If your annual employee reviews set off a collective moan throughout the workplace, it may be time for a change. While you don’t have to overhaul the entire review process, you can make a few strategic tweaks that’ll leave employees grinning instead of grimacing when it’s time for their yearly evaluation.
Look Forward, Not Just Back
Instead of simply rehashing the good and bad aspects of an employee’s performance over the past 12 months, make sure your reviews provide guidelines for moving forward. Whether it’s working on weak areas, taking on more responsibilities, or amending job duties, ensure employees know precisely what’s expected of their performance over the next 12 months.
Include Feedback from Variety of Sources
You may be the manager with the employee directly under your charge, but that doesn’t mean other people throughout the workplace aren’t affected by the employee’s performance. Collect feedback from other managers, the employee’s peers, and even vendors or clients if applicable. An employee’s job performance can impact many people besides the manager, and it’s helpful to look at input from multiple sources to get a more well-rounded view of their work.
Make Sure It’s a Conversation, Not a Lecture
If your annual employee reviews are more like annual employee lecture sessions, the chances are low that the information will stick. When employees feel like they’re being scolded or reprimanded, they’re likely to feel deflated or even resentful.
Transform the lecture into a conversation by asking for employee feedback – and then actually listening to what they have to say. Employee feedback needs to go beyond excuses for poor performance, but should instead include their thoughts, ideas, and feelings on what’s being discussed.
Praise for Positive Performance
Keep a running tally of times an employee excelled throughout the year and mention them during the review process. A review riddled with only negative feedback can cause resentment. Make sure to balance out negative and positive aspects of an employee’s performance, praising where praise is due.
Reward for Positive Performance
Reinforce positive performance even more by rewarding employees for a job well done. While not every organization may be able to reward employees with regular raises or monetary bonuses, you do have other options.
Recognition certificates and trophies can be a fun way to acknowledge exceptional behavior. You may also consider things like a bonus day off with pay, a catered lunch for the office held in the employees’ honor, or other forms of recognition that fit within the company budget.
Not only can these ideas help ensure your annual employee reviews are more dynamic and intriguing, but they can make them more effective. Check out PaperDirect for enticing recognition items to use during your review.
