Expert Tips When Writing a Performance Review

Writing a performance review is stressful for many business owners and managers. Of course, it happens every year, but it can feel awkward and harsh to boil your employee’s performance down to an evaluation on paper. However, the performance review can benefit you and your direct report if done right. Here are some ideas to ensure your thoughts are meaningful and not just a routine to follow.

Before the Performance Review

You’ll need to create a custom evaluation form tailored to your business. Of course, you can search for existing forms for inspiration, but no pre-made form out there will be able to capture the nuances of your business or what you value in an employee.

I have created a performance evaluation document you can easily customize to serve your firm’s needs and save time and effort. There are two parts. The first is a reviewer’s guide that explains the performance criteria. The second part is the performance form document. The form has a job-specific skills section and a managerial skills section if appropriate. Please feel free to adapt the form to fit your company. Click here and give yourself a headstart.  

Before writing a job performance review, rank all your employees from top to bottom. I recommend ranking them using current performance and noting future potential. Your review scores should follow a bell-shaped curve similar to how you rated their recent performance. But beware: We tend to score everyone the same, so spread them out even when you don’t want to.

Ask your people to complete a self-assessment before scheduling their in-person review. They will probably score themselves lower than you will, so if they don’t, that’s an opportunity to reset their viewpoint.

The other exciting thing is that you will probably forget many of their accomplishments as soon as you sit down with them, so the self-review will help you remember.

Writing a Performance Review

When writing a performance review for your employees, score their performance objectively. Be honest, even if it may create conflict or uneasiness. Overly generous behavior doesn’t do yourself or your teammates any favors, especially when you know there’s room for performance improvement.

Negative feedback should be supported by specific examples or facts so the employee doesn’t feel unfairly targeted. Also, what the employee needs to accomplish or change should be clear to receive a higher score or be considered for future opportunities.

During the Performance Review

While a review should be a conversation, don’t let your agenda get hijacked. You are reviewing their performance, not the other way around.

Always discuss their personal goal achievement and hold them accountable. This meeting is an opportunity to learn about your employees’ ambitions and encourage them to grow in your company.

Performance reviews are not beauty pageants. The objective is to give honest, straightforward, and helpful feedback. Still, it helps to end positively so that no employee leaves the room feeling attacked.

Please set up a follow-up meeting before the evaluation ends and ensure it is on the calendar.

Writing performance reviews is an art that every business owner can learn to master. Click on my contact form, and we can chat about maximizing your company’s performance reviews and achieving the ultimate goal of improving its performance.

Coach Dave