While end-of-year reviews may still be months away, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be preparing now. After all, you will need to go through a substantial amount of information, and trying to cram all of the work into a single week or two can be incredibly daunting.
By planning for your annual end-of-year reviews now, you can be ahead of the game, allowing you to bring 2018 to a close with less stress. If you are ready to get started, here are some tips that can help.
Identify Past Achievements
At their core, end-of-year reviews are an opportunity to provide feedback regarding an employee’s performance. However, it’s often wise to focus on their accomplishments first.
Often, negative events stick in a person’s mind more clearly than an achievement. This means you are more likely to overlook a worker’s positive results than the challenges they faced.
By taking some time to identify each team member’s accomplishments, you make sure they aren’t forgotten. Plus, it can serve as a helpful reminder of why they are such a valuable addition to the staff, ensuring you don’t blow any missteps out of proportion.
Examine Any Mistakes
After you’ve identified their achievements, you can review any mistakes that occurred. Begin by identifying any errors or problems that happened during the previous months. Next, consider what the long-term outcome was and whether an issue still exists.
Often, after a mistake, the problem is remedied quickly. If the employee has already corrected their behavior, improved their skills, or set a process in place that ensures the same issue won’t occur again, then consider whether this genuinely needs to be part of their end-of-year review. In many cases, rehashing the details isn’t necessary, especially if the worker’s performance now meets or exceeds your expectations.
However, if there is still room for improvement, make a note of the incident. The year-end review will give you an opportunity to discuss the problem and find a viable solution if you don’t have a chance to address it beforehand.
Consider Potential Improvements
Ultimately, there is always room for improvement. If an employee could up their game in a particular area, don’t just focus on the shortcoming. Instead, start brainstorming ideas of what can be done to help them excel, whether it’s on their part or yours.
This allows you to start planning recommendations in advance or secure certain opportunities, like additional training, that can be implemented immediately after their review. That way, no momentum is lost after the evaluation is complete.
Set New Goals
Weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual goals can all be valuable sources of motivation for the coming year. If you want to engage your employees throughout 2019, start considering what goals may help them reach their highest potential and take note of them now.
This ensures you can present them during the review with ease. Plus, if you follow the other tips above, you can get a head start on gathering a wealth of valuable information, making it easier to finish the review as 2018 comes to an end.
If you are interested in learning more, the professionals at CPS Recruitment can help. Contact us to discuss your company’s goals today and see how our expertise can benefit you and your end-of-year reviews.