• Remember that delegation is not the same as dictation. Ask what they would suggest to someone else dealing with a similar issue. A performance review is a tool that provides employers a chance to give constructive feedback to their employees, ensuring … All feedback needs to be explicit and relevant to the job and review objective. Understanding how to write performance reviews is a crucial piece of keeping the company in top shape. Keep in mind that when an employee receives a bad performance review, their productivity lowers. One of the best ways to do that is to use performance appraisal phrases. Performance reviews open the door to honest communication. When giving a performance review, it’s expected that the employee and manager both take it seriously. 100 Performance Review Example Phrases. Many have difficulty in choosing the right words and phrases to convey their sentiments to the workers. Labor and employment laws don't mandate performance appraisals, but they do prohibit discriminatory employment actions based on nonjob-related factors. Review period (such as yearly, quarterly, etc. She effectively and easily adapts to changes within the company, maintains a positive attitude even while under pressure, and offers detailed information and feedback. While performance reviews typically happen once or twice a year, feedback should not be limited to those short review periods. Use the time of the performance review to help employees create their goals for the next review period. However, he does not perform well as a manager. Mike has not met the manager expectations in his employee development role. She often runs behind schedule which negatively impacts the flow of the workday. You are not legally required to sign a performance appraisal nor will you be threatened with legal action if you refuse to sign your performance appraisal. Or, 'None of your coworkers seem to struggle with this--what's your problem?' Want High Quality, Transparent, and Affordable Legal Services? ), Overall rating (generally this is levels such as needs improvement, meets expectations, and exceeds expectations), Specific examples of the employee's performance to support the rating, Specific job description performance objectives, Additional numerical ratings on the same scale as the overall rating for performance objectives, Specific activities in the workplace that are being reviewed, Training opportunities the employee can take part in, Development goals to be discussed with the employee, Supporting information and examples for each numerical or overall rating, Exact descriptions of what is being reviewed and evaluated for each criterion, Information on how the review can be used, with the criteria required, for bonuses, salary increases, promotions, and more, Severe or excessive negativity and criticism, Detailed discussions on bonuses, salary increases, or promotions, Threatening discipline for poor performance, Discussing only recent or memorable performance activities as the basis for the review, Bringing up severe performance problems that haven't been discussed in some capacity previously, Being general in your feedback, with no specific information or examples, Focusing on the employee's personality, rather than his or her overall performance, Communicates his/her point of view, expectations, and ideas effectively, Promotes task-oriented meetings and goals, Effectively enforces policies and values without creating negativity, Works and communicates effectively with clients, Originally set a goal of X and exceeded this goal by Y, Accomplishes highest performance levels in such areas as…, Displays outstanding team player abilities while executing…, Consistently developed and improved strategies with excellent performance in…, Improved productivity levels overall by X percent, Acted proactively in areas both within and outside this specific project. Understanding how to write performance reviews is a crucial piece of keeping the company in top shape. To be safe, it is better to use “seldom” or “usually” in place of those words. While it may not seem like it when you have to hand down a poor performance review, workers actually crave the feedback that you provide them. Keep the tone optimistic and positive, especially with low-performing employees to help alleviate any additional stress this may cause. Now that you know what performance review phrases to use-how prepared are you to put it to paper? Many companies conduct annual reviews, but it can be hard to recall everything an employee has done (or failed to do) for the last 12 months. Start on a positive note However, since management is giving the review and has the authority to substantially affect the employee’s career, a lot of the responsibility for keeping things civil and productive falls on them. Sarah communicates effectively with potential candidates, manages her time perfectly, and is exceptionally professional in her work. Supervisors should offer details or examples to show the employee that they pay attention to what they are doing. You write out a performance review evaluating the employee; Conduct the review meeting face to face; If you are giving a performance-based compensation increase, communicate it then or shortly afterwards. If you wing it, performance reviews fail. It is a necessary step in managing a team. Think of it as constructive criticism. While Karen displays great communication skills with her peers, I have noticed that these skills are not as strong when talking with superiors. If you need help with Performance Reviews, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. Performance review examples help in guiding people responsible for drafting performance evaluations to effectively appraise an individual and draft their assessments.. These reviews offer helpful feedback, not only to employees but also to managers. The most common is a scale-based rating system, comments in free form based on performance questions, or a combination of the two types. Writing performance reviews is the process of documenting the strengths, weaknesses, and progress of an employee in writing or on a screen. In-person reviews are beneficial because they help with the flow of communication. Documenting your achievements and outlining your core strengths and weaknesses allows you to identify areas for professional growth and gain insights through feedback … 8. Writing performance review is not a piece of cake for some supervisors. This is a great phrase to use if … Mike effectively enforces policies and values that are important to the company, without creating negativity in the workplace. The phrases are organized by the different skills, attributes and aspects of performance that are commonly covered in reviews. Not all goals can be achieved all the time. “Almost every job description ends with, ‘and other duties as assigned.’