How to Outline Key Strengths in a Performance Review
An employee performance review is stressful for both the employee and the supervisor delivering the interview. Employees expect to hear about all of their deficiencies; supervisors are uncomfortable pointing out said deficiencies and fear that an employee may associate a performance review with an automatic salary increase, even though the budget may not support it. Reduce the stress by conducting a review that focuses on an employee’s key strengths and the ways in which he can better utilize those strengths on the job.
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Instructions
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Establish the format of the review. Utilize a formal process, during which you deliver your observations at a certain specified time -- usually annually -- or engage in a more informal review, such as a relaxed conversation over lunch or coffee.
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Review the employee’s resume and original application before the review. Determine the key strengths that originally influenced you to hire the individual. List the key strengths and specific examples of how they have come into play on the job.
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List any of the employee’s strengths that were not readily apparent from his resume. For example, you may have noticed that the employee is extremely organized or has a meticulous eye for details. Add these discovered strengths to the list of key strengths.
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Ask about the employee’s strengths among other staff members and co-workers, who may notice qualities that are different from those you have documented and observed. Steer this conversation away from discussing weaknesses or deficiencies in performance, particularly when you are conversing with the employee’s peers. Challenge each co-worker to name at least one strength that he has observed in the employee being reviewed.
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Identify the strengths that are key factors in the employee’s performance. Keep the list fairly short, with three to five entries; for each entry, have at least one specific instance where that strength has been used on the job. List on the review form each strength and an associated example; alternatively, list strengths and examples as bullet points in a document if your company uses free-form reviews.
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Tips & Warnings
Ask the employee in advance to name some of his key strengths. This could give valuable insight as to how the employee sees himself and may point out strengths that you did not consider.
Outline key strengths as well as opportunities for improvement. If you describe only strengths, the employee may feel that he cannot improve at all in his performance.
