Performance Appraisals

It’s that time of year again…..! When you have the opportunity to prove to your boss how much of an asset you are, and how you are the most deserving of that elusive raise!

Or so you thought……….

Suddenly, as your manager speaks, it all goes wrong. The description you were expecting to hear, “enthusiastic, productive and a joy to work with” is replaced with “lazy, sloppy and a pain in everyone”s neck’ and your expectancy with a fear for your job. If this situation occurs, the problems with the performance appraisal process, as you should have a fair idea of what your score is likely to be.

Part of the process should be that, throughout the performance year, there is a two-way dialogue between the employee and their manager with regards to their level of performance, and any concerns with this. This gives the employee the opportunity to address these concerns, and bring their performance up to an acceptable level. An effective performance management process will work throughout the year, motivating employees to reach their objectives, and providing constructive development to help them.

You should prepare for an appraisal in much the same way in which you would prepare for an interview, with the added bonus that you know what’s important in the role. If you have evidence to show that you have been performing well, bring it to the manager’s attention as they may not always know about everything you do throughout the year.

Your appraisal should also be where your objectives for the next year are set, and these should be agreed by the employee. If you believe that a certain task is becoming a more important part of your role, highlight this to the manager, and conversely, if there is an area that you believe is not particularly important, using it as an objective may not be necessary.

Make sure you have clear, specific and achievable goals in place. If your appraisals are annually, it may be a good idea to arrange an intermediate meeting in order to discuss how things are progressing. Don’t be afraid to raise problems with your manager throughout the year, as it will become apparent, and if you need extra support, your manager should be willing to offer this.

The important thing to remember is that this should be a two-way process, and your input into this is very important. If you have any concerns, don’t be afraid to raise them. If you don’t agree with particular points, then dispute them. Using this meeting to its potential will ensure a fair process, and limit the need to raise a formal grievance about the score.