It’s that time: Your performance review is coming up. Whether your review takes place once a year or more often, it’s not unusual to have some apprehension about the event.
But according to workplace expert Caileen Kehayas Holden, "There’s no reason to fret over your upcoming performance review.” Holden, content director for Career Contessa, recommends approaching the review as a rare opportunity to speak directly with management about topics that matter to you. Rather than taking on added stress, you can prepare thoroughly for your review and walk into that meeting with confidence. Here are a few tips for getting there.
Stay Focused Throughout the Year
Let’s start at the beginning. Your review with your supervisor may cover a lot of ground, but the focus will definitely be on your performance. It’s a good idea to be vigilant about your performance all year long and to document your work. We’re all human, but the fewer missed meetings or deadlines you have, the better. With more positive topics to discuss at your review than negative ones, you’ll be off to a good start.
Experts often recommend keeping a performance journal of highlights, milestones, and challenges throughout your performance cycle. While this type of work diary is for your eyes only, it can be a helpful frame of reference as you get ready for your review.
Do Your Homework
If your review includes a self-evaluation, give it careful thought before you commit to your responses. What you write will play a role in the direction your review takes, so if you want to help steer the conversation toward certain subjects, mention them in your self-evaluation. Whether or not your assessment involves this written step, you should go into the meeting prepared to talk about your performance in detail. This means pointing out your accomplishments and strengths as well as acknowledging any opportunities for development.
"Always be aware of what you contribute to your workplace," says Holden. "An annual performance review is a good time to talk about achievements, changes, and kinks in the workplace." Are there any changes that might help you improve your performance? Is there a process you don’t understand? Your review is a chance for a candid discussion about what’s happening at work.
Be Ready to Hear — and Offer — Feedback
Nobody is a perfect employee, and you will inevitably receive feedback that’s hard to hear. When this happens, it’s important to resist any inclination to be defensive. Many experts suggest a few go-to phrases that can help you demonstrate self-awareness and a willingness to work on areas that need improvement. Rather than blaming the circumstances, consider making constructive statements. For example, you can listen intently and say something like "Thank you for pointing this out. I know it’s something I need to work on."
On the flipside, you may be asked for feedback. "Despite what you may think, an annual review is not just about the employee’s performance," observes Holden. She points out that your review is about everybody’s performance, including your supervisor’s. You should be prepared to offer feedback if asked, including diplomatic observations about how your boss might better support your performance — for instance, you may ask for more specific direction or expectations. You may also want to mention things about your boss that you appreciate.
Know What to Say about Your Pay
Talking with management about how much you earn can be intimidating, but this is your chance. "Instead of worrying about what feedback management might have, think of what you want," urges Holden. If you want a raise, you should be clear about (1) why you deserve it and (2) exactly what amount you have in mind. Be sure to research salaries for positions similar to yours on sites such as Glassdoor or PayScale.
As you collect data, keep in mind that the average salary for a job can vary depending on location. If you live in Montana, you may not earn as much as someone doing the same work in New York, where the cost of living is higher. Salary pros recommend starting the conversation with a number you believe reflects your value. Your employer may want to negotiate, and that’s okay.
Discuss Your Future and Your Goals
It’s not every day that you have a one-on-one with your boss where you play a starring role, so make the most of it. Supervisors appreciate a motivated employee who’s given thought to new ways they can contribute to the organization. If you’re looking for opportunities for advancement, go ahead and say so. You should also have personal goals in mind. Whether you’re asked about specific objectives or you raise the subject yourself, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re committed to high performance.
If you can think of your review as a part of your career journey rather than a destination, you’re in a position to benefit from the experience. So do your homework, prepare for the discussion, and let your commitment to your job shine through.
On Topic
W
illow Young, Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe and Lakota, has worked at Microsoft for 11 years and is currently a support engineering manager and a member of the Indigenous@Microsoft employee group.
Do you tend to look at an annual performance review as a two-way street? In other words, a chance to review the company as well?
People must truly enjoy their role and their company to find fulfillment at work. Check in with yourself regularly to confirm that the current job is still a good fit. If it isn’t, have a candid career development conversation with your manager. It’s everyone’s responsibility to proactively drive their own career development plan. The relationship with the direct manager is also critical. There’s a common saying that people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. Provide regular, open, and constructive feedback to your manager about what they do well and what else they can provide to support you. Feedback is an ongoing two-way street and should not be limited to the performance review period.
How early would you recommend starting to prepare for the review?
Don’t wait until the last minute. Performance conversations should be an ongoing, regular rhythm of the business. I hold three performance conversations called “Connects” with each of my team members throughout the year, and also check on performance and solicit feedback during weekly 1:1 meetings. Track your successes and lessons learned, document them in OneNote or another file, and share them with your manager during 1:1 meetings. When the time comes for an official performance review, you’ll already have information gathered throughout the year, and it will be easy to compile your story.
What advice can you give about prepping for a performance review?
Solicit regular feedback from colleagues, partners, and managers at work. We all have blind spots. Make it a habit to ask others throughout the year for their perspective on your work — what do you do well, and what can you do more of? Take action on the feedback and include these insights in your performance review conversations.
What are key points to bring up during the meeting?
I differentiate between activity and impact during my performance reviews with my manager. I can fill my days with endless activities, but how am I prioritizing work that drives the greatest business impact? I devise ways to quantitatively or qualitatively measure the impact of my work so I can report the results. At Microsoft there are also three interconnected circles of impact:
1. Key individual accomplishments that contribute to team, business, or customer results,
2. Your contribution to the success of others, and
3. Your results that build on the work, ideas, and efforts of others.
I will show examples in the performance review of how I’m delivering key individual accomplishments while contributing to others’ success and leveraging others’ work. At Microsoft we encourage a growth mindset with a desire to learn and embrace challenges. I demonstrate ways I’m challenging myself and persisting despite setbacks.
Have you ever asked for a raise in a review? If yes, how did it play out?
Topics in a performance review should not come as a surprise to the manager or employee, but rather should be the continuation of an ongoing discussion. If you feel you’re ready for a raise, compile the story of your high performance and business benefit and bring it to your manager in the next 1:1 meeting. Keep in mind that raises and promotions are dependent on three factors: proven performance at the next level, business need, and budget.
Any other tips or advice for folks facing an upcoming performance review?
Establish a natural rhythm of regular performance conversations with your manager. The performance review is simply one part of that broader conversation. This approach will reduce anxiety around performance reviews, ensure that you and your manager are both on the same page to prevent any surprises in a performance conversation, and fuel the most robust and thoughtful discussion.