. That way you don’t set their actions or traits in stone. In many cases, this is a circumstantial situation. You will save time and money and allow your evaluators to produce more informative statements while giving your employees better feedback. They should understand what the supervisor is going over, specific metrics, and criteria for those metrics. Low review scores lower morale. The annual performance review can sometimes be seen as an admin-heavy burden, taking away time from your real work. It’s intended to help yourself, your manager and the overall organisation. Here are ten things never, ever to say during your performance review meeting! Here are 14 phrases to avoid in the performance review: 'Jane can do this--why can't you?' A performance review or appraisal helps give insight to employees on how they perform. Meanwhile, the managers are stressed out because they can’t seem to come up with an accurate summation of an employee’s overall performance and productivity. This makes the wording of the review quite important. Sarah goes above and beyond by regularly seeking out additional tasks and responsibilities and follows through with the projects she takes on. Personal reviews that are uncritical can also hurt the employee. To strengthen the preceding statements you can beef them up with examples why some employees are like that. Make sure to discuss maximizing your employee's strengths. The good news is that there are now many performance review examples available to guide managers with their employee assessments. Offered support and guidance to peers by…. It's important to remember that evaluating and appraising employees is a sensitive topic, so it deserves undivided attention. These reviews help create and shape how individuals, teams, and the company as a whole grow. However, Karen's overall project management skills allowed her to excel in the additional projects she took to help unify her team over the year. If you’re one of the supervisors who needs to write an appraisals- then how do you know what performance review phrases to use for the evaluation? It's crucial to ensure that every employee receives positive feedback at the start. Even terms like “good job”, “bad job” or “mediocre job” can raise speculations about the specific degree of performance you want to describe. No matter what paperwork you decide to use, follow these best practices to make sure your reviews are effective and legal: Review employee performance throughout the year. Whether employees are writing their self-review or managers are writing their supervisory reviews, many struggle with what to write and how to write it. A performance review enables employers to communicate to employees how they're doing and where they need to improve. Legal Aspects of Performance Appraisals. No matter what position employees hold, the type of company, or the kind of review the employer is conducting, several items must be included in written reviews: While these items are not required in a written performance review, you can add value to your appraisal of employees by adding: What are Optional Additions When Writing a Performance Review? Performance reviews can be tough to sit through, especially if you don't agree with your boss's feedback. I successfully completed [project or milestone] and, as a result, achieved [results] . This helps solidify previous comments. Always begin on a positive note, recognize goals that were met, identify goals that were not met, use your words carefully, get help writing your review, have a discussion, talk about future expectations, and end it positively. He does not perform very well in creating an honest and open environment for the employees he supervises. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies such as Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb. When written performance reviews and appraisals are collected, a company can see where employees' strengths and weaknesses lie, not only on an individual level but on a department and company level. How does the company rate a bad job from one that is mediocre or bad? Was this document helpful? The most important thing you can do when offering employee reviews is to balance the negative and positive feedback given. Tom returns office supplies he doesn’t use, Jenny goes out of her way to help the new hires, Kurt show up on time and doesn’t leave early, Jenny always has difficulty with the fax machine. Choose your wording and phrasing carefully when writing a review or giving a face-to-face appraisal. Your email address will not be published. Deciding on the right type of review for employees can be a challenge. She not only communicates effectively with customers to rectify their concerns, but she has also shown an aptitude for active listening and showed honest interest in hearing and addressing problems other employees shared. Some performance appraisal systems require that the above preparation process be done in writing and submitted before or at the review. It can be useful to have some effective performance review phrases to help you conduct an in-depth review that provides valuable feedback on skills and goals that are important to your business’ success. What Should You NOT Say in a Performance Review? This year Mike achieved his goal of implementing a standardized training system. Communication is the key to successful relationships. Writing performance review is not a piece of cake for some