Performance reviews are a perfect tool for any employer to see where they stand with their employees, how to better support and empower them, as well as gives the human resources department valuable metrics regarding organizational citizenship.
Performance reviews are equally important tools for employees, as the performance review, how it is set up and conducted, tells the employees what to expect from the employer and what kind of culture the employer is pushing for in the workplace.
For the employer
Performance reviews are a wonderfully versatile and flexible tool that can be adjusted and tweaked for each employer specifically. There are no rules nor limits as to how the performance review can be used.
Perfect examples of a well used performance review, is a year round performance period, with periodic performance evaluations designed to support and empower the employees in their chosen professional goals. The employees sense the employers interest and passion for the employees personal development, yielding loyal and respectful employees who feel connected with the employer on a professional level.
Performance reviews are also perfect to create a compensation & benefit structure upon, and can also be used as a way to gauge any possible detrimental behavior before it becomes an issue.
For the employees
For employees, just noting how a performance review is set up is enough to gauge the employer’s approach towards the employees.
Is the performance review a single annual event, or are there periodic check-ins with employees to see how the employer can support them with their goals and objectives?
Is the performance review something the employees are subjected too without any knowledge of what to expect? Or is there absolute transparency in the expected evaluation?
Is the performance review used to support and empower the employees, or is it a tool to weed out unwanted individuals?
Even how the evaluation is set up, and even worded, can be a telltale sign of an employer who cares for their employees, is using the performance review for a witch hunt or to point fingers, or even an employer who is just ticking the “got an annual performance review” box on their to-do list.
Nothing is perfect
Performance reviews hold so many opportunities to build and nurture a supporting and empowering workplace culture, and the beauty of the performance review is that this particular tool doesn’t cost anything to set up, there are no hidden charges, and often what ever positive effects the review has comes in the form of known support – but no apparent actions or resource whatsoever from the employer.
A well planned and executed performance review has more value to an employer, than all the disciplinary actions and reprimands they could dish out in a life time.
But as with every great tool, not everyone knows how to use them, and unfortunately there will always be those who prefer to use tools for possible detrimental effects.
It is important for employers to understand the value of the performance review – and for employees to recognize when this tool is actively being used against them.