employee development. Or they may “cherry pick” certain performance indicators and make an overall assumption based on the results. So, how does a manager resolve these issues?

Employee Performance Review Tips and Strategies

• For starters, don’t let the formal annual review process get in the way of effectively communicating with employees over the course of the year. Ongoing dialogue and written communication leaves no doubt about what is expected from both the employee and manager.

• Allow some time between the formal review and the actual submission. This allows you and the employee time to digest the information discussed and come back with questions and clarification.

• Schedule the review ahead of time (no surprises like “Hey, its review time, let’s go) and be sure to explain the process that will be followed.

• Identify problem areas in advance and allow the employee time to prepare a response. Also, don’t start off the meeting discussing problem areas or you risk losing positive interaction with the employee.

• Have employees prepare their own performance review in advance of the meeting. It gives an added perception to the performance appraisal.

The employee review process should be designed around employee development and not just a rating system with a pay raise. To get the most out of employees you must inspire them to perform at a high level. It’s a win-win situation when the employee’s goals and the goals of the company are in sync. In Part IV, we are going to discuss employee goal setting and performance measurement.

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