3 Steps You Should Take Before the Next Round of Performance Reviews
Supervisors need performance appraisals and so do employees, if not for the direct impact to drive business, at least for the professional satisfaction of both parties. In order to better employee performance, they have to know where their shortcomings lay first before they are criticized for underperformance. Performance reviews help to keep this growth system regulated to get the most out of the entire process.
More or less a formality for many organizations, there are clear performance-related indicators that your current method of review doesn’t quite live up to expectations. Fewer than 30% of organizations feel their performance management program drives performance at all. That’s why there are an overabundance of articles telling companies to scrap the idea of a performance appraisal rather than update a highly antiquated process. What these organizations don’t know is that companies who institute regular and frequent performance reviews see a 15% lower turnover rate. The performance appraisal process needs a remodel, but that can’t happen unless there’s a stepping-stone to start from. So, let me be your stepping stone…
Set the Bar
Preparing for an employee evaluation can mean the difference in the success or failure of the review. One out of 5 employees don’t feel their manager is prepared for the performance review. Part of that preparation is making sure your team understands the review process. Before the performance appraisal, give employees an overview of what they are expected to accomplish and what they will be evaluated on during their review. It is important to delineate the following before the performance appraisal so employees are clearly aware of what the process entails:
● What are the expectations between appraisals?
● How will performance be evaluated?
● What are the ramifications of good and poor performance?
Performance reviews are widely misunderstood by employees. Often seen as the dreaded formality, one of the biggest problems is that they don’t know what they are expected to do. It is your job to ensure they understand how not only their work currently affects the organization, but how they will bring value in the future.
Employee Participation
The very basis of a productive work environment and relationship among the team is communication. Performance reviews are not one-sided, or at least they shouldn’t be. The dialogue between a supervisor and their employee is invaluable to the successful outcome of a performance appraisal. All too often, it becomes a situation in which management talks at members of their team versus creating a communication-centric atmosphere.
Today’s workforce is highly collaborative. Yes, that includes performance. Employees want a role in their performance reviews; they want to work towards a common goal of solving performance issues or communicating why they felt they performed well over the past quarter. Karima Mariama-Arthur (@WSRapport), Founder & CEO of WordSmithRapport said:
“Performance reviews aren’t only about identifying blind spots. They also offer an opportunity to highlight excellence. If you don’t offer balanced evaluations, you’re not maximizing their potential to inspire your team’s performance.”
Include Technology
While that relationship does form the base of the performance appraisal, that doesn’t mean technology can’t play a role. Just as it can automate processes in the hiring process, it can also take the mundane tasks off of your plate as a supervisor. A performance management system can help to track employee progress from one appraisal to another. In fact, 30% of HR professionals rank performance management as a top priority in their companies.
Many organizations already use a performance management system, and the software they purchased a decade ago doesn’t quite cut it anymore. Companies are beginning to recognize the need to change their current processes in accordance with the changes in the advancing workforce. Larger organizations are especially ready for the change, as a surprising 29% of them have had their performance management system for more than 7 years. With ineffective and outdated systems, it stands to reason that performance reviews would be similarly ineffective and unappreciated.
Tweet This: 29% of large organizations have had their performance management system for more than 7 years.
After all, the goal of the evolving performance appraisal is to have a more meaningful outcome, i.e., better employee performance. For employees to get the most out of their performance appraisal, it’s important they have a role in the discussion. Rather than a flat resolution of mere problems, well-rounded and highly effective performance reviews are multidimensional involving successes, issues and employee goal alignment.
You are responsible for defining what the performance appraisal means for your company.
Take the first step with a demo of Reviewsnap.
More from Reviewsnap:
- How to Track Organizational Goals with Performance Management
- For Feedback to Be Effective, Put First Things First
- Understanding the Way Minds Work: Think Like a CLO
