Effective Employee Performance Appraisals
Conduct a Successful Review with High Performance Results
May 8, 2009
Using a systematic and objective approach to giving an employee feedback on his performance review is a vital management practice. Starting off with solid preparation and making sure the employee is well informed, comfortable with the process and open to feedback will make for a successful event. Read on for more specific ideas on how to give an effective performance review.
Ongoing Employee Feedback is Key
Be sure to give employees feedback on an ongoing basis on the job. That means to proactively correct behaviors through retraining as needed and reinforce positive or superior performance regularly. The person should never hear about a problem with his performance for the first time during the review process. The employee should be well aware of issues from the coaching received on the job.
Incorporate Self-Appraisal into the Review Process
It is always a good idea to give the employee a chance to do a self-appraisal before being given the official review. This will give the manager an opportunity to understand what the employee thinks about his own performance as well as highlight some of the ups and downs that may have occurred throughout the time period that is covered by the review. Collect the employee's self-review before the review and use some of the points from the employee's perspective in the actual review if possible. This way, the employee can appreciate that he has some control over the review process.
Set the Stage for a Positive Review Experience
Be sure to find a nice, quiet office area away from phones and faxes to meet with the employee to discuss the review. Do not rush, talk too fast or be tense when giving the information. Try to get some interaction from the employee while reviewing each section of the review and give employees a chance to discuss anything they do not understand or agree with on the form. If new information comes forward, consider the possibility of making changes to the content, but this should be only under exceptional circumstances. The employee may not fully agree with every point, but should thoroughly understand the ratings.
Appraisal Fairness for All
Be fair and don't play favorites with some people. Recognize the positive and negative performance indicators from everyone. Try not to make one failure overshadow the person’s entire performance. Or conversely, because one employee is very good in one area, recognize that he or she may need to develop in other areas and give employees tips and advice on how to accomplish this improvement. This error is commonly referred to as the Halo Effect.
At the close of the review session, assure the employee that help is available to achieve the objectives and offer to meet with him on an ongoing basis to address issues and provide support with his efforts to learn, train and improve performance. Try to end the meeting on a positive note and if follow-up activities are needed, commit and follow through on these promises.
Anticipate Issues in the Review Process
In dealing with a difficult employee who has serious performance issues, it may be in everyone's best interests to include another manager in the review meeting, such as a supervisor, an assistant manager in the department or the human resources manager.
Taking the time to prepare for the performance review and setting the stage for a positive and relaxed meeting with the employee will ease the tension of this sometimes difficult task. The bottom line on any performance review is fairness to the employees. By treating them with equal objectivity, the supervisor gains respect and will accomplish a positive result, which will ideally lead to personal growth and employee development.
