When conducting a performance review, your goal should be to learn and grow along with the employee. During this two-way conversation, the emphasis should be on what the employee achieved and what they plan to do in the future. Although delivering your first performance review can be challenging, knowing how to craft one can increase your confidence.
Five Tips to Conduct Your First Employee Performance Review
1. Prepare in Advance
Take time to gather your thoughts and data on the team member. Use your employee evaluation form as a basis for your comments. Include the employee’s recent challenges and accomplishments, shared goals, and ideas for improvement. Provide praise, correct problems, and motivate the employee to perform the high-quality work you expect.
2. Be Clear and Concise
Speak in a direct, transparent manner. You want the employee to leave the meeting with a clear understanding of your goals and expectations. Be as specific as possible when relaying information. For instance, if you give a low score for time management, include examples of missed deadlines and times when teammates had to pick up the slack. Also, clarify when each goal should be achieved by and how success will be measured.
3. Ask Questions
Help the employee create better work habits by asking questions. Gaining insight into how they do their work can help poor performers reach their targets, and high achievers avoid burnout. For instance, ask what the employee feels are the most critical priorities for the quarter. This gets them focused on solving problems and shaping the future. Also, find out which part of their job the employee feels they have been struggling with the most. Hear them out. Ask how you can help them resolve the problem.
4. Maintain a Two-Way Conversation
Encourage the employee to engage throughout the meeting. When they actively share their ideas, input, and questions, they feel like a valued and respected member of your team. The employee is more likely to implement the ideas for improvement when they understand their importance and have a say in creating them. For instance, include open-ended questions about what the employee feels their most significant strengths and challenges are and where they need to improve. Also, find out how you can help them accomplish their objective.
5. Provide a Copy of Your Evaluation
Give the employee a copy of your evaluation form to reference as they work toward their goals. This serves as a reminder for the issues discussed, what the employee did well, and concrete ways to improve. The employee can use the feedback to stay on track and improve their performance.
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