Performance reviews work best when they are more than a once-a-year assessment. Clear goals, useful feedback, open discussion, and regular follow-up can help employees understand how they are doing while also improving motivation and engagement.
If you’re a new manager or have been managing for a while, you will need to check on the progress and performance of those employees you manage. With this in mind, here are 12 performance review tips that are worth reading to help you get the most out of the reviews.
What Are Employee Performance Reviews?
Performance Reviews are invaluable when it comes to assessing an employee and the overall team’s performance. By having a formal review process, employers can get an understanding of how their team is performing and identify areas for improvement.
This review helps to ensure that you can assess a number of things, including:
- If you are meeting the needs of the employee (to avoid high employee turnover)
- Ensuring that the employee understands their own role and the goals you have for them
- The chance to personally thank the staff member for their good work
- The opportunity to learn about what training they might need or want
- What their career development goals are
The review process should be tailored to suit the needs of the business, as well as employees’ career paths.
Furthermore, the review should involve both parties working together to identify successes and challenges in order to create a plan of action to improve performance.
Indeed, a key component of the review is setting goals and expectations for future development, as well as providing feedback that can be used to track progress.
Performance reviews are important in Human Capital Management (HCM) when you are looking to support employee development.
Why Are Employee Performance Reviews Important?
Performance reviews provide a structured and systematic way for managers to review the performance of their employees, as well as identify areas of improvement.
Additionally, they enable businesses to track progress against long-term goals, ensuring that their workforce remains aligned with organizational objectives.
By having regular performance reviews, employers can monitor how well employees are achieving their goals and take corrective action where necessary.
This helps to improve overall performance, motivation, and morale within the organization.
What Are the Best Performance Review Tips for Managers?
If you are planning to conduct a performance review, the following performance review tips are worth considering:
1. Make Sure the Reviews Are Well-Structured
Ensure that the review process is consistent for all employees you give a performance appraisal to so that everyone has a clear understanding of how it works and so that everyone is treated in a similar manner.
While you want to give the employee the chance to speak openly and to express themselves, make sure also to have a clear plan to work through.
A performance review checklist is designed to help ensure that the structure of your performance review process is effective and consistent. It provides a framework for assessing team members in an organized manner.
The checklist can include the following:
- A set timeline for completing the review process
- Guidelines on how to conduct the review
- Questions that you can ask employees during the review
- How feedback will be given
- The way in which performance will be measured
- Strategies for improving employee performance in the future.
The checklist also outlines a process for recording and tracking results, developing action plans based on the assessment outcomes, and identifying areas of improvement.
Before the meeting, review previous goals, recent examples of the employee’s work, and any relevant performance data so that the discussion is based on specific evidence.
2. Focus on the Positives
When conducting a performance review, it is important to focus on the positives.
Focusing on what employees are doing well can help you to be constructive in helping to motivate them moving forward.
Taking some time to recognize efforts made by employees can go a long way in creating a positive work environment.
Doing this will lead to greater success for the business as a whole. Acknowledge employees for their efforts and create opportunities to continue building upon their success.
3. Make Sure That the Reviews are Open and Honest
The concept of psychological safety is really important because it means creating an environment in which an employee feels comfortable expressing their own thoughts and feelings to you.
They should be confident that this is done confidentially and that they can speak openly without any worry about potential repercussions.
If you focus on just one of these twelve performance review tips, building a psychologically safe environment is perhaps one of the most important as a manager.
4. Provide Feedback
Provide feedback on the employee’s individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as areas where additional support may be needed.
This will help them understand how they can better apply the skills they have in relation to their current position.
Provide constructive criticism when necessary. Do not be afraid to offer honest feedback on areas where improvement is needed in order for the employee to progress.
Do not forget the value also of 360-degree feedback in that having a system where the feedback is an ongoing cycle and involves everyone is a great way to make continual improvements.
You can look at, for example, not just how you can help the employee, but what they can feed back to you about how you might become a better manager.
Learn more about the 360-degree feedback process and how to use it in the workplace, and view the giving and receiving feedback training materials.
5. Set Realistic and Achievable Goals
The goals you set should be realistic and achievable.
Performance reviews should establish clear and realistic expectations for the person you are reviewing and be clear with them regarding exactly what you expect from them for the role and job they do.
A great framework for this is to use SMART goals, as it helps employees stay focused and track progress clearly.
6. Encourage Ownership
Encourage employees to take ownership of their performance and to plan for their own careers and future.
The more involved they are in setting their own goals, the more likely they are to follow through and stay motivated.
You might also consider introducing a mentoring component. These mentoring activities for adults are ideal for helping employees take charge of their development.
Also, take a look at these accountability activities you can use in training sessions to reinforce responsibility and follow-through.
7. Make It a Two-Way Conversation
I have been involved in performance reviews in the past where I wondered who was actually being appraised, because I had very little opportunity to give input, and the reviewer talked about their own role more than they did mine.
Give your employees a chance to discuss anything they need and want to, including regarding their own role, and any other issues that may be impacting their work situation.
8. Have Questions Ready
Take the time to ask questions during performance reviews because this shows your employees that you are interested in understanding their thoughts and feelings about their jobs. It also gives them a chance to voice any concerns they may have.
If you need some ideas, see our 21 performance appraisal questions for managers, with examples of when and how to use them.
9. Create an Action Plan
Create an action plan at the end of each performance review.
This will give your employees a clear roadmap for how they can reach their goals and objectives, which will create increased motivation in the workplace.
Download our employee engagement training materials to use in your next workshop or staff training session.
Record the agreed actions, who is responsible for them, and when progress will be reviewed.
10. Follow Up
Follow up after each review to ensure that your employees are taking the necessary steps to meet their goals and objectives.
Check the employee’s progress at set intervals and use this as an opportunity to see if they need any extra help.
11. Make Use of Technology
Consider leveraging technology for performance reviews.
If you do not already use it, for example, consider using video conferencing platforms such as Zoom or MS Teams to allow employees to conduct their review online as needed.
There are also several continuous performance feedback tools to make appraisals more dynamic in nature.
There are various options out there for real-time tracking of goals and feedback.
For employees who need reasonable accommodations, technology can also help make the performance review process more accessible.
12. Keep Reviews Fair and Impartial
I know this final point kind of repeats some of the previous points, but this is important.
Remember to be fair and impartial during reviews and to focus on providing honest feedback without being biased toward any particular employee or department.
This will create an atmosphere of trust in the workplace and respect within your organization, and allow for greater collaboration among all team members.
Interested in reading more employee experience management guides?
Employee Engagement Training Materials
If you found the performance review tips above useful, you might also find the training materials we sell for offering employee training in soft skills handy too.
View the Employee Engagement Training Materials
- Fully editable PowerPoint slides
- Trainer Notes & participants guide
- Printable participant workbooks, handouts & activities in the PowerPoint slides
