Streamline Writing Your Employee Reviews

For many HTM leaders out there, this is a time for employee reviews. As a group, we are a lot better technically than we are at formal, written communication. Even if we only have 3 or 4 direct reports, it can be stressful getting the performance review right. The stress goes up exponentially when you have to do dozens. I want to cover a few tips for making reviews a bit easier, quicker and less stressful:

• Have each team member keep their own achievement file. They should understand that I will ask for it during every one-on-one.
• Develop measuring tools for KPI. To keep the review more objective than subjective, choose key performance indicators that directly reflect the essential job functions.
• Keep your direct report updated. The review should never be a surprise. 
• Use the right adverbs and adjectives. Each descriptive statement can speak volumes on how well the team member performed a task or job duty.
• Don’t be afraid to plagiarize your own work. If you have taken the time to carefully craft the perfect sentence or phrase, then why only use it once?

Below I put together a template I am making, so all of my reviews have a similar flow. It helps me write the reviews more quickly, and the repetition helps me move from thought to thought.  Hope this helps!

Results:

• Leadership Practices / Service Delivery

1. Metrics
2. Big wins and above and beyond service delivery
3. Team membership and subcommittee work
4. Goal(s) results
5. Cost Avoidance / financial saves
6. Recognitions
7. 2021 Challenges to grow results / IGP results:

• Leadership Practices and Service Delivery - Opportunities

1. Specific challenge to grow
2. Specific challenge to grow

• Individual Opportunities / Growth

1. Specific challenge to grow
2. Specific challenge to grow

• Core Behavior / Values 

1. Overall strength
2. Examples
3. Opportunities

Challenges to grow / IGP:

• Leadership Practices and Service Delivery - Opportunities

1. Specific challenge to grow
2. Specific challenge to grow

• Individual Opportunities / Growth

1. Specific challenge to grow
2. Specific challenge to grow

• Team goal(s) for 2022: