With an endless list of employees working under you, figuring out how to write a meaningful performance review can be very difficult. While annual reviews are slowly going out of style, employee performance reviews are still a crucial process that allows employers and employees to track individual progress. An efficient performance review process can be a great way to generate strategies and design benefits that can help the organization grow. Writing out the employee feedback can be tiring though, and establishing a structured way of doing it can make things a lot easier. Let’s understand what a performance review is and some performance review best practices.
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What is a Performance Review? How to Write a Performance Review?
A performance evaluation, also known as an employee performance review, is a formal assessment conducted by an employer to evaluate and appraise an employee’s job performance over a specific period. Defining what a performance review is can be very simple or complex depending on the company’s goals. The main aim is to carefully assess the employee’s association with the company, from fitting into the work culture to assessing their strengths and weaknesses. The performance review process is a continuous one and requires constant time and resources to be invested.
Writing a successful employee performance review can be difficult because of multiple reasons. The fear of upsetting employees is a very relevant one. An Adobe survey found that 22 percent of employees have cried after receiving a poor performance appraisal, while 20 percent considered quitting following a stressful review. Learning how to write a performance review requires a delicate touch and careful consideration of what needs to be said. On the other hand, 72 percent of participants in an HBR study reported their performance would improve if managers provided corrective feedback.
How to Write a Performance Review: Planning and Execution
To understand how to write a performance review, you need to begin by establishing the goal and format of the review. Once the background planning is complete, initiating the performance review process becomes much easier. Let’s take a look at some performance review best practices and how you can adapt them to suit your organization.
1. Prepare Thoroughly for an Employee Performance Review
To establish how to write a performance review, it is essential to first determine the purpose and frequency of the review. Performance reviews can be conducted on a weekly or biweekly basis if desired, in order to have continuous improvements in their work and performance. However, it is difficult to make these too elaborate with insufficient time to assess and get back to them on time. This format of the performance review process might require more specific and brief feedback with short-term actionable points.
Conversely, employee performance reviews that are conducted quarterly or yearly allow sufficient time for data collection. These reviews can be as elaborate as desired, with more long-term goals laid out as the focal point of the review. Multiple formats can be explored, as well as multiple data sources identified. Determine what is feasible for your company and begin planning how to write a performance review.
2. Gather Data and Set Review Criteria
Once you’ve identified the performance management format, you can begin with the review criteria and data assessment. A performance improvement plan should be very careful about providing a realistic assessment of the employee’s performance. To do this, it is necessary to establish a set of guidelines that managers and superiors can use to make their assessments. This should include a careful review of the job description and project criteria for each role.
- Examine older performance metrics and assessment criteria
- Establish feedback sources and deadlines for data gathering
- Determine the quantitative data numbers that you want to consider, as well as qualitative metrics such as communication skills, time management, negotiation skills, etc.
- Consider the employee’s adherence to company policies, ethical standards, and workplace regulations
- Solicit input from colleagues, peers, and subordinates to gain a comprehensive perspective on the employee’s performance
- Factor in any external circumstances or challenges that may have impacted the employee’s performance
- Consider including self-assessment in the employee performance review criteria—their personal goals can be considered as well
- It is always better to have a written report ready for the employee to take away, before the actual discussion
- Identify areas where the employee can benefit from additional training, mentorship, or professional development
3. Write the Report
Once you have data gathered, you can begin to write the employee performance review. Keep the keyword “constructive” in mind as you make a note of your assessment. The review should help the employee identify areas of improvement without making them feel completely miserable about their performance. It should also highlight their strengths and successes in the recent past to boost their morale.
- Include evidence for any claims made so employees can make a note of actual incidents where their performance suffered
- Negative feedback and weakness can be combined with specific strategies for how they can seek improvement
- Ensure you highlight their potential for improvement and change
- Be encouraging and extend support wherever possible
- Discuss their strengths in the context of work and focus on positive tasks they can do more of
- If feedback includes other sources, try to maintain employee privacy and avoid disclosing their identity
- Get the HR team involved in the process if possible
- If you are unsure of any specific areas, leave it for the next review and do not falsify data
- Use graphs and tables if possible to simplify the information
- If there is a cultural mismatch, include resources they can turn to for help such as FAQ boards and employee handbooks
4. Set Up a Meeting
The process of how to write a performance review involves systematically sharing the review as well. To adhere to performance review best practices, carefully consider what a good time would be to conduct the review and work with the employee to find a good time to do it. If their workload is greatest at the end of the week, scheduling a performance review meeting then can add to the stress and further affect performance. Be careful about when you schedule the employee performance review to ensure the reception of it is more positive.
Avoid scheduling too many at once as well, as it can be draining for the reviewer and employees deserve your full attention without any external irritation and interference. Also try to choose a distraction-free, well-lit location to share the employee performance review. That can also shape its reception.
5. Conduct the Employee Performance Review
The hardest part of figuring out the employee evaluation process is sharing the results with the employees. While it can be a difficult process for the reviewer, it is important to still conduct the review calmly and carefully.
- Begin the meeting on a positive note, expressing appreciation for the employee’s contributions
- Emphasize the value they bring to the team and organization
- Initiate the discussion by highlighting the employee’s strengths and achievements
- Schedule sufficient time for a discussion and allow employees to talk and ask questions
- Approach areas for improvement with sensitivity and constructive feedback
- Use specific examples to illustrate concerns and discuss strategies for growth
- Encourage the employee to share their reflections on the feedback received
- Ask for their insights on strengths, areas for improvement, and future goals
- Let them also provide strategies for improvement and ask for the support they need
- Document key points discussed during the meeting and edit the goals for the next few weeks as per the discussion
- End on a positive, optimistic note
- Schedule any necessary follow-up meetings to discuss additional details or progress toward goals
- Collect feedback on the review process and be open to suggested improvements to better develop the process
With knowledge of how to write a performance review and these performance review best practices, you should now be ready to structure and conduct the performance review process with ease. Decide what the performance review means to your organization and structure the process accordingly.