Tips on Writing Job Performance Reviews

Writing performance reviews of an employee can be hard and time consuming, but there are tips on writing job performance reviews that can make this task much easier. Managers usually have to write job performance reviews annually for each member of their team. Therefore, when the review period is approaching the manager should ask a few questions that will help in determining what he wants the end result to be of each of the job reviews.

First and foremost, what do you want to achieve with this review? What are the most important aspects of this particular review? Do you want your employees to give feedback on their individual reviews? Knowing where to start is one of the most important tips on writing job performance reviews.

Be Prepared

Looking at all information in an employee file can be overwhelming. Therefore having specific list of information that is pertinent to the review will come in handy. For example, information on where your employee lives is not important to their job performance review. 

However, information on the employee working overtime to complete an important task would be valuable knowledge for their performance review. Also, knowing the employee’s work habits would be a vital part to completing your review. Having a template for your job performance reviews gives you structure when giving each of the reviews. This gives you an outline to go by.

Schedule Appointments

During the course of the year, you have had many talks and meetings with the particular employee you are giving a job performance review. Therefore, it will make it an easy task to complete their performance review due to your interaction with this employee.

If for some reason there has not been day to day or for that matter week to week interaction with this employee, you may want to consider scheduling an appointment with the employee before the writing begins. Having a face to face meeting will help you in determining the results of the performance review you are about to give.   

Conduct Performance Reviews Privately

Performance reviews should be held privately. These meeting often make employees nervous and edgy. Remember they are under the microscope and are be evaluated by you. It was not that long ago you were sitting in the same place they are. 

Therefore a few tips on writing job reviews are have only the people who are vital to the review present when the performance review is taking place. Also, have your telephone calls and all forms of interruptions avoided. These distractions will cause the review to go slower and will not have your full attention on the matter at hand.

Tips on Writing Job Performance Reviews: Performance not Personality

When giving a job performance review it is always best to focus on performance of the employee and not the personality of the employee. Determining the outcome of a performance review should be given on merit of an individual's work habits not on their personality, even though it may be of great quality. Therefore, here is a list of some of the performance areas that you as the employer should focus on.

• Look at specific areas such as teaching, research and service in which each employee has been involved.
• Discuss strengths that set them apart from other employees. 
• Discuss areas that need improvement.
• Focus on future outcomes to better each employee’s work habits.
• Look at certain behaviors the employee has or has not had.
• Discuss things that could be changed to help with each employee’s job.

Now that you have some tips on writing job performance reviews, the process should be less painful for you and your employee. After you have implemented these tips on writing job performance reviews you will then have a template to go by when performance review time rolls around next year.