Have a performance review coming up? Check out our tips.

Your performance review measures the quality of your work, while also providing you with the opportunity to showcase your contributions to your company. Your performance review allows your manager to give you positive feedback as well as some constructive feedback. Reviews are also a perfect opportunity to create your goals and career growth plans. 

Preparing for your performance evaluation is vital. It will give you a clear perspective and confidence before you head into the meeting. 

To get the most out of your performance review, consider the following tips as you prepare: 

Highlight your accomplishments 

Throughout the year you should keep a record of all your accomplishments – what you have achieved, lessons learnt, new skills you have acquired, relationships you have built, the projects you have completed, and the impact they had on the company. 

Try to be as specific as possible. Come prepared with the data you need to make your point, and you will walk into that performance review supported by facts. The more you can talk about your contributions to the company, the easier it will be for you to position yourself as a valuable asset. This will help give you the means you need to ask for what you want – whether that’s a pay rise, promotion, or management responsibilities. 

Leverage co-worker feedback 

Your co-workers can be a great resource to help you understand your contributions to the company. They can provide you a sense of what effect you have had on the company and perhaps even provide you with areas where you might be able to improve. 

So we would suggest collecting relevant feedback from key stakeholders who can validate your success – this will make your case much stronger. 

Identify areas where you need to improve 

It’s important during your performance review to not just show your accomplishments but to also identify and explain any areas that you feel you need to improve. Doing this will allow you to talk about the expertise, skills, or experience you need to gain to continue growing and excelling within your company. This also shows your employer that you see your future with them and that you want to keep learning, improving, and building a successful growth plan within the company. 

Review Your Current Goals 

Performance reviews are a great time to reflect and look back at your previous goals that you were hoping to accomplish. Did you meet these goals? If so, what did you learn along the way? 

If you didn’t achieve them was there a reason why? Or how far did you reach? Did priorities change along the way? Did something hold you back? What can you do differently going forward? 

Establish some new goals 

During your review, you will likely set out some new goals with your manager as you go through everything, but it’s also a good idea to be proactive and set some of your own goals before this meeting. Create a list of some realistic, yet ambitious goals that you want to work towards and some timelines. These goals should fit into the company’s vision and goals too. 

Consider some of the following: 

• Are there any courses or certifications you would like to attain to help you advance? 
• Are there any skills you think you need to work on developing? 
• Are there any more responsibilities that you’d like to take on? 
• Are there any additional projects are you passionate about pursuing? 
• Are there any weaknesses would you like to improve upon? 
• What role do you want to achieve in one to three years? 

Be open to feedback 

Ensure you are open to any feedback and constructive criticism – this shows your manager that you are adaptable and you understand these are things you can improve upon and are keen to improve. If possible, come up with some suggestions of how you would set out to achieve these improvements. 

The Aftermath 

You should document all details from your review such as any positive feedback, constructive criticism, any challenges, issues, strengths, future goals, etc. This will help you keep on track for your next review. 

If you feel you need more support or feedback from your manager ensure you ask for more regular check-ins. More regular check-ins can help you keep on track and help you gain a better understanding of what is expected of you and give you more confidence in doing your job. 

Use all this feedback and put it into action so you can achieve great goals and results that can be shared in your next review. 

If you’re looking to make your next career move, feel free to reach out to us at any time – we’re always here to help!