How to Write an Employee Performance Review

How to Write an Employee Performance Review

Doing an employee performance review will help the business grow but will also aid with making your team members excel in their field. Different organizations usually evaluate their employees, but managers should remember a few pointers during the process.

Performing employee assessments and saying the correct employee performance review phrases every now and then has its benefits. Here are a few of the advantages that the company can reap from the evaluation:

  1. During an employee performance review, the managers and the staff can thoroughly communicate. Doing this will allow both sides to lay out all their concerns and suggestions, strengthening employee trust and engagement. Using a business process management tool can also help improve communication within the team.
  2. Both new and former staff members can benefit from specific training and short courses. Talking to your employee will help you determine whether they need to attend some classes to enhance their skills further.
  3. Employee assessments should be done annually or semi-annually, as this can help improve the overall performance of your team members. Doing this will help determine the problems and issues so you can come up with possible solutions.
  4. Looking for new staff to join your growing team can be an extensive process. Doing regular employee performance reviews will help you determine whether a person in the unit can fill up the position you are looking for. Internal promotions help boost the team members’ motivation, but they can also help the company save time, money, and effort with training new employees.
  5. Utilize performance review templates. You will be able to craft a performance review to evaluate an employee’s work performance much more easily when you use performance and review templates. They typically include sections concerning an employee’s responsibilities, strengths, performance objectives, and areas of improvement. They can easily be customized to suit your specific needs.   

We’ve discussed the benefits of doing employee evaluations, and now it’s time to discuss how to write an employee performance review.

4 Benefits of Employee Performance Reviews

Start by Highlighting Their Strengths

Employee performance reviews should always start on a positive note. Doing this will help both parties feel comfortable during the assessment, plus, it will encourage the employee to do better in the future. Write a list of what each individual has achieved and highlight how these things helped the company grow. Genuinely thank the staff members and let them know that you appreciate their effort to be the best at work.

Focus on Where You Can Improve

If you have done an employee performance review for a specific team member in the past, then make sure to have their records on hand. This will help you highlight their past training sessions, skills, and areas of improvement. See if you’ve suggested solutions to their past issues and ask if they were able to go through it during the time that you’ve allotted.

It is vital to be specific when discussing areas of improvement, and managers should be very particular when evaluating the employees’ overall progress.

Make the Environment Comfortable

A strained environment can make your staff member nervous or anxious during the employee performance review. To make it easier for both of you to receive and give suggestions and tips, make sure to hold the meeting where both parties can be comfortable. It should also be a closed-door meeting so only you and the employee can join the conversation.

Make it clear to the team member that they can give suggestions and that you are open to listening to whatever they have to say about their experience at the office. Likewise, you, as a manager, should also be honest with your employee during the process. Remember not only to criticize but to offer solutions as well. Highlight their achievements and make it evident that you appreciate their effort.

How to Make The Employe Evaluation Comfortable and Fun

Do Not Hesitate to Offer Constructive Feedback

One of the intentions of doing an employee performance review is having the chance to offer constructive feedback. Doing this helps determine how employers can help their staff members grow within the workplace. Here are some tips for giving constructive criticism to your team members:

  1. Listen before giving your feedback. Ask the employee enough questions and make sure to listen intently. Mention a few employee performance phrases to set the tone appropriately.
  2. Never assume or give constructive criticism even before the employee explains their side of the story. Base your feedback on facts and not hearsay.
  3. Focus on issues that you know can be solved rather than problems out of the employee’s control.
  4. Always provide solutions to the problems mentioned during the assessment. You just can’t leave the individual with criticisms and not present a solution for it.
  5. Tell them that you are not, in any way, trying to belittle them and what they can offer. Make it clear that these things are pure observations, and you would want to provide solutions to help them grow.
4 Tips for Giving Constructive Criticism

Set Goals and KPIs

Now that you are almost done with the employee performance review, it’s time to set goals and key performance indicators that the team member can follow. Setting clear objectives will help guide the individual on what they need to do until the following assessment. Be particular with what each employee has to achieve and base each goal with their strengths and weaknesses.

Be as reasonable as you can when setting objectives for each staff member. You can’t bombard them with unattainable KPIs, as this will only wear them out. Create an employee performance review form and ask if they think each goal is achievable within a set time.

Track Their Performance

The employee performance review doesn’t end once the employee leaves the room. You have to keep a close eye on each team member to see if they are doing their best and faithful to their promises. Consider keeping a file for each worker so you can take notes if needed. List down every achievement and issue that each employee presents after the assessment is done.

Additionally, you can also use a business process management tool to better track and monitor your employees’ performance. Doing this will help you give solutions and suggestions for the following employee performance review.

Tips for Tracking Your Employee’s Performance

Wrapping Up

Now that you know how to do a performance review for an employee, it’s time to set the date and time of your meeting. Make sure that you have an established framework of what you want the whole team to achieve even before the evaluation begins. Writing an employee performance review doesn’t have to be a tedious task, and this guide will help you through the process.