4 Tips to Help Managers Prepare for Performance Reviews

Managers can spend a significant amount of time preparing for performance reviews. For instance, prior to using Reflektive, leaders at Kittelson were spending an average of twelve hours per employee review.

When sufficient prep time can’t be found, many executives won’t hesitate to delay a review. This is unfair to employees, who deserve a timely opportunity to receive feedback, discuss goals, and establish a plan for career development. In that spirit, here are four tips to help managers prepare for employee reviews.

Keep Consistent Notes

Detailed notes are your best friend when it comes to review prep. Reflektive’s software tracks the information you need and puts it right at your fingertips. You can easily save, categorize, and view feedback from throughout the year, track employees’ goal progress, and review notes from one-on-one check-ins.  

[bctt tweet=”Detailed notes are your best friend when it comes to review prep.” username=”@reflektive”]

Review Goal Progress & Establish Upcoming Goals

Evaluate your employees’ goals from previous reviews. Did they accomplish their objectives? If not, what could they have done differently? Based on their past performance, choose a handful of goals to discuss during the review. These can provide a solid framework to help the employee identify areas for improvement and establish goals for the upcoming 3, 6, or 12 months.

Provide Regular Feedback

When you regularly provide feedback to employees, preparing for a performance review doesn’t feel like a Herculean task anymore. The employee has a better idea of where they stand, and you have prior conversations to draw from when preparing for reviews. Reflektive also makes it easy for employees to share real-time peer feedback, recognize great work, and celebrate successes—all information that makes the prep process easier for managers.

[bctt tweet=”Nearly half of executives still use paper forms for reviews.” username=”@reflektive”]

Send Out Employee Self-Assessments

Reflektive’s check-in software allows you to send surveys, polls, and 360-degree peer, self, and manager assessments. These evaluations provide a clearer picture of an employee’s performance and set the foundation for a productive, efficient conversation about their development in the year ahead.