Let’s be real: Annual reviews are something no one enjoys. It’s a time-consuming process for managers and their employees alike, and it can be really stressful for everyone.

But it’s possible to rethink how reviews are conducted and maybe reshape the expectations of what purpose a review can serve. Maybe this process can be a learning experience for everyone involved that can make your company stronger and better equipped for the future.

Talk about progress and shortfalls.

Each year, the annual review process will establish goals and benchmarks for the year ahead while talking about what was accomplished in the previous 12 months. However, it might be a good practice to ask your employees what they felt were their biggest successes of the year outside of the benchmarks they were asked to meet. Did they pick up a new skill? Did they take a training or workshop they felt was really beneficial to their tasks? Did they complete a big project that had been on their to-do list for a long time, and are they happy with the outcome? At the same time, ask whether they felt poorly prepared for a task and whether there are skills they feel they need to do their job better or to the company’s expectations. There might be gaps in their abilities that are not due to a lack of interest but due to a lack of training — that’s a real, identifiable gap that can be fixed!

Focus on the future.

Reviews are a great time to look ahead. What does your employee want to learn? What work do they want to do more of? How do they want to expand their role? Are there new skills they’d like to learn or different kinds of tasks they’d like to try? Employees who are ambitious and career-minded often consider leaving their company because they don’t feel they’d have the opportunity to advance their careers without going elsewhere; if your team knows they can add to their skill set in their current position, or that opportunities for advancement do exist within your company, this a great time to remind them of these possibilities!

Keep communication flowing in both directions.

Reviews should not be one-sided. In other words, don’t just tell the employee what they’ve done right and wrong and expect them to listen and not speak up. Encourage them to discuss any changes they’ve noticed in the company in the past year and see whether they’re in favor of these changes or if there were unintended setbacks or negative consequences of some changes. Listen closely to their feedback about everything: Did they feel supported? Did they feel overwhelmed at times but didn’t know who to go to for help? Did they know they could ask for help at all? Did they find it difficult to work with someone on multiple occasions? Did a restructuring result in an overwhelming amount of work, and they’ve been underwater ever since? Did a change make their work better? Are they inspired by a new project? There’s positive and negative potential, to be sure, but it’s worth finding out at the start of a new year.

Talk about goals.

An annual review is a good time to talk frankly about the company’s future, what’s in line for the next year, and how your employees can help contribute to the company’s success and growth. It’s also an opportunity to talk about your employee’s goals and objectives, both the ones that you set for them and what they want for themselves, and to discuss how those goals and benchmarks might overlap. For example, if you have an employee who is eager to take on a larger role in communications and you’re looking to expand your social media reach to help bring in new clients, this is a great time to talk about how the employee would handle your company’s social media profiles differently, what new actions and strategies they’d like to apply, and then set a series of benchmarks and goals together to allow them to take on this task and see if it works out. If it does, fantastic! The employee will add to their skills and have more enjoyment and engagement in their job while it also benefits the company’s reach and bottom line; if, after a few months, the needle hasn’t moved, it’s time to reconsider their approaches.

There’s also a strong argument for doing away with annual reviews altogether and, instead, having period benchmarking conversations throughout the year. The expectation that both manager and employee will have detailed notes and examples from 12 full months of work is asking a lot of busy people who will inevitably forget some big events, wins, losses, and learning moments. Instead, opting for detailed conversations every few months might take the pressure off, allowing focused and targeted check-ins that will keep details fresh and goals in mind. It also allows for changing courses in real time without having to undo a whole year’s worth of work, progress, or regression. It might be a fairer approach overall.

Looking For New Employees In Hawaii?

If, at the end of review season, your company finds it needs to bring in new employees to bridge some coverage or skill gaps, it’s time to call Bishop & Company. We have great, talented candidates who are ready to join your company with the skills you need, and they’re eager to get started right away. Want to learn more about what Bishop & Company can do for you? Give us a call today!