Performance reviews, if done right, are a surefire way to increase employee motivation, drive progress and ambition. However, if done wrong, they’ll demotivate, upset and even insult your workforce. How then, do you review effectively?
Schedule them
Make performance reviews regular events and schedule them beforehand. However, do not make them common. In other words, review employees every quarter or bi-annually. Employees and anyone else in attendance should know in advance when reviews will happen.
Don’t make them a shock
There are many components to a performance review and they differ according to company culture and management preferences. The contents of a performance review, however, should never come as a shock to an employee. Give feedback regularly to staff members and do not store it up for the performance review. Let employees know immediately when they have accomplished a great task and similarly, which areas need improvement.
Set achievable goals
Setting goals is a crucial part of a performance review. Do not just look at past performance and consider the meeting complete. An employee with goals to work towards is a far more motivated and effective worker than one without. The goals that you set should also follow some guidelines. Make goals specific, relevant, and measurable – like the much-loved SMART acronym.
Set goals, then look over them in the next performance review.
Involve the team
Talk to the team to discuss the employee’s performance. This allows you to see an overall picture of how the employee is doing. A wider view will also uncover employee successes you were not aware of and areas where they need to improve.
Deliver the good with the bad
If there are areas of concern, make sure you do not over focus on those during the review. The best way to deliver bad news is to sandwich it between two bits of good news. Start with great work that a staff member has done, follow with what they should work on, and then finish with more good work or a specific and exciting goal. This will motivate employees to improve.
A review is not a lecture. It is a discussion. Allow the employee time to raise any concerns or goals that they would like to achieve.
Do your paperwork
If your company’s performance review involves any kind of assessment form or other paperwork, do not spring it on your fellow staff member during the review. Give it to them a couple of weeks beforehand to allow time to think over the form’s contents and to fill it in.
A performance review offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage with your team and motivate the workforce. If you follow a few simple steps and properly prepare, reviews will drive your business forward.