As working professionals, we’ve all received performance reviews. Some may have been helpful; others may have felt cursory or lackluster. It’s a manager’s responsibility to ensure that direct reports are receiving honest, appropriate, and timely feedback. But the performance review process can be daunting, especially if you have to deliver an unpleasant message. Here are some tips to help deliver performance reviews that resonate with your employees.
Provide Feedback on a Consistent Basis
The most effective way to ensure the formal performance review really resonates with your employee is to provide honest feedback on an ongoing basis. This feedback may come during a regularly scheduled one-on-one meeting, on a less formal basis as projects occur and deadlines are met, as specific situations arise that require a more timely response, or any combination of these. Even a simple check-in, like letting an employee know their last project was well done, helps the employee to understand if they are meeting your expectations.
The same also goes for constructive criticism. Don’t hold off on it for weeks or months when things aren’t going well, but rather address any issues or concerns immediately. Not only will you provide a timely reference for the employee, but it also ensures they will not be surprised if that kind of feedback appears in their annual performance review.
Give Feedback Face to Face
Even in the world of hybrid and remote work environments, it is important to meet in person to deliver a performance review. The tone and delivery of written communication can be misconstrued; what may be intended as a gentle reminder could be misinterpreted as a scathing criticism to an employee. To avoid any confusion, take the time to sit with employees face to face — whether it’s in the same room or via a digital meeting platform. A live conversation allows you to control the tone and delivery and limits the chance of being misunderstood. Also, a face-to-face meeting provides the opportunity for two-way conversation.
Write Things Down
One of the best ways to prepare for an employee performance review is to write down what you want to say before your meeting. Write down positives, areas for improvement, any questions you may have, and suggestions for how the employee can continue to meet your expectations. Having notes will help keep you focused and ensure that you make all the relevant points during the review.
Make It a Conversation
While it’s important that you address any performance concerns or issues, it’s equally important that you give your employees a chance to respond to your assessment. Employees appreciate the opportunity to elaborate on their work and skills. Allowing them to participate in the conversation makes them feel like they are involved and not simply being talked at. An honest discussion will help employees be more receptive to what you are saying and lessen the potential for them to feel negatively about the review process.
Ask the Employees How They Want to Move Forward
For employees who are having difficulty meeting your expectations, the review may be a time to reexamine the requirements of the role and discuss their ability to effectively execute those tasks. If they are not currently meeting expectations, ask if they want to get to that point. Do they feel the position is the right fit for them? How can you support them on their journey? For employees who are performing well, inquire if they’re interested in expanding their skill set, taking on additional responsibility, or moving into another career path? In either case, it’s important to understand the employee’s perspective and get their input so that you have an engaged and motivated employee.
The performance review process is a necessary way to provide honest feedback — good and bad — to employees. It’s important to remember that not every employee responds to feedback in the same way, so you may need to tailor your approach based on the employee. The goal is for each employee to receive and implement your feedback. But just as important is for them to feel heard and included throughout the process.
On Topic
Kelsey Edwardsen has served the construction industry for 20 years as a structural engineer, field manager, contract manager, and project manager. She has served tribal clients who are building mental health facilities, business enterprises, housing, and recovery centers on tribal lands. Edwardsen believes in fostering an open environment where feedback is a regular activity in both directions — boss to employees and employees to their boss.
How can a manager prepare an effective performance review for their employee?
Performance reviews can seem daunting. Good annual reviews are thoughtful and thorough, and depending on the number of direct reports, it can take a long time to put the necessary effort into each review. Here are some tips that can help result in a meaningful and positive outcome for the individual, the team, and you as the supervisor.
- Work on the review throughout the year. Monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly intermediate reviews will help the employee continuously grow and not be surprised by feedback received in the annual review. Your employee should never be surprised at the feedback received, whether it’s constructive or positive feedback.
- Think about tying all feedback into the goals of the organization. This will help the employee understand how their actions, projects, and behaviors fit into the grand scheme, and will help to inspire them to make any corrections as they will be noticed by the organization.
- Help the employee map their ideal career path. Tie the feedback into the skills, scope, responsibilities, and behaviors that will help them achieve the next promotions. If their career path includes changing departments, put them in touch with a mentor from the other department who can explain the training and skills needed to perform work for the transfer.
- Before meeting with the individual, think about a work assignment that would be an opportunity for the employee to learn and grow. The assignment should help to fill gaps in the employee’s performance, while also playing to their strengths so that they can be set up for success. For example, if the employee isn’t great at working in teams, the assignment may be a team effort where their expertise would be an asset. You may explain that the assignment would help them learn to be a better team player, so that they go into it with that goal in mind.
- Most important, listen. After providing each bit of feedback, let them ask questions, and be prepared to provide specific examples of how the feedback element was observed. Leave time at the end for the employee to give you some feedback, and you can thank them for the feedback and also ask clarifying questions. Finally, you may ask them to also provide ideas on how the organization could be improved based on their own observations.
