When it comes to performance reviews, there are two kinds of employees. There are those who approach the review with natural confidence and those who find the pressure does everything but bring out their best performance. There’s a reason many employers are moving away from the traditional performance review. Over the years, more and more human resources professionals have found that these reviews are not an effective driver of employee performance.
In this post from One Tech Engineering in Minnesota, our engineering recruiters are sharing their top performance review tips and tricks for organizational success. To step up your hiring game, contact our engineering recruiters today.
Redefining the Performance Review’s Role
One way employers are redefining the role of the performance review is by using it as a starting point for ongoing performance conversations. Fewer managers view the performance review as an annual lengthy meeting or a checkpoint where employees are “graded” on their performance. Instead, managers are using more frequent conversation-style reviews to engage in motivational strategies.
Use these strategies to create a comfortable, positive space for discussing performance:
1. Location: Consider the location carefully. Whether you’re conducting the review in front of other employees, behind closed doors, offsite, or in an office can all play a role in the comfort level of the individual being reviewed. Consider the background of the space where the review is being conducted. A cluttered office and interruptions can detract from the review’s overall productivity.
2. Time: Be sure to allocate plenty of time to discuss everything on your agenda. Make sure the time works well for employees and doesn’t feel rushed or take time away from other important work.
3. Environment: Consider noise levels and environmental factors that may interfere with privacy or comfort during the performance review. Make sure your review is free from external distractions.
4. Ongoing Process: Engage in conversations about performance frequently. This can make employees more comfortable and creates an ongoing discussion about performance expectations and goal-setting.
5. Conversation: Using the conversational format, give employees plenty of space to feel they’re heard. Listen to their concerns and give them the opportunity to explore what they need to be successful.
6. Feedback: Give coaching a central focus in these conversations. Work on helping employees establish and meet goals. Be sure to convey information changes from organizational leadership, feedback from customers and peers, career development, and positive feedback.
7. Forward-Thinking: Give discussions a positive focus. Employees can become disheartened by criticism in a vacuum. Instead, approach issues with a look to the future, using past performance issues to create strategies for the coming year. Leave the door open for future conversations, and be sure to follow up periodically with the same positive-performance approach.
Minnesota Mechanical Engineering Recruiting and More
At One Tech Engineering, we’re a Minnesota-based engineering and technical recruiting firm. We offer a complete range of engineering recruiting services for engineering and technical firms to help connect you with the best employees in the industry. Connect with our engineering recruiters at 952.884.9199, or contact us to find out how we can improve your hiring process.