Performance reviews; managers hate writing them and employees hate received them. So, what is the point? Wouldn’t it be more effective if we had frequent, quick conversations to update goals, and provide positive and constructive feedback? Yes. A new trend described in the attached article describes “ratingless” reviews.
A client recently asked for advice regarding their performance evaluation process. The company is committed to feedback and engagement and truly values the growth and development of employees but, the time it takes to write evaluations is cumbersome. The company is growing and this process would become more challenging in the future. After lively creative brainstorming, we identified a feedback process that could be completed in a 20 minute discussion on a monthly basis. The employee is responsible for completing the very brief evaluation form that includes the use of symbols and yes/no questions. The supervisor then offers feedback and direction and goals are set for the following month. We anticipated that the employee would prefer the “nonevent based” evaluation process. The manager would be thankful for the minimal preparation yet valuable conversation. Take a look at your process and determine how the burden of writing reviews could be minimized and shift the value to a more frequent, goal oriented dialogue.