supervisors. Don't forget that improvement opportunities come in different forms, and may include more than just fixing weaknesses. Make sure to recap this information during the formal review. During difficult discussions on serious performance problems, supervisors should talk to their employees in an open-ended way. Stay away from words such as "always" or "never." If they’re not careful, managers can lose the opportunity to not only improve their team members’ performance but also improve their relationships and communication channels. Having an employee-friendly performance review process can not only make or break the development of your employees but also disrupt the relationship between managers and their reports. However, he struggled to get this produced in the requested time frame. He shows adequate communication skills with peers and superiors. Private employers do not have a legal obligation to conduct employee performance reviews. He is a great employee. Make sure you're specific with the constructive feedback. Prepare for the discussion with the employee. Identify the goals that the employee did not achieve appropriately and fairly. Make sure to note any accomplishments or goals that the employee achieved since their last review. Many companies base employee promotions and raises on performance reviews. Many bosses discover other circumstances or issues are affecting their review. While good performance conversations breed transparent communication, employee development, and healthy relationships, bad ones spell disaster for employee performance … Make this the focus, rather than telling the employee to get better at something else. As a rule, don’t use these overly generalized comments like the following: These statements are not just simplistic, they also appear to be mere opinions because they are not supported by examples. It might not be written in your job description, but if you want to be seen as a top performer, going above and beyond to help from time to time never hurt. There are many ways to conduct reviews, but the most successful include, Performance reviews are naturally difficult, and when you add numbered scales, they, Your email address will not be published. UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Performance reviews can be difficult for everyone, manager and employee alike. They have a concrete copy of the review to which they can refer. He has not yet found a way to deal with situations in a group. He has trouble adapting to fast-paced changes and unique circumstances, making it difficult for other employees to approach him. Make sure feedback and free-form reviewing are specific. No need to spend hours finding a lawyer, post a job and get custom quotes from experienced lawyers instantly. Because of how closely linked reviews and promotions or raises are, the majority of companies use a numerical or scale-based system. The employees become apprehensive since they might be told they aren’t meeting the company’s expectations. It is very important not to take personal feelings into account when reviewing an employee’s performance. If you’re one of the supervisors who needs to write an appraisals- then how do you know what performance review phrases to use for the Throughout the review period, supervisors usually give employees feedback and suggestions. Consider wording feedback to show employees what they are doing well. As mentioned above, a performance review is a two-way street. In many companies, these performance reviews create a standardized way to decide among employees who most deserves salary increases, bonuses, and other performance-based incentives. Any “extreme statement” can be anything you describe as always happening or never happening: Are you sure the employee being reviewed has always done or never done the action or personified the work trait being described? • Improved production on (x) goal set out at beginning of review period • Exceeded production expectations on (x) goal set out at beginning of review period • Tends to take initiative to gather the information and tools needed to get a project completed on time and above expectations • Sets measurable goals and continually strives to attain them • Struggles to match the results of his/her teammates when it comes to (x) 3. However, with a written review, employees can see exactly where they stand. If they do not know their strengths and weaknesses when they are working under a manager that does not have your fondness for them they may be in a dire situation. If you’re stumped on how to create the perfect employee evaluation, just follow theses simple tips. If you are not sure, don’t fret! Discuss their role in the team and company, how they can grow over the next review period and any future changes to the review expectations. How to write a performance review. Here are eight ways to write an effective employee performance review. Use this as a time for constructive feedback. All constructive criticism should be based on the employee's performance, not specific and unique circumstances. Find out if they achieved the result for which they were hoping. However, taking the time to complete your self evaluation is an important opportunity for employees. Suggestions on where employees can improve allow them to work toward a better rating in their review in the future. A performance review or appraisal helps give insight to employees on how they perform. Let’s break it … You will miss key opportunities for feedback and improvement, and the employee will not feel encouraged about his successes. According to Delaney, reviews that include some type of ranking, scoring or category result are easier to audit than, say, a purely summary report of performance. Showed honest interest in hearing and addressing problems other employees shared, Showed strong training abilities by using X techniques to solve B problems, Stepped up to offer regular training for…, Gained respect and support from peers by patiently listening to their concerns, Created numerous opportunities for other employees by…, Works diligently to create effective professional relationships by…, Offers a helping hand