Performance reviews can be used to justify raises or promotions or to request additional responsibility, so it’s important that your performance is accurately documented. With a healthy amount of upfront planning, an annual performance review can be a positive experience that can further your career.
Keep a Log of Your Goals and Accomplishments
Properly preparing for your annual performance review throughout the year, not just a week or two before it occurs, can lessen any surprises and increase the likelihood of a productive, successful meeting. Maintain a detailed log of your goals and accomplishments that you can refer to throughout the year and use them in preparation for your annual review. This will ensure that the information you provide is detailed, complete, and accurate, and lessen the likelihood of missing a key item in your review. In addition, stay current on what’s expected of you to meet company goals. Company strategies are always changing and your job description may change along with it. Therefore, meet regularly with your manager to make sure you continue to meet present expectations.
Know Your Role and Manager’s Expectations
Understand management’s expectations as well as your goals well before your annual review. Take a look at the job posting that was used to advertise your position. When you are applying for a job, or are new at a job, it’s common to only have a superficial sense of your job duties. However, once you’re there for a few months, you should have a better understanding of the job requirements. Many managers schedule weekly one-on-ones with their employees to stay informed about their employees’ work, which can include reviewing job expectations, especially when duties change along with changing company goals. Above all, it’s important to have your manager explain how your performance will be assessed throughout the year. Even if your manager or company doesn’t have a formal goal-setting or development-planning process, you can still set informal goals with your manager. By doing so, you’re not only demonstrating to your manager that you are ambitious and results-oriented, you are minimizing the chances of being surprised during the annual review discussion.
Get Feedback on a Consistent Basis
Ask your manager for feedback twice a month or monthly. This can be done during scheduled status meetings. The information will help you to keep track of your goals and accomplishments, and set expectations. Feedback will also help you to make any necessary improvements. You can, therefore, be assured that you are performing your job properly throughout the year.
Keep Your Manager Informed
Don’t assume your manager is aware of your performance status and accomplishments. Without overdoing it, let your manager know when you’ve done something great.
Provide Input During Your Review
Provide input to your manager, even if it is not requested during your annual review. Your input during this meeting is a rare opportunity to mention your accomplishments to increase your chances for advancement.
Know Your Company’s Annual Performance Review Platform
Many companies have adopted an efficient process that records and tracks your progress throughout your years of employment. For example, there are software programs that simplify the review process by asking management to fill in your goals that must be met throughout the year. You then describe, in the required fields, how you met these goals along with providing specific examples. The manager then reviews your comments and accomplishments and may rate you from “Didn’t meet expectations” to “Exceeded expectations” and adds their own comments. You then meet with your manager to review the findings, which is the basis of the annual review.
