Performance Reviews: Helpless Habit or Talent-Management Tool?

According to a recent article on Forbes.com, companies conduct performance appraisals for at least 93% of their salaried employees, most often on an annual basis. Yet only 85% of the companies surveyed feel that their current review process is even moderately effective. It’s time to review the review – and go beyond on the standard “goal, measurement, achievement” format. Here’s how to turn your IT employees’ performance assessments from rote routine into management magic.

• Get Employee Buy-in. Other than a bonus or raise tied to performance, the “what’s in it for me” element is conspicuously absent from the traditional review process. You can incorporate this powerful performance incentive during the goal-setting portion of an appraisal by guiding the conversation towards the skills an employee will develop as a result of meeting their goals. By helping your employees see what they will own forever – the new knowledge and skills they acquire- you can enhance their motivation to accomplish great things.
• More Listening, Less Lecturing. Many reviewers make the mistake of spending the entire review talking. A more valuable approach is to do as much asking as you do telling. Find out how your employees feel about their assignments and accomplishments. Do they have professional goals they’d like to achieve? Are there things that are working well – or aren’t – in the office? Making the review more of partnership than a dictatorship will go a long way towards encouraging growth and progress.
• Less Formality, More Frequency. The best managers do not “save up” approval or corrective feedback – they share it with employees as they go along, so that nothing said in a formal review ever comes as a surprise. Many staffing experts believe that this type of ongoing coaching is far more effective than the typical once- or twice-a-year yard-sticking, so seriously consider shifting from a formal annual review to a series of more casual but equally important “checkpoint meetings” instead.

While affirmation of achievements is an important part of an appraisal, a good performance review does not mean merely showering an employee with unicorns and glitter. Good reviews offer clear goals, specific feedback for tactical improvements (even great employees have room for growth) and an opportunity to be heard. Most important, employees should leave the meeting feeling inspired, challenged and empowered for future projects.

For more helpful employee management advice, you can rely on the IT staffing professionals at Triumph Services. In addition to finding top-notch candidates for all of your technology employment opportunities, we’re happy to provide expert guidance on any part of the staffing process. Contact us today!