Performance Review Tips for Managers: Dos and Don'ts

Stories

Melissa Fasulo

April 2 2024

There is so much to be said when it comes to quarterly or annual performance reviews. The truth? It is the little things you do for your employee year-round to monitor their career progression and provide the support that will truly make performance management effective.

It is essential as a manager to keep track of your employee’s professional development, provide support, and set them up for success. It all begins with fostering and maintaining a professional relationship with your employee. Make it a point to meet with them regularly. Start by scheduling recurring meetings, including the semi-annual and annual reviews, so that your employee can look forward to them (performance management software simplifies the job).

Now that we have the performance management process covered on a micro-level, we are ready to look at the goal of performance reviews, and the best practices to make them successful.

The Goal of Performance Reviews

Performance reviews are the best way to accurately evaluate employee performance while discussing areas for improvement with your teams and fostering skill and professional development that will support the worker’s productivity and success in their role.

They also help measure the effectiveness of performance management strategies over time, and to adjust them if necessary. Useful employee feedback can be gathered during the performance meeting and guide your future practices.

A successful performance management process also improves employee morale and fosters employee growth: 65% of employees want to have more clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

Performance Review Tips

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the best practices you should implement and the worst mistakes you should avoid at all costs, here are a few tips to set up a successful performance review process.

1. Train Managers to Use the Best Practices

Before organizing the meetings, it is important to provide managers with the proper training. You can set up workshops to help them learn new skills that will be essential during performance reviews, such as active listening.

2. Increase the Frequency of Performance Reviews

Performance conversations need to take place more often than once a year. Most workers want to receive continuous feedback to be able to improve, so remember to set up one-on-one meetings to define employee goals and metrics that will define their individual success.

3. Focus on the Future During Performance Meetings

During your performance meetings, you should set goals that are both relevant and future oriented, such as SMART goals. Although you need to discuss past performance to solve potential productivity issues, the focus needs to be put on career development opportunities and continuous performance to foster motivation and constructive conversations.

4. Encourage Accountability and Awareness With Self-Evaluations

Effective performance management is employee-centric: this is why employees need to think about areas of improvement and specific examples of achievements and struggles they encountered. You can encourage performance accountability and awareness by setting up self-assessments.

5. Gather Feedback on Your Performance Management Process

To make sure that you are on the right path with your performance management process, why not ask your employees what they think? You can do so during one-on-one meetings or through surveys. Your teams will undoubtedly have valuable insight to share to help you build successful performance reviews.

DOs

1. Gather and Compile Your Notes from 1:1s

Create a list of projects and goals achieved or a chart to use as a reference for results. Facts and specific examples make for accurate feedback and help explain how their performance or behaviour has affected organizational goals and business outcomes. These notes will define your talking points and ensure that employee reviews are fair and based on facts, not impressions.

2. Listen to the Employee

Ask what they think of their performance levels. Get their take on how they feel they did on specific tasks and if they are satisfied with what they have achieved. This can even extend to asking if there were any challenges, ideas, or development opportunities they would like to discuss. Remember, asking for employee feedback is a way of empowering them.

3. Support Your Feedback

List all the tasks and projects that the employee has done well in and explain how their achievements have supported organizational goals. For constructive feedback, address one area of development at a time so that your employee understands well what needs to be improved. This will avoid discouragement or overwhelm. Take the time to explain how their improvements will be favourable for the organization and offer concrete examples.

4. Provide an Action Plan

Offer training, provide mentorship and be solution-focused. A proactive manager creates an action plan with measurable goals and deadlines to evaluate the progress. Track and document these action steps and attainable goals for your subsequent follow-up plan. Remind your employee that you prioritize their success, efforts, professional growth and personal development. Express your confidence in their ability to improve.

5. Follow-up

Check-in with the employee after the performance review meeting to see if the action steps set in place have been working or if adjustments are needed. Be understanding if the initial plan of action requires changes. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all approach and finding the right performance management strategy can take time. Together, you can find the ideal system.

DON'Ts

1. Don’t Use the Word "But"

When introducing constructive criticism after giving positive feedback, use the word and to transition. This makes the positive comment feel much more sincere. The word but can leave the employee feeling as though their accomplishments were not good enough.

2. Don’t Only Focus on Things to Improve

…or rush through the accolades. Make sure to give proper recognition to what they are doing well and express your gratitude and appreciation. Honouring even their smallest gestures counts.

Click here for ideas of employee recognition phrases!

3. Don't Do All the Talking

Be sure to ask your employee how they think they can improve or how you can help to be more effective and engaged with their progress. Allow them to share their solutions, and together, you can create a roadmap to success. Don’t be the only one offering constructive feedback and coaching. You and your employee are a team, and employee performance reviews must be a two-way conversation in order to be effective.

Here are effective performance review phrases to help you have meaningful conversations between managers and employees!

4. Don’t Listen to Reply, Listen to Understand

In other words, don’t interrupt your employee when they are speaking. Communication skills involve listening, speaking, observing and empathizing. Your employee should have your full attention.

If you disagree with their statements, don’t react to emotion. Instead, advise them you are taking note of the situation and will get back to them to set up an ongoing conversation. If you cannot answer their questions or solve their issues, jot them down, let them know you will get back to them, and anticipate a date for the follow-up.

5. Don’t Bad Mouth

It goes without saying, but we say it anyway: never blame other employees, or compare one employee to another. Effective reviews should be anonymous, unbiased and remain professional. This means no gossip or belittling of any sort.

6. Don't Be Vague or Digress

You want to be clear and factual with the comments you are sharing. Your employee should not feel confused with mixed messages and have to guess what it is you are trying to say. To ensure your employee understands, ask them if they do. If you need to address situations of poor performance, do so transparently and respectfully.

Modern performance reviews don’t have to be dull. They are not a chore, and they shouldn’t instill any fear in your employee. In the meetings leading up to the performance appraisal, mention that you are excited and look forward to their evaluation. Invite them to prepare any questions or comments they’d like to share. With the proper preparation and a growth mindset, your performance management strategy is sure to develop and motivate your team members towards success effectively.

After all, high-performing employees are your company’s most valuable asset, and their success is yours.

Don't know where to start?

Our free performance review template covers all the bases for a successful performance evaluation.

Download your performance review template!

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