Development

What is the best interval for giving employee reviews?

by Laura Lee Rose

What is the best interval for giving employee reviews?

Career Management Series

By Laura Lee Rose

Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose – author of TimePeace: Making peace with time – and I am a business and efficiency coach that specializes in time management, project management and work-life balance strategies. I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff. I have a knack for taking big ideas and converting them into smart, sound, and actionable ideas.

At the end of the day, I transform the way you run your business into a business you love to run.

This question came from a busy professional:

What is the best interval for giving employee reviews?

When I worked in the corporate world, the large organizations I worked for always did reviews annually. I tend to think this isn’t frequent enough. I don’t think it gives employees enough input throughout the year and I also think it is hard for mangers to remember some of the work and progress or lack thereof. That said, I assume there is some logical reasoning since these organizations have a lot of experience and HR experts working there. I have a small company now, but want to get started off on the right foot. Appreciate your thoughts and feedback.

Goal

Well, in a perfect environment, all your employees would fully understand where they stand at all times. They would be confident in their performance and value to the company. They would clearly understand their roles and responsibilities. And they would be assured of their advancement in the company.

A successful manager would provide the essential tools to allow each employee to achieve the above. And the performance review process is one tool in the successful manager’s arsenal. But it isn’t the only tool

Tools

Yearly performance reviews are sufficient if you are also doing the following:

1) Frequent one-on-one manager/employee meetings (at least twice a month)

2) 60-90 day review for all new hires

3) Mock quarterly or 6-month reviews on new hires and transfers

4) Mock performance review whenever the employee requests one

5) Weekly one-on-one meetings for any employee on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan)

6) Placing low-performers on a PIP

Metrics

An essential piece, along with these various performance meetings, is your success criteria or “how you measure success”. The success criteria will be different for each individual role and employee. These are some of the things you discuss in your various performance meetings. For – how can you evaluate the employee’s performance if you cannot clearly articulate how you plan to measure their success.

Your business criteria need to support your business goals. And most companies are in the business to make money. So, it’s wise to articulate your business goals and success criteria to align with the company’s success (i.e. increasing revenue, reducing costs, increasing customer loyalty).

These business goals are often called your Professional Business Commitment (PBC) and it should coincide with the company’s strategy around the company goals

I know your unique situation is different. If you would like additional information on how to create a more formal review process or PBC’s for your team, please setup a complimentary one-on-one discovery call, so that I can learn more about your circumstances and supply a more customized recommendation.

For additional information on this topic, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

I am a business coach and this is what I do professionally. It’s easy to sign up for a complementary one-on-one coaching call, just use this link https://www.timetrade.com/book/WFSFQ

Author: Laura Lee RoseHello, this is Laura Lee Rose – author of the business and time management books TimePeace: Making peace with time – The Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations – and I am a business and efficiency coach that specializes in time management, project management, and work-life balance strategies. I have been in the software and testing industry for more than 20 years. I've worked with such companies as IBM, Ericsson, Staples, Fidelity Investments and Sogeti in various client advocacy and project management roles. The techniques I used in my business coaching and client advocacy work saved these companies both time and money, which resulted in on-time, quality product delivery with higher client satisfaction. Even though I excelled in the corporate environment, I felt a calling toward something more. I now uses my time management, work life balance and personal development skills as a life coach and Corporate Exit Strategist. I help people blend their goals and dreams into their everyday lives. I use creative transition strategies to help my clients realize what really matters to them. Combining inspired action with practical, tangible techniques easily lead you toward more autonomy, freedom and balance. I am a business coach and this is what I do professionally. It's easy to sign up for a complimentary one-on-one coaching call, just use this link https://www.timetrade.com/book/WFSFQ With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.