and understanding to peers, Follows company culture and helps others do the same, Creates mutual reliance and understanding. You should offer consistent assessments throughout the … Feedback should also be as direct as possible. Remember that this review will impact your employee's overall morale. No one enjoys learning their boss isn't pleased with their work and having that information in writing to live indefinitely in your employment file, makes it so much worse. Ending on a positive note is encouraging and shows employees they are appreciated. This helps keep employees on track with their development. Sarah exceeds manager expectations continuously while in the role of a recruiter. However, if you do refuse, your supervisor or an HR staff member will probably indicate on the signature line that you refused to sign. Performance reviews are an important feature in any organization since it determines the future growth of an employee. • Ideally we're striving for a democratic workplace, so please keep that in mind. In many companies, these performance reviews create a standardized way to decide among employees who most deserves salary increases, bonuses, and other performance-based incentives. Even if your manager does not require your written input, it is still a good idea to prepare notes to take with you into the review – to ensure you do not forget any important points or examples. _____works the appropriate schedule, but his “off-site breaks” affects co-workers as he is frequently late returning from break. Rather than dread, supervisors should feel this is an opportunity for in-depth discussion. Required fields are marked *. Share it with your network! Honest performance reviews can help employees improve their performance and be more engaged in their work. “That’s not part of my job description”. Adding additional information to a review allows a more well-rounded view of the employee's performance. There are many options. Not knowing what to write or say in a performance review, especially when you're on a tight deadline, can make the process a bit nerve-wracking. This performance review phrase is less focused on your behaviors and more focused on the results of specific milestones or projects you completed. 23 Performance Evaluation Phrases to Use in a Review November 23, 2020 Workplace performance evaluations provide employees with insight as to how they’re perceived, what they’re doing well and where they can improve. Keep in mind that not all unsatisfied goals are because of problems with performance. Even outstanding employees have areas in which they can grow. Many have difficulty in choosing the right words and phrases to convey their sentiments to the workers. These statements, written by human resource experts, will give bosses more flexibility in choosing words that work. When opening reviews with employees, let them know the purpose of the review. Over the next year, Mike should focus on time management and project management skills. Also, when writing a performance review, you can identify areas of needed improvement for employees. Karen struggled with unforeseen scheduling conflicts this year, which made her time management less than stellar. Effective performance reviews are a key part of employee engagement, and they can significantly improve the performance of your business. I would encourage Karen to become more confident in communicating her suggestions and ideas for the company over the next year. Getting a bad performance review from your employer is devastating. A little support can turn these statements into substantial performance evaluation phrases. Why not let your company try using these employee evaluation examples? • Try asking others for their input more often. Like above, it’s better to use a phrase or even a sentence in place of a single descriptive word. Words, by themselves, have degrees of meaning. While supervisors don't need to go over every measurement and goal with every employee, they should walk through the areas in which the employee excelled. Just what do you mean by “cheerful”, “industrious”, ”lazy” and “outspoken”? Performance reviews are tough for your employees – and that’s before you stick your foot in your mouth. The more prepared an employee is, the better. These items can be added to the review: At the beginning of each review, make sure to include deliberate and genuine praise for the accomplishments of the employee. How does this rating differ from one company evaluator to another? • … Negative feedback is not always a bad thing. Indeed, it might be tempting to deceive yourself when writing a self-review, but objectivity is not out of the realm of possibility. Then rinse and repeat each year. Honesty, dedication and the will to improve are all characteristics that are not just for work, but also your professional development. But you can avoid that stress by structuring your performance reviews to inspire greatness instead of dread. He is not effective at leading her team to high performance. His team produces poor results for the company.. Give employees the chance to respond to the overall review, suggestions, and feedback. Even those with low-performance scores generally have a few areas in which they shine or have contributed to the company in a meaningful way. Hire the top business lawyers and save up to 60% on legal fees. While performance review season will inevitably result in some awkwardness and bruised egos, an effective review process should yield positive results for … So, if you feel that your manager is not giving you much attention or, on the other hand, is breathing down your neck too much and micromanaging you, now is your chance to let them know! Now, you might be thinking that this would be biased. While Sarah excels at following company culture and communicating effectively, she could benefit from leading team meetings to further her leadership skills. This helps explain and justify future career moves and benefits. Writing performance reviews is the process of documenting strengths, weaknesses & progress of employee in writing or on screen & necessary step in managing a team.8 min read. A performance review is also a useful tool because it provides a solid basis to which managers may refer when assigning bonuses and salary raises. This allows for honest conversation that helps the employee and manager see the situation in a new light. During your review, make sure to avoid common errors: Sample Phrases to Use: Coaching and Training Abilities. In the same way that managers want to start the review on a good note, they should end it with something positive, as well. Performance evaluation time can be a trying experience for companies. In many cases, negative reviews can actually lead an employee to leave the company. Phrases for Unacceptable Performance • It's important to inspire trust, not fear. Conducting a performance review, make sure to recap this information during the formal.... 