Managing a business is already tiring work; on top of that, leaders also have to keep on track with how their underlings are doing, and align their progress with others. We know you want the easy way, which doesn’t compromise on the basic necessity. But what if we could tell you that you can not just make it easy, but also more effective than before? Yes, it is possible, and in this blog, we will discuss how to do a performance review in the most effective way and a simple performance review toolkit for leaders and team managers.

The What Performance Review Toolkit is a cluster of performance review template that go hand in hand to make the evaluation process easier. It simplifies everything across multiple subsets, which is both easier to understand and declutters the actual report process. In a nutshell, this is what our toolkit contains:

1. A Free Downloadable Template: You can use this as a base to write all your performance review, or tweak it to make it yours.

2. Examples: Our template also includes a dedicated subsheet where some examples are placed. Easier to get a quick look at how it will or should look.

3. A Rating Scale: Rating is the easiest way to convey how well they did. And employees always look up to improving these ratings over massive comments.

4. Employee Comment: Employees can also add counter comments that will allow them to let their thoughts be known directly, instead of going through the usual way.

You will see three download links for the template. Use the one you prefer the most, and get started. In case you are confused, just follow this:

1. Open the link.

2. Click on Edit from the top left corner.

3. Press download.

4. Pres .xlsx extension.

5. Profit.

After downloading our performance review template, you will see up to twelve columns with each distinctive header. These headers represent each action that the reviewer will take to evaluate the performance. Remember that you don’t have to use all the options if you don’t need to. Keep it simple, clean, and as clutter-free as possible. After all, that is the entire point of this template. Here are all the available fillings inside the template:

1. Employee Name

2. Job Title

3. Department

4. Review Period

5. Reviewer

6. Key Responsibilities

7. Achievements

8. Areas of Improvement

9. Reviewer Comments

10. Employee Comments

11. Rating (1–5)

12. Final Outcome

Read More: How to Create Learner Personas (Includes Ready-to-Use Template)

There is no one way of doing things, which is the exact reason why you must follow these steps carefully and achieve the perfect report:

1. Start with Fundamentals

Knowing the basic details is the best starting point. Start with small talk, get the name, address, role, review period, and all the good stuff. Profile the person in question, and then you can use it repeatedly from here on out.

2. Verbalise the Responsibilities

Always make it absolutely transparent about what the end goal is and what kinds of responsibilities the employee carries. Most of the time, silent goals can mentally dehydrate the workers because they will always keep guessing and never know the truth. That’s why it is always necessary to verbally make it known what they need to do, and what not. Set a boundary, and give realistic examples.

3. Use the SMART Way

The SMART way is always the best way to know what one needs to improve. Ask these simple questions:

1. What goals did you achieve?

2. How many delays or misses?

3. What caused the delays or misses?

Keep the interrogation to a minimum, because these kinds of questions can intimidate the other side and make them uncomfortable.

4. Identify and Highlight

Identify the strength, and highlight the weakness. This can go vice versa, but the main point is, always make sure to praise for the good deeds, and be slightly harsher towards the things that they lack. Making the obvious known is usually the step we always miss, and it causes long-term damage and may create barriers. Nothing should go unnoticed, but don’t be too nitpicky, or it will cross the realm of micro-managing.

Read more: Free OKR Template for Teams (With Step-by-Step Guide)

5. Self-reflection

Ask the employee if he was proud of what he achieved, get his point of view, and understand how his or her mind works. This is an essential step that unfolds the emotional and professional nature of a person. Be patient, listen to everything, and then move towards the last two steps. 

6. The Ratings

The ratings usually contain numbers, stars, or something similar. This immediately triggers a dopamine rush that lets the employee know where they stand. The lower the number, the more work to do, and the higher the number, the more things are still not perfect. Sometimes lower ratings can be taken in the wrong way, so always clear the confusion and be as transparent as you can. At the end of the day, it is about the employee, not the employer.

7. Create an Action Plan

Now the bigger challenge arrives, the Plan. Not all will pass with flying colors, and those who do will still require training to make it perfect. So, start creating a career path for those in need, and help them achieve their best selves through training, motivation, or even little breaks. You can check our dedicated blog on the career path templates for info.

Read More: How to Create a Career Path (With Template & Example)

Performance review is the only way the company expresses its feelings. The live feedback system can drive insane motivations among the department, help people bond, and create opportunities that never existed before, but now they do all thanks to this one encounter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How often should I conduct a performance review?

Ans. Do it at least twice a year, and if you can, do it quarterly. This is the only way live feedback is sent, and the sooner it is done, the better it is for the company.

Q2. What should I do for the Achievement Section?

Ans. Add a shorter version of the significant achievements achieved by the employee. For example: Led successful rollout of CRM system, Emailed 1000 recipients in 14 days, Crafted 600 customers in a month, etc.

Q3. How should I give constructive feedback?

Ans. Always focus on the real cause, not the personality. Some people have different ways of doing things, so it is not a matter of how they do it. So, tell them what the reason is behind their delays and how to get it right. For example: Improve Time management by using the Eisenhower Matrix. Here, I didn’t tell him to wake up at 6 AM or take an express bus. Instead, I gave him a solution that has a wider margin. Now it’s up to him which one he thinks is right.

Sources

1. A Comprehensive Toolkit for Employee Performance Reviews (With Examples)

2. Final Internal Performance Review Toolkit

3. Performance Management Toolkit

4. Effective performance reviews toolkit

5. Performance Appraisal Toolkit – Actus Performance and Talent Management Software