How Do You Conduct Effective Employee Performance Reviews?

How Do You Conduct Effective Employee Performance Reviews?

Gleaning insights from seasoned professionals, we sought advice on mastering employee performance reviews. From training for self-advocacy and bias minimization to providing year-round feedback and specifics, here are the top five strategies shared by Human Resources Managers and Career Services Coaches.

• Train for Self-Advocacy and Bias Minimization
• Implement Interactive Performance Agreements
• Communicate Performance Continuously
• Conduct Reviews with Empathy
• Provide Year-Round Feedback and Specifics

Train for Self-Advocacy and Bias Minimization

Training both individual contributors and people leaders on the process is essential. Most individuals need help advocating for themselves and setting themselves at a realistic level. Many people leaders need help overcoming biases and using objective and specific data points to assess and articulate performance feedback. Giving both populations development in these areas (self-review, peer review, manager review, and conversations) throughout the performance cycle will help minimize challenges and issues.

Implement Interactive Performance Agreements

We use a more interactive process we call Performance Agreements. It focuses on personal and professional development and ties back to our mission, vision, values, guiding principles, core competencies, and job description. Goals are created by the employee in cooperation with their supervisor. Some of it may be performance-related things regarding how they do their job, but it may also include stretch goals and new things they want to achieve or learn. We have found it really helps our employees see how their day-to-day work ties to our organization's mission and how they are making an impact.

Communicate Performance Continuously

Performance reviews should not be a once- or twice-a-year event. If you are managing well and effectively communicating performance to subordinates, there should never be a question as to how an employee is performing. Performance reviews are an ongoing process. In addition, there should not be a question in a subordinate's mind about your expectations and how they are measuring up against them. If a subordinate is surprised by their mid-year or year-end review, you have not done your job.

Conduct Reviews with Empathy

The biggest piece of advice I would give is to look past the data and remember you're talking to a real person. So easily, performance reviews turn into a simple and unemotional statistical analysis of what is deemed a "good" performance. Be sure not to do that and have an empathetic review of not only the data but also the person you're reviewing. No matter what the data outcome shows, you need to be a proper leader and conduct the review with the care and respect it deserves. Employee reviews should not be a stressful situation for you or your employees, and it's up to you as a quality leader to ensure this during the process.

Provide Year-Round Feedback and Specifics

Performance reviews are often viewed as scary and uncomfortable. As a People Manager, the way to combat this is to provide feedback and indicators throughout the entire year to your direct reports so nothing is new information or a surprise at the time of the review. In my experience, it's best to frame the review as a conversation or informal discussion, and provide tangible examples of what the person could improve on, as well as specific feedback on what the person did well. With that said, this should be separated into specific topics and questions the employee receives in advance to avoid the 'compliment sandwich.' The best result of an effective employee performance review consists of sharing detailed ways a person can improve on XYZ (aligned with career goals) and what steps to take to exceed the KPIs, as well as sharing what strengths the individual possesses and should continue to demonstrate to be effective in their role. Essentially, providing specific examples, evidence, and insightfulness to the person directly (throughout the year) and framing as a conversation makes them feel seen, heard, valued, and more likely to walk away from the experience with a positive perspective.