Year End Review Tips For Employees and Managers

• Take time to reflect.
• Inquire about how to get to the next level.
• Follow up.
• Be specific.
• Listen actively.

Start your year-end performance review by going over what your team member did a great job on. It’s important to start the conversation on a positive note because you’re setting the tone for the rest of the discussion.

When you give positive feedback, you teach your employees which kinds of behaviours are valued, which means you’re much more likely to see that behaviour continue, while it’s applied to even more situations. Make sure that you’re also asking your employees questions about what they think went well so that you can foster an open discussion about their achievements.

Annual reviews are the perfect opportunity to set new goals and define new challenges for your team members. It’s important that you’re both clear and specific about these new goals that you’re setting together so that the expectations are clearly defined and there’s no chance of miscommunication.

This is an exciting topic of conversation and you want your employees to look forward to these new challenges, so be sure to take a positive approach to goal-setting and to make them realistic and achievable.

Promote a growth mindset with your team members by encouraging employees to look for opportunities.

As a manager, it’s a good idea to keep your eyes peeled for professional opportunities as well. Remind your employees that growth is not static but a fluid learning process, that doesn’t necessarily mean moving up in the org chart (although it can) but moving laterally and gaining new competencies that complement their existing skillset.

Assess the progress that your employees have made and measure the results so that you can consider what kind of new opportunities will provide value.

Overloading employees with too much feedback at once isn’t productive – it’s simply overwhelming. Even if someone has several areas that they need to work on, choose one or two points to really focus on. This is going to avoid making your employee feel negatively about the feedback and also avoid a lot of confusion as they try to remember the list of things that they were told they need to improve upon.

Facilitating a two-way conversation where your employee is involved in finding solutions is going to empower them and make them feel like they have a big part to play in their own development- which they do! It’s important to try to see your employee’s perspective and approach situations empathetically.

Give suggestions but make sure that at the end of the day, they’re taking charge of their careers. Ask for their feedback on your management style and demonstrate your willingness to receive feedback as well.

360-degree feedback is a powerful tool for managers, as it helps you understand how people on the team feel about each other’s work. It helps to give a fuller picture than just relying on one or two opinions. Multiple sources of feedback give a 3D view of an employee so they can better understand their personal development gaps.

Whether you’re an employee or a manager, the most important thing you can do for an annual review is to be prepared for it. Although these reviews can feel a little nerve-wracking, they’re the optimal opportunity to learn, grow and build a better relationship with your manager or team member.

Make sure that in your review you’re covering accomplishments, day-to-day responsibilities, areas to develop, strengths and the priorities of the company.