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A Smoother Performance Review Process in 6 Steps

Does anyone like performance reviews?  

Your management team hates them because they require paperwork, add to their workload, and use up valuable employee hours. Employees don’t know what to expect or how to participate, so they don’t like them either.  

At the same time, performance reviews can be useful for your company, if you’re willing to rethink them.  

Would you like to see a performance review that actually boosts performance? Here are our six steps for building stronger teams with regular reviews.  

Step 1: Set Clear Expectations  

How is your employee supposed to live up to your expectations if they don’t know what they are?  

A lack of communication and planning is one of the major reasons why performance reviews are so stressful. Before you create your review, make sure:  

  • Your job descriptions are accurate  
  • Your key functions are clear  
  • Your goals for the position are known  

If you can set expectations, then you can start to ask your team to meet them.  

Step 2: Track Performance Throughout the Year  

With goals and functions set, you can then use real data to track their performance, not just for one week but all year.  

When you watch employees throughout the year, you can pick out patterns to share with them during the review. You’ll also know precisely how they did or didn’t meet your expectations.  

Step 3: Use Self-Performance Reviews  

You can’t see everything every employee does, so have them tell you through employee self-performance reviews.  

Give them an option to assess their own strengths and weaknesses so that you can compare notes. Make sure you give them access to the forms in advance to provide them with the time needed to think critically.  

Ideally, you should hand these out at least twice a year, even if you only schedule one sit down.  

Step 4: Update Your Performance Review Form  

Are you using a dedicated form or scribbling notes on a pad? The difference a form makes can be huge both in structuring the review and making it easier to look back for a cumulative look at their performance history.  

Hint: Create your form around the objectives of your review, and don’t be afraid to update it later. It’s also helpful to create forms for different roles. The same questions won’t apply to all staff members.  

Step 5: Structure the Meeting  

The combination of regular appraisals, self-performance reviews, and a good form will go far in structuring your meeting. Go a step further and break each one-on-one down into chunks of time, making sure you give the employee time to ask questions and share thoughts.  

Step: 6 Ask for Thoughts  

Your best ideas will come from your employees, so let them lead. Ask your team for ideas and thoughts on the review process. You’ll learn more about what helps and hurts the review itself and its impact on performance.  

Your Performance Review Could Be Your Competitive Advantage  

Although it’s tempting to axe your next round of reviews, resist. Regular check-ins are essential for leadership and your team. When done right, they help your employees rather than hurt them.  

At Energi Personnel, we believe that companies are only as good as their people. If you need help staffing this week, get in touch to find the right fit for your team.  

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