Taking the time to conduct yearly performance reviews with your team is necessary to maintain peak performance of your organization. How will you make the most of performance appraisal season this year?
Conducting yearly performance assessments for your team is an essential tool to maintain the success of your business. Job appraisals can motivate colleagues to improve their performance through goal setting, while also providing a platform for employers to constructively assess colleague performance in relation to business needs and demands. Ready to kick-start your employee appraisal season? Adecco shares some of our favourite methods to motivate employees during appraisals to increase performance for the year ahead.
Set expectations early on
There should be no surprises during performance evaluations. Expectations should be clearly detailed within each employee’s job description and in the employee handbook. Revisit these expectations periodically throughout the year and especially in the months leading up to the employee’s evaluation to serve as a friendly reminder for those who may need an extra push to get back on track.
Utilize self-evaluations
Self-evaluations are an essential tool during the employee performance review process. Provide employees with a performance appraisal template well in advance of their scheduled formal evaluation to give employees time to fill out their self-assessments. This provides colleagues with the time to reflect on their performance over the past year and to give realistic ratings of their own performance. These self-appraisals can help remind managers of colleague contributions and they guide the creation of talking points for the appraisal meeting.
Start a conversation
Rather than creating a laundry list of feedback, start a conversation with your employee. Prepare talking points based on their performance to date and information shared in their self-assessments. Make sure to discuss career goals to ensure their needs are met and that you are fostering a work environment that promotes development.
Focus on coaching
To keep employees engaged and driven, highlight available coaching resources during the appraisal meeting. Ask your employee what they require from management to meet their performance and professional goals. Create an action plan to keep both parties accountable. By focusing on coaching practices during your appraisals, you are acknowledging your responsibility to develop and further your employees’ career goals.
Get to the point
One of the hardest parts of an employee’s performance assessment is confronting team members who are not pulling their weight. Although the conversation may be uncomfortable, speaking honestly about an employee’s poor performance and its impact on the organization is an effective way of addressing productivity gaps within your business. The performance appraisal meeting presents an opportunity to find out the cause of the problem and help employees create a plan to get back on track, which may include reassigning tasks or providing extra support or learning where necessary.
Focus on the give and take
As an employer, your takeaway from the performance appraisal session is clear. You will walk away with feedback on operations and management performance. But what does the appraisal give to your employee? Whether it’s monetary compensation, additional benefits or perks, or compensation for training and education, make sure to provide high-performing colleagues with a take-away for a job well done.
Create a follow-up plan
A full year may be too long to wait to discuss the outcomes of the appraisal meeting. Keep employees motivated by creating goals as well as a follow-up plan. This helps to keep both employee and management accountable for development, while increasing the overall performance of your organization.
By focusing on performance feedback, self-evaluation, employee recognition and goal setting, your employees will feel respected, valued and ready to take on another year of hard work within your organization.
Lēad Blog is part of Adecco and Roevin Canada. Hire your perfect team, or get more staffing advice from our experts.
