For most businesses, performance reviews are used to support decisions related to career development, compensation, promotions and employee terminations.1 They generally consist of setting clear and specific performance expectations that would be addressed in the following years’ review. However, many companies are replacing annual performance reviews with quarterly performance reviews— and for good reason! Waiting a year to get feedback from your manager can sometimes cause the employee to get further off-track than they would be if they had a quarterly check-in. With more frequent reviews, employees can address mistakes and learning opportunities in real-time. In addition, managers can see how employees performed relative to their quarterly goals, and discuss concerns for the coming quarter.
In many companies, goals made at the beginning of the year are obsolete by end of year. Quarterly goals are far more practical for today’s business environment — and quarterly reviews are a more accurate reflection of the employee’s overall performance.3
Are you interested in tips about how to make quarterly performance reviews successful in your organization?
While performance methods differ from business to business, here are some quarterly manager check-in tips we recommend using with your employees.
1. Become a coach, not just an evaluator
An effective approach is for managers to have a coaching mindset when they give performance reviews. Remove the anxiety and suspense your employee is probably feeling during this time by letting them know you are on the same team and are here to help them improve.
2. Talk regularly
Check in periodically with your employee between each quarterly review to see how they are doing on their performance goals. By giving you updates on a regular basis, they won’t feel as much pressure when it comes to the review process because they have kept you in the loop along the way.
3. Gather information from others
As part of the quarterly performance review process, gain more visibility into your employees’ work by asking their peers for an evaluation. Feedback (positive or negative) can shed light on certain aspects of an employee’s performance that their manager might not have been aware of.
4. Ask effective review questions
Asking the right questions can help keep you focused on not only the goals of your employee, but the business as well. Below are a few examples.
- What did you do well in the past three months?
- What could you have done better?
- What are your goals for the next three months?
5. Be transparent
At the end of the day, transparency is key! Managers and employees should have a shared understanding of what a good performance looks like. Provide clarity around each employee’s role and how the organization perceives their contributions.
A comprehensive performance management system can play a strategic role in attracting and retaining key employees. It can also help significantly improve a company’s overall business performance.1 The best employee performance reviews are positive experiences that motivate and drive high performance.
Have more questions about quarterly performance reviews? Give us a call or visit our website to learn more.
Sources:
- Managing Employee Performance
- Putting Humanity into HR Compliance Doing Performance Reviews
- Why Performance Reviews AreIrrelevant Today