Tips for Performance Evaluations

Prior to the performance evaluation season getting into full swing, your employer will probably provide all employees with a timetable detailing all of the components associated with the performance review process. For instance, you might get a list of the dates when you should submit a self-evaluation, when your supervisor will be drafting your performance review, and the time frame in which performance reviews should be completed, etc.

Always keep your eye on the schedule and be mindful of due dates. If your employer requires you to submit a self-evaluation, make sure to take this submission seriously. Don’t just throw something together the night before your self-evaluation is done because you’re assuming your supervisor will already have a detailed list of your achievements for the review period.

Instead of relying on your supervisor or manager, you should keep your own notes that highlight your achievements and accomplishments. For instance, you should have been tracking how you met or exceeded the goals and objectives you and your supervisor agreed upon for the current review period. If you were supposed to take on writing assignments, you want to make sure to highlight how many writing projects you had with a brief description of the nature of the assignment.

In addition to maintaining thorough notes and making sure to detail this information in your self-evaluation, you should also provide your supervisor or manager with a list of coworkers, task leaders, project managers, etc. that can provide insight into your performance for the review period. You should try to create a 360 degree picture of your performance by including staff you may have supervised during the review period (even if you weren’t their official supervisor, but supervised portions of their work or performance on a task), staff that were equal level to you/counterparts on a project, as well as staff that you reported to on assignments. Including different levels of staff will help ensure that you get a well-rounded review. This assumes that your supervisor intends to give you a well-rounded review, instead of a review that is skewed or incomplete.

Never make the assumption that your supervisor knows the scope of work you’ve performed, even though they approve all of your projects in advance of you commencing work with other staff.

I had a supervisor that would approve me to work on an assignment, but she had no clue regarding the specifics. This was especially true, when the nature of the work changed based on a client request to take a different approach on a task. So, what my supervisor may have believed would be a pretty straight forward project, could have turned into a complicated task that far exceeded her expectations of the work I was doing. Her lack of knowledge was even greater, when the task leader I worked with was a member of another department. Although I kept her informed of any changes, there was really no way to guarantee that I would get full credit for substantial work performed throughout the year, without reminding her.

That’s why it’s very important to keep thorough notes on your performance and to provide your supervisor or manager with a list of staff, who can provide objective input into your performance. Some supervisors are lazy and will not seek out complete information regarding the performance of their subordinates. Instead, they might speak to one or two people and think they have a complete picture of how a subordinate performed their work, how they behaved with other staff, and how successfully they communicated with other staff, etc.

Meanwhile, other supervisors may write a review for a certain employee intending to skew the review in a negative fashion based on perceptions (true or false) or any number of factors. That’s why you want to provide a list, in writing, of those workers who can contribute to your performance review. You should try to force your manager into a more active role as far as soliciting input into your work. This is especially true if you know your supervisor is the type to write your review relatively independent of outside or contrary points of view.

Your reviewer/supervisor should be a knowledgeable informant on your work performance, the nature of your assignments, your behavior, communication skills, etc. Help your supervisor fill any gaps in their knowledge about your work. Don’t help your supervisor write an unfair, unbalanced, fraudulent or incomplete review. Be proactive! Your review impacts your promotion opportunities, salary increase, and perceived value at the company. Take it seriously and be prepared!