Your first appraisal is very important. This is your first job, you have started to understand many things , settling down slowly.You might have some doubt about your performance and how your team and manager rate it. Well this is the time when you can get a fair picture where you stand. Regular review meeting is part of working life. How frequently your manager call for a review meeting depends on company culture and nature of your project you are working on.
An Appraisal or Performance Review is a regular meeting between an employee and their manager(s) to discuss their performance, progress, work goals and objectives, and any concerns. Among all of the reviews, one review is most important which is officially the time when you get your revised salary letter or promotion. Here we are talking about that review. Your manager will sum up the year long performance and forward a report to HR after the appraisal meeting.
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If you want to know how much salary hike you could expect , we have a video and article on that.
Watch it or Read it, you will get fair idea.
Most companies follow some kind of performance review system, typically carried out on a quarterly, half-yearly or yearly basis. Some companies follow quite informal approach for review meeting although many other companies follow formal approach with paperwork to complete and a specific system for recording the topics that has been discussed.
Topics Covered In an Appraisal :
Usually in an appraisal focus remain on topics like:
i. Achievements of an employee during the appraisal period
ii. Goals for the next few months or the year
iii. Areas of concern the manager has about employee performance
iv. Concerns or questions an employee have about the work
v. Discussion on overall presence of the employee in the company.
Usually team lead or manager explains how appraisals work before first review of an employee. Performance review makes many people very nervous although it serves several important purposes.We would say since performance review is mandatory for all, why do't you start preparing for it.
Preparation for Appraisal :
Reflect on your journey in this job role so far and prepare to answer some questions on topics like:
i. Your biggest achievement in the job so far.
ii. Things you enjoy most and least about your work.
iii. Mistakes you have made and what you learnt from them.
iv. Your biggest strengths and weaknesses so far.
v. Relationship with your coworkers.
vi. Any concerns about any aspect of your job
vii. Any extra support you need.
viii. Your goals for the next 6-12 months.
ix. Your medium-term and long-term career goals.
Self Assessment :
Self assessment is the biggest thing in any aspect of life. Try to be as objective as you can in your self-assessments. Don’t give an unrealistically high review of your own performance, but don’t be unnecessarily self-deprecating either. We all have strengths and weaknesses and the ability to reflect on them accurately is what matters most.
When a person is too optimistic he ignores any chance of negative situation. Again a pessimistic person doesn't consider chance of any positive outcome. Both are extreme condition for real life experience. Life is a mixture of good and bad. So be realistic. Prepare your mind both for appreciation and criticism.
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1. How much of your goal target have you met this year?
2. What was your most impactful achievement this year?
3. How have you overcome your shortcomings?
4. What was the most challenging task you had to do this year?
5. Do you think your current job role is aligned with your future goals?
6. Are you comfortable with the company culture? Is there any room for improvement?
What to Do During Appraisal :
We have listed few points what you must follow during appraisal to get most out of your appraisal meeting.
1. Be honest and Impartial :
Be true to yourself about your own achievement and accept it while your manager ask during appraisal. If your self assessment is not right there will be huge mismatch between your expectation and review.So be honest and take accountability for your accomplishments and failures alike. This approach will help you.
2. Know Yourself :
Assess yourself and take the initiative to improve your weaknesses and retain your strength.
3. Seek Feedback :
Request for feedback from your manager and teammates. Its very normal to give reaction if the feedback is not that good. If you disagree give response not reaction.
You can place below questions in-front of your manager and take the answer as suggestion.
i. Is there anything you could have done better?
ii. Is there anything he has noticed good in our work performance?
iii. Is there anything you can do to improve your performance going forward?
iv. Is there any room for career growth in your department?
4. Set Goal for Next Assessment Cycle :
Give deep thought on how you could improve your performance. Draft your plan and share with your manager. Ask for his opinion and feed back on that also.
5. Career Conversation:
Share your mid- and long-term career plan and goals with your manager.
6. Development Plan:
Share your thoughts on what support you need for your development. Draw up a plan and seek your manager’s inputs and support.
7. Positive Participation:
Prepare yourself for your performance appraisal meeting by trying to relax.Your goal should be to listen deeply to the feedback your manager provides, as well as the goals and development plans they lay out for you.
8. Learn to listen:
Listen carefully to understand, not just to answer. Respond to the points he raises and answer to them accordingly.
9. Stay professional:
Stay professional during the whole process even though it became emotionally taxing. Take responsibility if you have done any mistake. If someone else has done the mistake, try to include that person in the discussion without pointing that out.
10.Mind your body language
Be involved and engaged in the whole process. Don't appear reluctant, bored or frustrated.
11. Collect testimonials
If a colleague, superior, customer or client has written something positive about you, gather these documents and use them in your appraisals.
Dealing with NOT-SO-POSITIVE feedback:
We all love positive feedback. Although performance review is the meeting when you will hear some criticism. Its obvious for all. No one is perfect so we all lag in some aspect or other. Here comes the importance of self assessment. If your self assessment is impartial you can handle criticism from your manager.
Here we have listed Do's and Don'ts of such situation:
1. Do not be defensive. Try to look at the matter from a little bit uninvolved position.
2. Talk in a calm, professional manner, rather than a defensive way.
3. If there were points that were correct, acknowledge those.
4. Take feedback as a reflection of another person's perspective. It is a good opportunity to learn something about yourself.
5. Do not shift the blame. Blaming someone else is not the solution. If you believe that a colleague should be held accountable for something, ask that if he can be included in the dialogue too.
6. Even if you do not like your managers attitude or word, be pleasant . Do not ignore your manager. Looking blankly at them while they are giving you negative feedback tells your manager that you are not interested in improving.
7. Treat the performance appraisal as an opportunity to reflect and take notice of your actions and non-actions. If you are able to act on both positive and negative feedback, leveraging your strengths and minimizing your weaknesses, you will have an advantage over your peers.
As a final tip, when leaving the appraisal meeting, focus on the future and not the past.
After the Appraisal Meeting:
Follow what was discussed during appraisal and keep track of your progress. Give progress report to your manager time-to-time. Work hard and improve your performance.
Ultimately, it's your career. You have to take it's responsibility. Manage your work, invest time and energy on improvement of your performance and closely monitor your progress. Proper preparation and positive participation are key to successful appraisal. Take this opportunity of appraisal to make your contributions known and to get meaningful feedback and direction that will help you grow.
Finally, don’t stress. Good luck with your appraisal!
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Courtesy : www.pngegg.com, Image by Sora Shimazaki on pexels
