How to Word Management Evaluations

Management performance evaluations are reviews that employers provide that inform employees of their job performance. Both the employee and the manager provide input into the evaluation, which is also known as an employee performance review. However, the employer must carefully select the wording used. It is best to provide specific, objective examples in the evaluations.

Things You'll Need

• Employee performance evaluation form

Instructions

1. Provide specific examples of positive behavior. If the employee performed well on a project, state the project, the employee's tasks, the behavior the employee exemplified and the end result. An example would be, "The employee was part of a project team to improve customer service. He was responsible for gathering examples of poor customer service. He gathered the examples, created categories for them and uncovered examples that management was unaware of. As a result, the project team uncovered new opportunities for customer service improvements."

2. Provide examples of how behavior could be improved. State the desired course of action. For example, the wording could be, "The employee only visited one customer service representative to gather examples. The team expected him to gather examples from 15% of the customer service department."

3. List areas for improvement. In the development plan portion of the performance evaluation form, state the specific behavior that must be improved, what will be done to improve it and a goal for behavior change. For example, "The employee lacks assertiveness skills when he allowed a coworker to take credit for a project. The employee is scheduled for assertiveness training in June. By July, the employee will become more vocal during meetings."

Tips & Warnings

• It is optimal to provide specific, measurable and objective goals for the employee. When evaluations are due, the manager refers to the goals and there is a minimal chance for subjectivity. Honestly evaluate the employee's performance.

• Do not use Equal Employment Opportunity Commission factors on the evaluation. Factors such as race, gender, religion, etc. opens the company to lawsuits.

References

• HCareers.com: Article: Mastering the Language of Effective Performance Evaluations: Writing Tips for Personnel Managers
• Performance-Appraisals.org: Article: Using Positive Language: Get Better Results by Communicating More Effectively
• PerformanceReview.com.au: Watch Your Language During Performance Reviews

Resources

• TheTrainingTree.com: Performance Evaluation Language Guide
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM.org)