Performance reviews are always a cause for trepidation. You may be having the best job in the world but when its time for your appraisal, it is usually not something you’re terribly keen on.
Find comfort in the fact that if you’re the employee, it’s no bed of roses for your boss too.
In a Forbes interview, founder and managing partner of Compass HR Consulting says, “Generally no one on either side of the table likes or enjoys the process. It’s time consuming for the supervisor and creates anxiety on the employee side and involves talking about the positives and negatives that came out of your last review.”
So buckle up and make sure you’ve thought of everything you want to say and put forth.
First find out what to expect especially if you’re new to the company. Go through the employee manual which will also give you an idea of the company’s review process.
Talk to your co-workers to get an idea of what’s really happening and also how their reviews went.
Do your homework, pull together and collate all the relevant information that chronicles your achievements and your effort since the last review or since you’ve joined whichever is applicable.
A record of what you’ve done so far will definitely help your cause.
Find out how your boss usually likes to conduct reviews (if you don’t already know) and mentally prepare for this by anticipating questions and style of questioning. Is he direct or subtle, do you have to read between the lines or can you approach him in a very straightforward manner.
How you handle this will also help you give the right impression and give you the ability to state your achievements and what your goals are as well as make it easier for you to bring up any grouses or pressing issues that is hampering your work or career goals.
Be prepared for negative feedback and don’t let it demotivate you too much. Of course if the feedback is too brutal or disrespectful you might want to reevaluate everything including staying on but in general some negative feedback can be viewed as an opportunity to improve and if you do disagree with the feedback, state your case calmly and back it up with facts and rebut the feedback appropriately point by point.
The good thing is these days appraisals are no longer an annual rigid affair many companies and bosses are practicing and open door policy allowing for employees to state their preferences, goals or issues when needed rather than waiting for a specific time.
The best way forward is to treat your appraisal as a way to assess yourself and view it as a personal development tool.