How to Write an Effective Performance Evaluation

Writing performance evaluation shouldn't be a negative experience.

Effective performance evaluations give fair and comprehensive reviews of the employees without adding stress, personal bias or wasting time. Performance evaluations offer employees the opportunity to develop their skills, communicate with their managers, reflect on their performance and be recognized for their achievements. Completing performance evaluation also benefits the managers by enabling them to identify key patterns among employees, create new business goals by locating areas of needed improvement and strengthen their relationships with their employees.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Notes
• Computer

Instructions

1. Be a high-quality model for your employees. The better example you are to your employees the more creditability you gain as a manager. You will be able to use yourself as a standard for the performance evaluation and your expectations for the employees.

2. 

   Write any thoughts that come to mind so that you will have content for the evaluation.

   Brainstorm on your thoughts on each of the employees. Quickly write down any observations, noticeable behavior, improvements needed and accomplishments about each employee before structuring your performance evaluation. If you don't spend enough time working or communicating with each employee, create time in your schedule for them to increase the accuracy of your evaluation.

3. Do a chart or outline on skills and performance qualities that will be evaluated. If you are using numeral ratings, define what qualifies as a one or five. Decide on the skills to evaluate. Remember to evaluate skills that are relevant to the specific position of the employee and the type of industry of the business. An engineering firm will have different expectations from an employee in comparison to a day care center.

4. 

   Surprising the employee with issues is seen as unprofessional.

   Don't evaluate issues that you haven't already discussed with your employees. Your performance evaluation should not have criticism that the employees hasn't already heard about. If you haven't spoken to an employee about an issue, then you don't give the employee any chance to improve their behavior or be fairly evaluation since they don't know they are in err. To prevent bringing up new issues don't allow your irritation to build. Instead when a mistake occurs address the employee at that moment instead of waiting.

5. 

   An accusatory tone will cause the employee to become defensive.

   Identify issues, personal traits and behavior that are hindering the employee from high productivity. Only use constructive criticism and refrain from using a negative or malicious tone. Write down specific examples on when the employee lacked in performance to provide evidence for the evaluation. Reveal how his or her performance negatively affected the company.

6. Write down solutions for the employee within the performance evaluation. Give your employee guidance on how to solve problems his or her problems. Offer feasible solutions that will serve as a map to enhanced performance.

7. 

   Awards cause employees to feel appreciated.

   Provide positive feedback and acknowledge accomplishments. Demonstrate to the employee that you have noticed their growth and involvement within the company. If possible tell the employee the amount of money they've saved the company or ideas that have contributed to the overall success of the company.

Tips & Warnings

• Providing incentives may enable to performance review to be more effective.

• An overly harsh performance evaluation can destroy employee morale.

References

• "American Society of Association Executives: The Benefits of Performance Appraisals"
• "Tech Republic: Tips of Delivering a Successful Performance Review"
• "Business, Management and Personal Development Resource Center: Ten Stupid Things a Manager Does to Screw up a Performance Appraisal"
• "American Academy of Family Physicians: 5 Steps to a Performance Evaluation System"