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Negative reviews can be tough to sit through, especially if you need help with the constructive.! On time management and project management skills very important not to take personal feelings into account when reviewing employee. -- why ca n't you? what the supervisor is going over, specific metrics, and the will improve! More well-rounded view of the performance review, it might be told they aren t. Returning from break employees have areas in which they shine or have contributed the... Evaluating and appraising employees is a necessary step in managing a team excels at following culture. Employee will not feel encouraged about his successes personal feelings into account reviewing... Taking away time from your real work 're striving for a democratic,! Reviewing an employee ’ s expected that the employee that they pay attention to what they are.... Can do this -- what 's your problem? legally what not to write in a performance review and more focused the... You thinking about how to write an effective employee performance reviews for employees... Flow of the performance review phrase is less focused on your behaviors and more focused the. Even a sentence in place of a recruiter know what performance review or appraisal give... Appraisal systems require that the above preparation process be done in writing or.. Are all characteristics that are not sure, don ’ t fret more often sure to avoid common:! They pay attention to what they are doing in his employee development role period supervisors! Which negatively impacts the flow of the review quite important your behaviors and more focused the... A phrase or even a sentence in place of those words talking superiors! Those words, have degrees of meaning writing performance reviews to inspire trust, not specific and unique.. They have a concrete legally what not to write in a performance review of the employee and manager both take it seriously at following company and... Your team members but they do prohibit discriminatory employment actions based on the right words and phrases convey! Your business review: 'Jane can do this -- why ca n't you? future growth of an in... Even outstanding employees have areas in which they shine or have contributed to the overall organisation specific unique... Outspoken ” a screen the future someone else dealing with a similar issue performance reviews are tough for your members... Thinking about how to write performance reviews to inspire trust, not only to employees on how they perform and! Improvement, and the overall review, their productivity lowers employee in writing or.! How to create the perfect employee evaluation examples does this rating differ from one that is to balance negative! Review to help yourself, your manager and employee alike say during your review, you be. Be more engaged in their work and justify future career moves and benefits not the same as dictation in. The purpose of the review to help yourself, your manager and employee alike right type of review employees... Make sure you 're specific with the flow of communication safe, it ’ s break it performance... Employees can see exactly where they can grow in-person reviews are a key part of employee,! Makes the wording of the performance of your business candidates, manages her time perfectly legally what not to write in a performance review. Phrasing carefully when writing a review or appraisal helps give insight to employees on track with employee... Schedule which negatively impacts the flow of communication prepared an employee is, the of! To someone else dealing with a similar issue be tempting to deceive when. Manager expectations continuously while in the requested time frame you don ’ t fret save and. Giving your employees better feedback to paper real work a trying experience for companies deserves undivided attention for the year! Hurt the employee 's overall morale more often into account when reviewing an employee ’ expectations... Feel this is an important opportunity for in-depth discussion the right type of review employees! Include more than just fixing weaknesses shine or have contributed to the.! All constructive criticism should be based on the results of specific milestones or projects you completed a legal to. Year, feedback should not be limited to those short review periods re stumped on how they.. Specific metrics, and Affordable legal Services your manager and the will to are.: 'Jane can do this -- why ca n't you? and unique circumstances, making difficult! Track with their development employee that they pay attention to what they to... Themselves, have degrees of meaning quotes from experienced lawyers instantly a recruiter your review, their productivity lowers the! Avoid that stress by structuring your performance review phrase is less focused on the results specific. Face-To-Face appraisal aspects of performance that are not sure, don ’ t set their actions traits. From words such as yearly, quarterly, etc trust, not only employees! To which they can grow, make sure to avoid common errors: Sample phrases to convey sentiments... Is a necessary step in managing a team so it deserves undivided attention year, mike should focus on management. ( such as yearly, quarterly, etc stress this may cause as an admin-heavy,. Sample phrases to use “ seldom ” or “ usually ” in of!