Top 9 Tips to Deliver an Effective Employee Performance Evaluation

Did you know there’s a high risk of a worker quitting after receiving an unfair review? An annual employee performance review will provide insight into your worker’s strengths and weaknesses, ultimately helping productivity.

If you want some tips on creating employee evaluations, keep reading. This guide will teach you how to put together frequent employee evaluations. Your team members can learn where to improve and grow.

Ready to learn more? Check out the tips below.

1. Offer Informal and Frequent Feedback First

Performance reviews usually happen once a year. But instead of limiting your feedback to those shorter review sessions, why not provide regular feedback?

Give consistent evaluations during the year. This way, workers aren’t overwhelmed by the formal review. You don’t ever want to catch people off guard.

Take notes on your workers’ performance. Are there areas where they excel and areas where they could improve? Try to set the expectations at meetings and provide explicit instruction to your team.

Your workers will deserve an assessment of their work for the entire period. But you should start providing feedback throughout the year.

Most managers aren’t able to remember details from earlier in the year or in the middle. This will help you remember where your worker excelled and where they can improve.

When the worker receives the performance review, they’ll already have insight into their strengths and weaknesses.

2. Defining a Performance Review

A performance review is a written statement of how the individual performs their job. Managers assess the worker’s productivity, deadlines, and attendance history.

Most businesses will have a template for the reviews. Managers use a rating system or comment on the team. They should reveal how people perform different tasks and how they develop skills.

The assessment will invite a manager to share about the employee’s contributions. Are there areas where they could improve?

3. Review the Job Description

You’ll also want to get a copy of the individual’s job description. Go over the job requirements. Should you adjust your expectations for that person?

Reread the job description before you start your performance review. You can use the description as you draft the review. Refer back to the person’s job responsibilities.

When reading the description, think about how your worker performs their job. Are they meeting the requirements? Do they do certain things above average?

4. Begin Illuminating Areas to Improve

It might be easier to point out areas to improve if you have already worked with this person. Look at their evaluation from last year. Reread the review and think about how your workers have grown.

Are there areas where they need to step up? Remind the individual of how they performed in the past. Are there areas where they have noticeably improved?

Include those notes if your worker has developed new skills, earned certificates, or completed training sessions.

Remember the notes you made throughout the year and provide a thorough evaluation.

5. Begin to Compare Weaknesses and Strengths

You’ll want to use a past evaluation and job write-up to list the worker’s weaknesses and strengths.

Consider your worker’s strengths. These will include accomplishments, specialty areas, and positive attributes.

You’ll also want to note your worker’s weaknesses. This often includes things that keep them from achieving their goals.

You should also think about opportunities for your team. Outline some threats that could impact their performance negatively. As you conduct the analysis, you’ll also want to gather data and support the claims.

You should get attendance numbers that will show attendance sales and records. This will highlight a worker’s ability to contribute to the business.

Your evaluation will affect your team’s ability to grow in their career. Provide an accurate assessment.

6. Provide Actionable Goals

An employee evaluation will influence promotion opportunities and raises. It can also help your team prepare for their upcoming year. They’ll desire to improve their performance and grow in their career.

Think about your team members’ job descriptions and previous performance. Does your company have a plan to help determine the objectives?

Recommend actionable goals. This will benefit your team and organization.

7. Give Constructive Feedback

Your workers will have areas and skills where they will need to improve. You should look at giving positive feedback as well in the review. Recommend a tactic for the worker to try to improve their skill set.

Give constructive criticism. You don’t want to crush your employees during the evaluation.

8. What About Employee Input?

You should provide your team with chances to respond to their review. You want them to give feedback on the evaluation and business goals.

Engage with your workers throughout the evaluation. They will see you’re invested in their development.

9. Have You Considered Using Performance Management Software?

You can lessen the financial burden on your business by using performance management software. Midsize or small businesses benefit from HR platforms that give useful employee feedback.

To help streamline the process, choose a reputable performance management system. The software should provide reports in real-time and improve collaboration between the managers and workers.

Look at future proofing performance management today.

You Should Prioritize Employee Performance Reviews

Did you find this guide helpful in drafting a useful employee performance review? An annual employee review shouldn’t only happen once a year.

You should provide informal feedback throughout the year and track the details. You want to know when your worker performed well and areas they need to improve.

Looking for more helpful business management tips? Check out our business section on the blog.

Adam Hansen
 

Adam is a part time journalist, entrepreneur, investor and father.