How To Prepare For Your Employee Performance Appraisal Process

The day of reckoning – the employee performance appraisal is an inevitable activity happening year on year at every organization. How well you prepared to face the day shows your character and commitment. Performance appraisal is important for employees, managers, HRs and organizations. It shows your successes and setbacks as an individual, as a team and as an organization. It highlights your rise against all odds or the reverse. Armed with our preparation tips for employees, managers and HRs you can come through with flying colors.

Preparation Tips for Employees:

Gather Information:

It is better to err on the side of information overload rather than underprepared for your appraisal. Collect data and metrics regarding your goals, progress, performance, growth, achievements, and technical & collaborative skills.

Review your performance truthfully

Know your goals and objectives for which you are assessed. Understand the priorities and importance of each goal. Review your progress on these lines and list out the highlights, lowlights, progress, setbacks, challenges and triumphs.

Maintain ‘notes to myself’

It is hard to remember all the activities and incidents happened during the review period, especially if the review period is annual. It is advisable to maintain an incident diary to record all the activities so that you won’t miss anything important during your appraisal. Synergita PMS software offers such wonderful features which makes employee performance appraisal stress-free.

Prepare a list of accomplishments

Be ready with the details of your contribution to the project/task. Highlight the new skills you learned to complete the project successfully. If you have proof such as an appreciation email from the customer or recognition from your peers or managers, present it proudly.

Write honest self-feedback

Give honest feedback about your performance. Describe the trials and triumphs you encountered in your work. While mentioning an unsuccessful task, explain what lessons you learned and the measures taken to rectify the mistake. Mention your strengths and the areas on which you need to improve openly. Point out how you act on previous appraisal feedback and enhanced your skills and competencies.

Keep an open mind

Receive your manager’s feedback with an open mind. No one is perfect. You are bound to get a few good and not-so-good feedbacks. Learn to respond maturely to feedbacks, especially for negative feedbacks. Don’t try to blame the mistake on others. Accept your mistakes and let your manager know that you have improved.

Draw up other discussion points

Jot down any pressing issues that need to be discussed with your manager, such as the guidance you expect from your manager, your career aspiration or promotions, pay rise, the project change or internal transfers, etc. Leverage the opportunity to clearly communicate your ideas and suggestions.

Prepare for your performance appraisal well in advance. Manage it efficiently and successfully. Take it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Tips for Managers to conduct a smooth performance review:

Managers are the chief coach, mentor and offer support and guidance at the right time. They work closely with the reports and understand their progress or the lack thereof.

• Convey that you genuinely care about their progress and career growth with your words and actions.
• Recognize their accomplishment and compliment profusely.
• Give negative feedback in a non-offensive, constructive way so that they can improve and contribute to the success of the project.
• Express your opinion honestly. List out their strengths and areas of improvement.
• Don’t let the recency effect cloud your assessment. Look at their contribution for the entire review period
• Employee performance appraisal is individual specific and not the performance of the team. Don’t miss to identify your high-performing employees because of the cookie cutter effect.
• Be balanced while giving the rating to your employees. Don’t allow your favoritism or previous rating influence your feedback.
• Reviews are a two-way street. Managers can get insights into the challenges faced by the team and how it can be managed efficiently in the future.

Tips for HRs to make performance appraisal stress-free

HR folks spearhead the employee performance appraisal process. They initiate the appraisal process; follow up with employees to complete the review process and one-on-one meeting on-time.

• Encourage your employees to prepare for the appraisal well in advance.
• Conduct a workshop to guide employees and managers on the best practices for giving feedback and one-on-one discussion.
• Nurture an open feedback culture through continuous feedback tools.
• Educate employees that performance appraisal is all about development and course-correction and not just employee evaluation.
• Provide easy-to-use performance appraisal software for your employees to complete the appraisal process quickly.

HRs, Managers and employees should prepare diligently to conduct the appraisal process smoothly. With ample preparation, you can ace it easily. Good luck with your next appraisal.