More Than Just A Process: 10 Tips For A Successful Performance Appraisal

Performance appraisal acts as a platform for employees to reflect on their previous year’s experiences, challenges and future opportunities. It creates a link between the management and the employees and further aligns team and business objectives with the employee’s personal goals. Different organisations adopt different performance review processes. The core methods on how to present your performance to the reviewer mostly remain the same. And honest communication always helps. 

The Need for a Performance Appraisal Review

We all want to make a difference and define our role in an organisation. Everyone wants to do well at work and get praised for their performance.  Though most companies like to evaluate the performance of their employees many times in a year, the most important one is the annual performance appraisal. This is the time of the year, you can also get a good understanding of how your manager rates your performance. This is also a good opportunity to showcase your new skills; you can improve your knowledge in digital marketing or you can take a six sigma course to improve your chances of getting a better position.

The aspect of reviews can differ from the one who is reviewing as compared to the one who is getting reviewed. This is why it is important to be well prepared for the performance review. If your manager cannot see the whole picture of how you performed and what you achieve, he/she will not be able to justify your performance ratings.

Why Prepare for the Performance Appraisal Review?

The way you prepare for the appraisal review is going to determine your future career progression. You may think that since you have already done a lot of work, you need to get that promotion or hike you are looking forward to. However, that is not the case. You need to be able to showcase your achievements as well. For that, you need to prepare well and learn about effective negotiation. 

Performance appraisal is the best platform to showcase your talents and achievements to the senior management. Also, since it comes once a year, you need to be perfect in your preparations. Also, you need to keep your manager on the same page about your expectations.

10 Tips for a Successful Performance Review

A successful performance review helps multiply the performance and confidence at both individual and team levels. Some of the instant benefits of an effective performance review include enhanced confidence, motivation, thought clarity, communication and better implementation. Here are some tips that are highly invaluable to implement a successful performance discussion.

Document Everything

This should usually start at the beginning of the year. If you do it at the end of the year or when the appraisal process has just started, there might be a possibility of providing the wrong data to showcase your achievements. Get all of those documented chronologically, so it would be easy for you to counter any points that your manager might have regarding your work.

Complete the Self-appraisal Well Ahead of Time

Before the performance review, it is common to fill a self-appraisal form. It is a good practice to complete your self-appraisal well before the last date of submission. In fact, you should start filling the form once it is open. This will give you a lot of time to put out your best details. Also, it will save you a lot of pressure in the later stages.

Prepare all the Documentation

You may need to present your data and information during the appraisal review. It is good to be well-prepared with all the necessary documents. If you have taken up a certification course, make sure it is ready and you can show how it is going to help you in your current or a role that you expect to get promoted to.

Take Notes from Your Last Appraisal

The best way to improve your performance review in the current period is to have a good knowledge of what went right and what went wrong in the previous appraisal. If you did not get a good hike or a promotion, learn what you did wrong and what extra responsibilities you took this year to compensate it.

Be Clear About Your Expectations

Managers may be in the dark about what you expect out of the appraisal if you are not clear. Make sure that your manager understands how you want to move ahead in your career and what roles you are willing to take up further in the organisation.

Conversation is the Key

Positive conversation leads to positive reviews. Do not deal with things that did not go well. Leave it to the judgement of your managers. State what you have achieved given your resources and time. Also, be comprehensive and to the point. Beating around the bush won’t make it feel like you have been spectacular. It will backfire. 
If you feel there are some lags while communicating, take short soft skills courses to navigate your way in challenging situations during the review process. 

Learn New Skills

The best way to get that promotion or move to a better position in your organisation is learning new skills. You can go for some online certification courses which will help you in becoming an expert in a tool or a certain area. This will really help in your appraisal discussion and display your ability to move to a higher role.

Get Feedback

If you are in a client-based role, positive feedback can help you in your appraisal discussion. If you didn’t receive feedback from an internal or external client, make sure that they provide it. You don’t have to pester them, they will be happy to give you if you have done your job well.

Define Your Role Clearly

Some managers are tasked with handling a large team of people and it is not possible to keep track of everyone’s responsibilities. This is why you should be the one to define your roles clearly and support your achievements with data. The best way to do it is to chart your annual progress quantitatively using popular business tools such as MS Excel.

Understand Your Future Responsibilities

Last but not the least, your interest in next year’s responsibilities and what you can offer can also be deciding factors in a performance review discussion. If you do not show any enthusiasm about your future work, then it might prove to be a negative outlook for the manager. Show your eagerness to understand what you can do in the coming days.

As the appraisal window arrives, put out your best performances and show that you are a valuable resource to the organisation and your team. If you are lacking in some skills, you can get enrolled in one of the in-demand certification courses. If there are still one or two months left, participate in a fast-track training course or get certified in a tool that is used in your organisation.