Performance Reviews

WWW.SHAPINGCHANGE.COM.AU
PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
TIPS FOR A BETTER WORKPLACE

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
As a manager, executive, or HR professional, chances
are there’ll come a point in time when you have to give
your employees a performance review.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Performance reviews, simply put, are an assessment
and evaluation of an employee’s performance in the
workplace. A comprehensive review will identify the
employee’s strengths and weaknesses, provide
feedback, and help the employee set goals to
accomplish big-picture items.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Performance reviews, when conducted effectively, are a
great way to set your employees up for success within
the workplace.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
By up-leveling the typical, run-of-the-mill performance
review, you can boost morale among your employees,
help them reach their potential, get them excited about
their work, and create a healthier and more productive
workplace.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Here are 3 easy ways to take your performance reviews
to the next level.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
1. Adopt a 360-degree view
A performance review shouldn’t reflect just one point of
view nor should it be one-sided. Instead, it’s become
standard practice to incorporate 360-degree feedback
into performance reviews.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Essentially, this means soliciting feedback from an
employee’s coworkers, direct manager (if it’s someone
other than you), and any other reporting staff and/or
colleagues who have worked closely with the employee.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
This helpfully broadens the information you have on the
employee and creates a more complete picture of their
performance. It also helps you to uncover themes in
their work while also bringing to light aspects of their
performance you may not even be aware of.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Once you’ve compiled peer feedback, share it with the
employee prior to their performance review. This
provides them with the chance to self-reflect before
their conversation with you.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
It also helps them to see the impact their work has on
the company’s bigger picture, which can be a rewarding
and motivating experience.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Don’t forget to also provide employees with the
opportunity to self-evaluate their own performance. Not
only does this assist in their self-reflection, but it gives
you an idea of how the employee perceives themselves.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
2. Emphasize the positive
One important thing to keep in mind is that
performance reviews should never be a ‘once-a-year’
event in the workplace. Effective managers discuss an
employee’s performance (both the positive and the
areas for improvement) regularly.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Sometimes, this means daily. Other times, it may occur
on a more weekly basis. Either way, an employee should
never hear about positive performance or performance
in need of improvement for the first time within their
formal review.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
A performance review, rather, is the opportunity to re-
emphasize critical points that have been highlighted in
previous, ongoing discussions.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
That said, within the allotted time of a performance
review, it’s helpful to emphasize the positive aspects of
an employee’s performance. In fact, positive
components should take up the majority of the
discussion and far outweigh any negative components.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
The reason for this is simple. Focusing on the positive
helps to boost their morale. Most everyone feels
encouraged by praise, and applauding your employees
for a job well done will build their confidence.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Of course, you don’t want to neglect areas of
improvement either. When necessary, speak directly.
Also use very specific examples. For example, instead of
“you’ve had a bad attitude lately”, try...
(continued on next slide)

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
(continued from previous slide)
"Last Monday, a client reported that you were short with
them on the phone when discussing the upcoming
merger. Can you tell me more about that?”

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Remember, performance reviews are dialogues, not
monologues. Allow your employee the chance to
express themselves and listen with the intent to
understand.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Then, together, develop a plan to help them work on
their areas of improvement and further expand upon
the positive aspects of their performance.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
3. Set and review goals
Usually, companies conduct an annual meeting wherein
they share the organisation’s goals for the year as well
as its expectations for its teams. Ideally, you’re also
meeting with your employees individually to help them
set their own performance goals for the year.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
If not, it’s a great habit to adopt, especially since
performance reviews (when conducted quarterly)
provide the excellent opportunity to regularly review
those goals.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Goal-setting gives your employees a roadmap to
success. It ensures that both you and them are clear on
any and all expectations of their work and also provides
an outline for them to follow and refer to as needed.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
An excellent framework to use when setting goals is the
SMART model. In a nutshell, SMART stands for goals that
are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-oriented,
and Time-bound.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Setting aside time during a performance review to
create goals for the coming months will set your
employees up to achieve a great deal more than they
otherwise would’ve without an action plan.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Reviewing those goals in your next conversation with
them will also help you address any gaps in tools,
training, or resources that they may need in order to
finish their projects.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
In this way, you’ll build them up and help them acquire
new skills, which will enhance future performance and
benefit the company at large.

PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Performance reviews are a staple in the workplace, and
they’re a great opportunity to build up your employees
and help them reach their full potential. By using the
strategies above, you’ll take your performance reviews to
the next level and create a workplace where people
thrive in their positions like never before.

EMPOWERING
EMPLOYEES
We hope you enjoyed this presentation!
Visit www.shapingchange.com.au for more resources on
leadership development, change management,
emotional intelligence, and more!

Performance Reviews

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