Employee evaluations don’t have to be unpleasant. In fact, the process is the ideal opportunity to boost employees’ empowerment and work together to find common ground.
It’s imperative to stay as positive as possible during the process. It’s not helpful to spend time telling an employee what they have done wrong for the past year. After all, it should be a conversation, not a speech.
This can be a challenge if the employee needs to make major improvements. In that case, then coaching them should actually be a part of your normal business routine. It’s important not to wait until the review to communicate with an about performance improvements. Have those conversations as needed throughout the year.
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Be sure to provide a professional and in-depth evaluation offering valuable feedback delivered in a way that avoids defensiveness or hurt feelings. Better yet, consider doing an informal feedback session for a type of mid-year review just to check in on goals.
- Use positive phrases as much as possible, and make sure there’s a balance if you need to deliver a negative critique.
- Don’t focus on the person. Focus on just the performance. It will go a long way!
- Offer suggestions or opportunities for employees to grow both personally and professionally (this motivates people to give it their all and enjoy working under you).
If your company doesn’t have an evaluation template, here are some important categories to consider while you are writing one:
- Goal Achievement
- Productivity
- Communications Skills
- Attendance/Punctuality
- Cooperation
- Leadership
- Drive
- Problem-solving
- Creativity
The key is in the delivery. How you present the evaluation can largely affect how your staff feel about their work and how they will perform in the future. Give them valuable information to help them grow. That is a win-win for all. And, don’t forget to be a good listener. Employees have good ideas and solutions. Encourage sharing those and let them know you open-minded to what they have to say any time of the year.
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See Also: How to Set Realistic Goals for Association Planning