What are employee evaluations like in a work from home job?
Performance reviews are regular assessments of an employee’s job performance and overall contribution to the company. Typically, companies conduct them annually, semiannually, or quarterly.
Aside from recognition for a job well done, an excellent performance review also opens the door for a raise or, better yet, a promotion.
Conversely, although a poor performance review doesn’t automatically lead to termination, it can severely hurt your confidence and chances for career advancement.
Thus, here’s what to expect during your performance review – and how to prepare for them.
Things to Expect During a Performance Review
There’s no one-size-fits-all model when it comes to performance reviews. Each company does theirs differently.
That said, here are some things that most performance reviews today have in common:
Defining Your Job Description
Before your performance review, expect your manager to ask about your current job description. This is because it serves as your manager’s primary criteria for assessing your overall performance.
A One-on-One Meeting With Your Manager
Most performance reviews involve individual meetings with your manager to evaluate your progress and set new goals.
This involves reviewing your current progress and providing constructive feedback on your performance.
This meeting is also an opportunity for you to discuss your career aspirations and ask questions about your current responsibilities. Doing so enables your manager to find ways to best support you at work.
You’ll Receive Performance Review Forms
Generally, managers are in charge of assessing their subordinates.
Today, however, many companies also include feedback from your co-workers in performance reviews.
During this period, you’ll receive an email containing performance review forms or templates to complete.
Aside from providing feedback regarding your manager and co-workers, these forms also contain self-assessment, goal setting, and evaluation sections.
Increased Managerial Presence
Your manager might check in on your tasks more frequently leading up to and during performance reviews. This is to better observe your work and to come up with a more accurate review.
Recognition for High-Performing Employees
Like in school, many companies reward employees who excel the most on their performance reviews. Usually, these take the form of verbal congratulations, bonuses, salary increases, and promotions for those who excelled the most.
What if you didn’t receive any recognition? Does this mean your efforts aren’t being noticed?
Just because you didn’t receive formal praise from your manager doesn’t mean your efforts aren’t appreciated.
Maybe they congratulated you during your one-on-one meeting with them. Or, they’ll congratulate you all as a group instead.
Instead of feeling dejected, you can use this as a motivator to work harder next time.
How Do You Prepare for Your Performance Review?
Here are some tips that can help:
Familiarize Yourself With the Review Process
The first step is familiarizing yourself with how your company does it.
As mentioned above, each company has its own policy regarding performance reviews. For example, some companies do it annually, while others do it quarterly or monthly.
Familiarizing yourself with your company’s performance review process helps you understand their expectations and prepare accordingly.
Review Your Job Description
Understanding your job description goes a long way in helping you prepare for your performance review.
Doing so helps you identify your company’s expectations, reflect on how your achievements relate to them, and identify areas for improvement.
Additionally, if you received additional training or responsibilities since your last evaluation, reviewing your job description helps you find highlights in your career growth that you can present to your manager.
Keep a Performance Journal
This refers to a record of all your successes and challenges at work.
Having one helps you monitor your progress toward your goals and encourages self-assessment and reflection.
A performance journal is also valuable evidence of your accomplishments and contributions during your meeting with your manager. This is especially important if you’re aiming for a promotion and need proof to support your case.
Come Up With Good Questions to Ask During Your Interview
Today’s employee evaluations encourage employees to actively participate.
Thus, preparing questions before your meeting shows your commitment to improving yourself at work.
Here are some examples of questions you can ask during the performance review:
- What specific actions should I take to improve my performance in the areas I struggle with?
- What are the company’s goals this year, and how can I help?
- What are the steps I need to take to further my career within the company?
Highlight Your Achievements and Areas for Improvement
Employee evaluations are the perfect opportunity to showcase your achievements and progress.
Start by explaining how you achieved them and their measurable impact on the company. You can do so by collecting feedback from your co-workers and, as stated above, keeping a performance journal.
Don’t forget to discuss the challenges you encountered at work and areas you think you can improve on. Being transparent about your weaknesses helps you build an appropriate growth plan with your manager.
Be Prepared to Receive Constructive Feedback
No one likes hearing about their weaknesses and mistakes.
However, accepting and learning from them is the first step in improving your career.
Instead of taking constructive criticism personally, see it as an opportunity to improve your work habits to achieve your goals.
Ready for Your Evaluation?
Employee evaluations can appear daunting if you’re unsure about what to expect and how to prepare for them.
Fortunately, by knowing more about the usual performance review procedures and following the tips above, you can better prepare for it.
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