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Many companies conduct annual performance evaluations and reviews in the last quarter of the year. Don't let that time creep up on you. Right after the summer ends, there are a few things companies can do to set their employees up for success during upcoming annual reviews.
Make Sure Managers and Employees Know When and How Annual Reviews Will Take Place. Companies should provide ample notice about the dates for the review period, so that managers and employees can make sure they work around planned vacations, personal commitments, and work obligations. You want to make sure that employees devote sufficient time to the process, which can be accomplished by advance notice. Employees also value clarity about the mechanics of the process - what tool will be used, where the debrief meeting will be, and what their role will be.
Clarify The Goals Of The Performance Evaluation Process. Performance evaluations provide an opportunity to assess an employee’s achievements, strengths, areas for improvement, and align goals with organizational objectives. They can, but don't always, also serve as an opportunity for employees to give feedback to their employers. By providing employees with a clear picture of the scope of the review, they can tailor their comments and feedback.
Be Clear About KPIs. Nothing is more frustrating to an employee than being held to a standard that they were unclear about. If the review process will include an assessment against KPIs, the KPIs should have been disclosed long ago. Now is a good time to remind employees of how these metrics will be tracked so they are not surprised come review time.
Be Clear About When Goal Setting Will Take Place. Sometimes, goal setting for the year to come happens as part of the performance evaluation process. Other times, it comes afterwards. Don't assume that employees know how the goal setting process will work - laying it all out in advance will make the process more efficient.
Prepare Managers. First time managers and managers new to your organization may not know how the process will unfold. A one-hour training to go over the process and answer questions will set the managers up for being able to make the most out of the process.
Performance reviews serve a key function in employee engagement and development, process improvement, and performance management. True, they can be tedious and time-consuming. But when done right, they are an invaluable tool to a company's performance. Just remember: Honesty is the best policy in performance evaluations.
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