Is it Time to Redefine Your Performance Review?

There is a growing consensus in the business community that the traditional way of conducting performance reviews no longer works. The thinking goes that once-a-year reviews are too incomplete and occasional to help employees and managers alike make meaningful changes to the way they work. In response, companies of all sizes and across industries are looking to improve the process, or transition, to a whole new process. If it’s time for you to redefine your performance reviews, here are a few new strategies to consider:

Support the Reviewer

A performance review can be a sensitive subject and not all managers have stellar interpersonal skills. Ask your HR professionals to coach managers on how to handle upset employees and develop an atmosphere of trust.

Establish a Performance Log

Instead of relying on memory alone, keep a performance log for each employee. Track both the positives and negatives, and rely on facts, figures, and specific examples as much as possible.

Use Consistent Standards

Everyone on your team should be evaluated according to the same standards. Don’t let personal biases color your judgment, and make sure you focus on recent/relevant performance rather than successes or failures from the distant past.

Review More Often

Yearly reviews run the risk of being either underwhelming or overwhelming. If you want to produce real change, hold the reviews once every three months, or even sooner. Shorter blocks of time are more manageable for everyone involved.

Acknowledge Employee Concerns

For obvious reasons, employees are often anxious in advance of a review. Rather than ignoring or dismissing these feelings, make an effort to acknowledge and assuage them. You will get much more out of the review process if your team buys into it.

Clearly Define Changes

It’s not enough to simply tell people to “do better.” Define what kind of performance improvements you expect to see in clear terms using actual metrics and following a timeline for action.

Foster a Culture of Feedback

If your company has a culture in which reviews are seen only as an opportunity to punish or recriminate, the process will always be ineffective. Work to build a culture in which feedback is welcomed as an opportunity to develop professionally.

Make Reviews Reciprocal

The most common complaint about performance reviews is that they are one-sided. Give your team an opportunity to review your performance as well and take into consideration what they have to say. That helps your team feel respected and can do a lot to improve your management strategy.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Before, during, and after your performance reviews, spend some time thinking about the state of your staff as a whole. Does it include people with all the skills you need? Are your team’s efforts stretched thin due to understaffing? Could the addition of top talent revitalize your efforts? Learn how to honestly evaluate and effectively augment your staff by consulting with the team at INSPYR Solutions.