Easy Performance Reviews

Please raise your hand if you like preparing and delivering performance reviews. I don't need superpowers to be able to see through the internet to know that there aren't many hands up right now.

If you don't like them, don't do them. Wait a minute, I can't say that. HR will be breathing down your neck if you follow my suggestion, so let's try Plan B. Make them a simple, non-event. Here's how.

They are called reviews because they are supposed to address things you've already discussed with your employees. There shouldn't be any new ground covered in a review unless maybe something just happened that morning.

So the secret to success is giving constant feedback that is timely and useful to employees. You'll be able to do this if...

• You have clear standards for each employee.
• You have a way to monitor ongoing performance against those standards.
• You keep your eyes and ears open so that you notice variations from the standards.
• You recognize that the most important item on your to-do list is working with employees to improve their performance.
• You take the time to have frequent conversations (albeit short) with employees about their performance.
• You document everything for easy cut-and-pasting later when it's review time.

The constant feedback takes the worst part of the review off the table, delivering critical information to which the employee may react badly. Sure, you'll still be forced to quantify performance by assigning ratings, but even that shouldn't be too hard if you make sure you're doing the ongoing feedback.

You probably aren't going to convince your organization to eliminate reviews, but you can make them quite easy by providing constant employee feedback.

Now what have you noticed today that deserves a quick conversation? Go have it.

Formulating a performance management framework for your business? Approach Recruitplus today, an award winning HR consultancy in Singapore, click here. A internet marketing effort for small business by Scotts Digital.