It’s vital to provide concrete examples to clearly illustrate what the employee is doing right or how they can improve. Leaders often come to the conversation unprepared and offer general observations, says Gibbings. If cancellation is unavoidable, don’t delegate the task of rescheduling to an assistant – “call yourself and explain why”, she says.īe specific. When a manager cancels a performance review at the last minute, “all it says to the employee is ‘you don’t matter’,” says Michelle Gibbings. “Let people know that there is a level of leniency here,” says Mark LeBusque.Ĭancel. Acknowledge that the pandemic and subsequent recession are major sources of stress that will have an inevitable impact on performance. Dos and don'ts of performance reviewsĪpproach the performance evaluation process with empathy. “You collect and create evidence as you go, so you’re not scrambling at the end,” he says. Schedule regular formal check-ins – LeBusque suggests monthly – interspersed with informal feedback conversations throughout the year. “I’ve heard horror stories where an employee gets to a performance review and a manager brings up an issue that happened three months ago,” he says. Management expert Mark LeBusque says feedback should be honest and timely. The more you do that, the easier it becomes to do performance reviews.” “It’s incumbent on the leader to give constant feedback. “If you have a long-standing performance issue, my question is, why have you waited until now to raise it?”, says Gibbings, who recommends delivering critical feedback in the moment. No one should hear bad news for the first time in a performance review. Seek to understand the reasons behind shifts in an individual’s behaviour and offer support to help address any problems. How critical is the person’s role? What is the risk if things go wrong? Has the problem arisen recently – during the pandemic – or is it a pre-existing issue?
There are several factors to consider in cases of poor performance.
“Work out which options work best for both parties.” How to deliver negative feedback If a dodgy connection precludes the use of Zoom or Skype, “a phone call might be better”, she says.
“There’s nothing harder than trying to have a conversation when the person on the other end has poor bandwidth,” says Gibbings.
Troubleshoot technology well in advance, too. Well before the review, ensure both parties are able to find a space that is quiet and distraction-free for the conversation’s duration. Addressing logistical issues ahead of time will foster the frank and open exchange required to facilitate a “focused, healthy and robust conversation”, says Gibbings. “Different organisations have different objectives.”Ĭonsider the logistics of a virtual performance appraisal – until now, unfamiliar territory for many organisations. “Is the performance review tied to bonuses and remuneration? Or is it purely a feedback session?”, asks Gibbings. Ascertain what it is the organisation wants to achieve from the performance evaluation process. Before the performance review process begins, says Gibbings, ask, “are KPIs still relevant and meaningful – and fair – at this point in time?” Agree on any changes to assessment criteria, and allow both parties time to prepare for the conversation’s new scope.īe clear about purpose. Many people may find it impossible to meet employment targets and goals established in a pre-pandemic setting.
The economic landscape changed drastically in 2020. Instead, approach feedback conversations with sensitivity in an atmosphere of trust and psychological safety. “At the same time, that doesn’t remove the need for accountability,” she says. The middle of a lockdown, for example, might not be the best time to assess performance, Gibbings observes. In a period of uncertainty, timing is critical. On the flip side, a mismanaged performance review process can be “incredibly demotivating”. People want to know what’s working and what’s not working,” says workplace expert Michelle Gibbings, author of Career Leap: How to Reinvent and Liberate Your Career.įeedback that is relevant, meaningful and delivered well increases employee engagement, she says. Despite its reputation as a “necessary evil”, the performance appraisal is a valuable tool for organisations seeking to boost productivity and embed culture and values.