Employees like to hear feedback on their performance, especially if it could make the difference between staying in a rut or advancing to something with more potential (and possibly a bigger paycheck). Likewise, it's important for an employer to evaluate whether changes in the organization have made it necessary to trim some of the deadwood to stay economically viable. Here's what you need to know to complete an evaluation that is objective, comprehensive and consistent with the expectations of the job.
Instructions
1. Review the duties of the job that the employee has been performing. It is important to ensure that the specifications are an accurate reflection of what he has been doing for the past year. If, for instance, he has not mastered a skill set competency that is specifically identified in the job specs and formal performance standards, confirm that he was provided the necessary training and tools. Likewise, note whether the employee took initiative to research problems and introduce solutions that were not part of his original duties.
2. Review the past evaluations you have done on this employee, as well as any memos in his personnel file that noted assignments he completed especially well or occasions when he exercised poor judgment. Ideally, you will not have waited an entire year to give him his first dose of feedback. If, for example, you wait an entire year to tell an employee that he's not doing as well as he should and that you have decided to terminate him, he is likely to come back with the argument that your saying nothing since his date of hire was a tacit acceptance of his performance and that you have absolutely no grounds for dismissal.
3. Solicit informal feedback from the employee's subordinates and peers. In many cases, this will be freely volunteered, especially in the context of complaints. If the employee is perceived as demanding, unreasonable or short-tempered, it's going to be brought to your attention. Do not, however, save up all of these grudges until the day of the performance review and dump them on your employee. When something occurs, address it as soon after the event as possible and note it in the file. That goes for praise, too.
4. Ask the employee to complete a self-appraisal form. This should include accomplishments, areas where the employee could benefit from additional training, and a "wish list" of things that she would like to see happen in the coming year. For instance, even though she is competent in a particular area and enjoys the people she is working with, she might like to receive training to transition to a different department where she can use her education and skills to their highest potential and further benefit the company's overall goals and objectives.
5. Integrate the employee's self-appraisal into your own evaluation. Confer with your HR department as to how the employee's requests for more training and/or more responsibility can be achieved in a win/win scenario. If the requests cannot be met, be prepared to provide explanations and alternatives.
6. Cite specifics for any performance rankings that are either significantly below expectations or significantly exceeding them. Study the employee's past performance reviews insofar as whether he has continued to make improvements or has taken an inexplicable dive. In the case of the latter, you'll need to research what factors may have been an influence (i.e., personal problems, a heavier caseload, a new floor manager, etc.).
7. Arrange an unhurried time to sit down with the employee and discuss the written evaluation in person. Unfortunately, this one-on-one interaction is uncomfortable for a lot of supervisors and they opt, instead, to just hand the evaluation to them in an envelope, ask them to sign it, and tell them there's a box on the form that they can check if they disagree with any of the items and want to talk about it. Instead of creating an opportunity to demonstrate a personal interest in how their employees really feel about their jobs, this practice makes for a one-sided conversation that, in turn, leads to low employee morale.
