Job performance reviews can often instill a twinge of dread in many employees. The idea of someone critiquing your behaviors and accomplishments can be intimidating. Regardless, these reviews are meaningful towards your career growth and success so it’s important to prepare yourself as best as possible. To help make sure you’re ready when review time comes around, we’re sharing some tips on how to make the most of your next job performance review.
Get the most out of your performance review
You guessed it: job performance review time. Most organizations review an employee’s performance every year, here’s how to best prepare for yours.
1. Evaluate yourself first
When you arrive at your performance review you can be sure your manager is going to be prepared with topics specific to you. Don’t let yourself be blindsided or appear obtuse towards your own achievements by not tracking your performance yourself.
Take a look back at some of the goals you set for yourself at your last review, or when you first started in your position.
Have you met them? Acceded them? What did you do to reach those goals and have these successes contributed to any new strengths or weaknesses in your position? Or maybe you missed the mark on a goal you had set.
Take a look at what caused you to fall short and be prepared to explain the reasoning and how you plan to improve. Evaluating yourself is also a great time to take a detailed look at your production and find any patterns or notable practices in your workflow.
2. Prepare your talking points
Preparation is key to confidence and success during your job performance review. To actually gain something from your performance review, you want to go into it with a plan. Reviews can differ in style and process depending on your organization, but, there are a few points you should always have prepared.
- Accomplishments you’ve made since your last review.
- Specific examples of successful work you’ve completed.
- Goals and plans for improving yourself in the short and long term.
You’ll know when each of these points is appropriate to address and your supervisor will surely be thankful you took the time to think about your answers ahead of time and provided supporting material.
Additionally, if your manager typically tends to ask difficult questions, anticipate aspects of your job you may have to speak to and prepare answers for any potential curve-balls they may throw at you.
3. Assemble your career goals
Your manager will likely be interested in hearing your thoughts on your current role and how you see the next few years playing out within your position. It’s important to show initiative and investment in your company by preparing goals designed to help you grow in your career.
Your manager will likely be interested in hearing your thoughts on your current role and how you see the next few years playing out within your position. It’s important to show initiative and investment in your company by preparing goals designed to help you grow in your career.
These can be as simple as earning a new certification or seeking higher education or improving upon a personal production record, or as big as initiating a new employee program or shadowing opportunity. Demonstrating to your manager that you are committed to providing continuous value to the organization can help set you up for possible promotions down the line.
4. Don’t take it personally
It’s important to remember, despite any feelings you have towards performance reviews, their purpose is entirely business-centered. You’ll only do yourself a disservice if you take any critiques or conversations as a personal matter.
You’ll only do yourself a disservice if you take any critiques or conversations as a personal matter.
Maintain professionalism in the language you use and in your responses to constructive feedback. An ability to take criticism and apply suggestions is key to a productive review and ultimately growth in your career.
If something does come across as unusually targeted towards you, don’t be afraid to ask questions in search of clarity or resolution. Just make sure your concerns are expressed in a non-confrontational manner, and come from a desire to improve rather than defend yourself.
Ready for your job performance review?
All in all, the key element to a constructive performance review is preparation. Start keeping track of your accomplishments right away and follow these suggestions to best prepare yourself for your next review.
With the right attitude and the right supporting materials, you’ll be set to go! Best case scenario? You may be able to get an increase in salary and get a raise at work by properly preparing for your job performance review.
Want to Make Extra Money Now?
|
