The performance appraisal is your chance to shine. Calum Robson outlines strategies for a successful outcome
Appraisals look back – with a view to the future. Whether your employer has a structured development programme complete with performance objectives, or a less formal approach, careful preparation can influence how you move onwards and upwards.
Consider your last performance appraisal. If this is your first, think about your objectives when you started:
Understand what your manager wants from you in the appraisal. Communicative managers will leave you in no doubt as to what will be discussed. Others may need prompting. There’s no need to be suspicious or fearful – tell your manager you want to make the most of the time you’re being granted, and that knowledge of the agenda will help you think about the issues in advance. If you are given an appraisal form, complete it honestly and thoroughly – and submit it in plenty of time for your manager to read it before the appraisal.
If your manager is disorganised, or is reluctant to give you an appraisal at all, make suggestions that could deliver lasting benefits to your manager (and the team) as well as to you. For instance, knowing that an employee wants to take on more responsibility is often music to the ears of a busy manager. Hinting that you have ideas for improvements to certain systems or procedures also provides an incentive to come into the appraisal optimistic and receptive. The positive approach you exhibit is likely to be infectious.
Think ahead. At the end of the appraisal, you and your manager will have to create action points. What do you want those to be? What demands might they make on your employer’s resources? Make a mental note to keep these goals in mind for the duration of the appraisal; this will help you stay focused and ensure an outcome that proves profitable to both you and your manager.