Mid-Year Performance Reviews- Part 2
Hello managers- I know that for many of you, performance reviews are your least favorite part of the job. It can be overwhelming to craft review statements for each of your employees, as well as yourself. I had 12 direct reports for a while, and that performance review process taught me a lot about managing time effectively. Here are some tips on getting through the process and making sure you are providing the best possible value to your people.
Solicit Informal Feedback
When drafting your manager review, direct quotes from colleagues who have insight into your employee’s work can be really powerful in crafting the case for their rating. Every performance review process I have ever participated in has been both collaborative and competitive. Collaborative in that many managers with employees at the same level will discuss projects amongst ourselves to agree on a bar for performance. Competitive in that ratings are expected to conform to a distribution curve- that distribution may change from year to year, but the curve itself is eternal.- mathematically, everyone cannot get the same rating. You (the manager) are responsible for building a clear case for your employee’s rating (be it positive or negative), and showing how their performance was perceived by others int he company can help convince the other reviewers that your case is sound and unbiased.
Ensure Your Narrative Makes Sense
Speaking of your case, make it make sense. If you are putting someone up for a high rating or promotion who has a ton of negative peer feedback, that’s going to be a tough sell, and it’s going to make everyone in the process question your credibility. That’s not to say you can’t coach an employee to a high rating even with negative peer reviews (you can and I can help), but you need to be aware of any potential pitfalls that you will be asked to address. Conversely, beware of undercutting your strong performers just to set a high bar for collective performance with the other reviewers. I know this can be a popular tactic (and I have seen it succeed), but it can also be really unfair to your employees, who deserve more than being a pawn in an interdepartmental chess game. Try to establish your own bar for expected performance, and then try to anchor the individuals on your team based on that standard. This will also help you notice and (hopefully) avoid bias in assigning ratings.
Level with Your People
Under normal circumstances, you can’t get everyone the top rating, and you can’t get everyone promoted. However, you can work with your employees to plan how and when to reach these goals. If you know your organization rarely promotes people after one cycle of high performance, don’t waste your and their time prepping for that outcome. Be honest, and let them know that you usually need 2-3 cycles of performance (or whatever is true in your organization) to be competitive for a promotion. Give them examples of projects that will line them up for that promotion when you set goals at the beginning of the half, so that you are both on the same page from the beginning about what it will take for them to have a realistic shot at that promotion. Without your insight as a manager, you employees are more or less blind to how the process works once they hand your their self-review. They don’t know the kinds of questions you will need to answer to advance their rating or promotion case- so tell them as much as you are able to based on your organization’s regulations. This way they know you are on the same page about where they want to get, and you have set clear expectations for what it will take to get there.
I know this is a lot, but managing performance reviews is one of the most important things managers do for their team. This is the moment for you to show your employees that you have a reciprocal, respect-based relationship, and that they can trust you with their professional goals. Without trust between the manager and the employee, nothing can get done.
I hope this helps! Goodluck.