Appraisals… You’re probably not doing them enough. Why is that? Like most people, you’re likely to not be trained on how to do appraisals, especially in a way that means they have an impact on your business.
It’s still important for that meeting to be well structured, productive and useful for the employee.
Therefore, as a manager or employer, it is down to you to ensure that the appraisals you’re conducting are as effective, and valuable, as possible.
The first step is to let your team know why you’re doing them. Let your employees know it’s important for them to be able to speak to you or managers of the business. It also gives you the opportunity to communicate the direction that the business is going. But most importantly, the employee can be given an insight on how well they’re performing and discuss their future goals both inside and outside of work.
Next, make sure you address bad news upfront. Through an appraisal, bad news can be nipped in the bud instead of dragged out for a longer period of time. Although this shouldn’t be the first time they hear the bad news – if you’re managing them correctly, they should be told straightaway when something happens.
Make it a two-way conversation. Listen to your employees and ask them open-ended questions.
Follow up regularly. If you’re conducting 6 month or 12 month appraisals, make sure a follow up is conducted more frequently, to ensure your employees have done things that were set. Set a goal with a follow-up date.
Always finish on a positive. People will remember the feeling they get from the experience. By leaving the meeting on a positive note, they are likely to remember the experience as a positive one.
