The performance review process is very crucial in every organization since it helps you and your employees determine their respective strengths and weaknesses and work on to improve the latter. The process is effectual in individually developing the employees and consequently improving the organization. However, and rather unfortunately, many managers still wrongly carry out the performance review process and establish erroneous results. Such results are definitely less effectual in developing the individual employees. So, how can you effectively do the performance reviews? Which are the main mistakes you ought to avoid?
To help you transcendentally understand your role in the performance review process, here are the 5 main Performance Review Don’ts placed against their corresponding 5 Performance Review Do’s:
1. DON’T make it a one way process
Most managers, unfortunately, make the performance review a one way process. All the evaluation and review aspects are handled by the manager without involving the main subject (employee). The results therefore entirely depend on the manager’s evaluation skills and they may not be accepted by all the employees
DO: Make it a two way process
Employees should be engaged in the performance review process since they understand themselves better than you do. Ask them to evaluate themselves too and compare their reviews to yours. You may be surprised that some of the employees actually rate themselves lower than you thought. They self-reviews are also effective in pointing out the weaknesses which may be missing in your report.
2. DON’T combine the performance review and the compensation review
Your performance review won’t correctly capture the employees’ strengths and weaknesses if it’s combined with the compensation review. This would create a lot of tension which would blind you and the employees from an effective review process.
DO: The performance review and compensation review should be set at different times of the year
The compensation of employees doesn’t rely on their strengths and weaknesses but rather their qualifications, job specifications and professionalism. Therefore, these two processes should be separated and their aims independently defined.
3. DON’T engage in an employee’s performance review if you don’t regularly supervise him/her
A performance review on an employee who you don’t have a day to day contact with wouldn’t be accurate. This is because your report would be highly based on assumptions and conclusions derived from other people’s perspectives.
DO: The performance review should only be done on an employee you regularly have contact with.
A performance review on an employee who you personally supervise or have a regular contact with would be accurate. This is because you would have been around the individual long enough to meritoriously analyze his strengths/weaknesses as he/she works.
4. DON’T surprise the employees with an abrupt/impromptu performance review
Don’t think that an abrupt/unannounced performance review would be accurate and effective. Catching the employees unawares with the review would simply increase your chances of coming up with an erroneous review.
DO: The performance review schedule should be publicized prior to the process
This gives you and your employees ample time to effectually prepare for a thorough and comprehensive process.
5. DON’T focus on the traits rather than the behavior and results
Most managers erroneously base the performance review process on the personal traits (eg attitude, motivation, etc) of their employees.
DO: The performance review should be based on the behaviors and the results
An accurate and effective performance review focuses on the particular behaviors of the employees and the results they obtained. Examples of behaviors include; he talked to the customers; he bought new stocks etc. Such behaviors would trigger results like: customer attraction; sales improvement, etc.
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