Employees will usually seek growth and development opportunities, motivation, engagement and a sense of belonging to be as productive as possible. To achieve this, they need to understand the strategic objectives of the organization and departments, the expectations of their roles, and how to align it with the company objectives. They also need constant support, mentoring and coaching, constructive feedback to discover their professional and developmental potential.
Performance management is a continuous, unbiased, systematic, and objective process of dialogue between an employee and a manager towards the achievement of set goals and objectives. Performance review gives managers the opportunity to discuss employee work performance in a structured and constructive manner and provide defensible and documented proof of performance.
Why is Performance Review Important
Some of the purpose why every company irrespective of their size and composition must
incorporate employee evaluation into their standard practice is listed below:
1. A clear expectation of the demands of the job roles
The review session is similar to a clarity session where expectations are spelt out. Assigned
roles and responsibilities are clearly defined with objectives delineated in unambiguous terms.
2. An alignment of personal roles to business objectives
It is undeniable that the performance of individual team members drives the achievement of
organizational goals. During performance review, managers get employees to understand the organization’s vision and goals and how their performance on the job affects company
effectiveness.
3. An opportunity to plan and set goals
Employees are able to set SMART goals and create actionable plans on how they intend to
achieve the goals within the agreed timeline with the support of the manager who offers ideas and suggestions on the next steps.
4. An open communication and regular feedback system
Performance review opens up the flow of communication between employee and manager. The review sessions provide an avenue to discuss, plan and set goals to enhance an employee’s career aspiration based on the area of interest and strength.
5. A reward for good performance
Compensations such as bonuses, pay raise, time off, recognition and other perks are a great
incentive to boost employee performance. The sense of accomplishment adds to the thrill and desire to perform and could certainly lead to faster career advancement.
6. An increase in organizational bottom line
Engaged and motivated employees who understand the effect of their work on the success of the company and who have a healthy sense of belonging in the organization will perform above and beyond their regular call of duty which of course means a more robust income for the company.
How to Optimize Performance Review Sessions
For reviews to be useful and achieve the intended purpose, it must be strategically and
objectively implemented. Here are some ideas on how to get the best from a performance
review session
1. Set SMART goals: objectives and expectations from employees should not be bogus
and fluid. The SMART acronym stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time
bound. Goals must meet these criteria for ease of accomplishment.
2. Give employee an advance notice: inform employees several weeks ahead of the due
date, send out self-assessment forms to fill and return to managers so that they read through
and prepare for the review
3. Use clear, specific, and unambiguous words and sentences: clearly expressed
ideas and suggestions leave no room for confusion. Express your thoughts, ideas, and
suggestions to employees in a very clear and distinct style.
4. Present documented proof of performance or otherwise: documented evidence of
performance shows that the manager is observant and monitors his team effectively. This could reduce the incidence of disagreements and arguments.
5. Gather feedback from various stakeholders: objectivity in performance review
demands that managers present well rounded feedback that expresses the views and reports from other stakeholders. The idea is to avoid bias if feedback is from a singular source.
6. Use positive and constructive words: the central theme of performance review is to
give constructive review that would motivate employees to seek better performance in future, It is therefore imperative for managers to choose their words wisely so that it is constructive and not destructive.
7. Make it a continuous process: do not wait till the end of the review cycle to have this
discussion with the employee. Engage employees as often as possible, possibly on a monthly basis, and provide up-to – date observations and suggestions.
8. Get employee feedback/alignment and agree on the next action plan for the future:
managers should avoid imposing their views and suggestions on the employee. Listen to them and get their feedback about the review, seek alignment with the employee and work together to prepare for the next review cycle
An effective review session should identify strengths and weaknesses, constructive feedback,
development opportunities and set goals for the future. developing employees’ performance for the future.
We are available to help you with setting up a performance management program. Please reach out to Conduit HR Consulting Inc at cehibudu@conduithr.com or wbarrington@conduithr.com