Scott has been a faculty member in higher education for over 10 years. He holds an MBA in Management, an MA in counseling, and an M.Div. in Academic Biblical Studies.
Although a manager's office is a common location, a neutral location such as a conference room is better. If a small meeting room is unavailable, it may be appropriate to select an office other than that of the employee's supervisor. Casual settings are best.
Above all, schedule a time in which both the supervisor and the employee can give the evaluation meeting their undivided attention. Avoid times when there is pressure on one or both ends of the review. If the review is expected to generate an emotional response, schedule a time in which the employee's workday can be adjusted.
Ideally, the duration of a performance review meeting is between 1-2 hours. It is acceptable to schedule the employee for an hour-long meeting with the supervisor having an additional 30 minutes before and after. Refuse to be sidetracked or interrupted. The use of electronic devices like cell phones and tablets should be minimized if not eliminated. Take any other steps necessary to deter outside interruptions.
When informing the employee of the upcoming review, ask them to conduct a self-evaluation (formal or informal) and compare their results against the organization's mission, vision, and values.
It is important that a manager be prepared to back up any factual assertions - both good and bad. A manager discussing tangible performance issues like absences or insubordination should be fully prepared to provide the details of actual incidents. Dates, times, and the employee's responses to these events should be in the reviewer's hands BEFORE beginning the meeting.
Resist the temptation to make up for a poor knowledge of the employee's role by simply giving good ratings. Instead, evaluate what is known about the employee's job and make an intentional effort to fill in any gaps in knowledge. Review the job description and reference it frequently.
Never just 'wing' a performance evaluation. Too many things can and will go wrong if a manager doesn't follow a structured approach to the discussions. Managers should have a clear idea of the things that they need to discuss and in what order they should be discussed.
Consider generating a rough draft of the review and go over this rough draft frequently in the days leading up to the meeting. Modify the document as knowledge expands. A manager might even wish to consider presenting the rough draft to other members of leadership (not co-workers or peers). Managers who are uncomfortable with confrontation might find value in practicing the discussion by verbalizing the script they intend to use during the review meeting.
Take all the steps necessary to create the appropriate conditions for the meeting. Ensure that the room is prepared and comfortable, and make certain that all possible interruptions have been addressed.
Before opening the meeting, make sure that there are ample copies of important documents like the employee's job description and the organization's mission, vision, and values statement. If specific goals were mentioned in the previous evaluation or if they will be presented in this review, ensure that these are documented appropriately. Finally, ensure adequate office supplies are available including paper, writing instruments, tissues, and water/coffee.
All meetings should begin with a cordial but measured greeting. Authenticity is important in the opening sequence. Do not be overly glib (which can be taken as an amusing or manipulative overture) or inappropriately grave (which makes an employee uncomfortable and puts them on edge.) If the manager is uncomfortable with this piece of the interview, consider building a script and including it in the road-map to the meeting.
Open the substantive portion of the review by re-stating the expectations for the position. In some cases, a manager might ask the employee to share their personal understanding of the position's expectations before stating them. Once the expectations have been discussed, immediately follow up by asking the employee about any barriers to meeting these expectations.
Some employees go above and beyond the call of duty or a regular basis, and others are engaging in unnecessary work-arounds that generate waste. Make sure that the employee has ample time to explain these activities. Take special care not to immediately challenge an employee report of activity that seems like a bad idea. Discuss these issues later after the root causes have been discovered.
If specific goals were created at the last eval, discuss progress on those goals. Then set SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely) goals for the upcoming employment period.
Document the encounter immediately or as soon as possible. Modify the draft performance evaluation as necessary and document a plan to follow up on any important issues. When finalized, obtain the employee's signature on the evaluation. If there are disagreements about a supervisor's conclusions, allow the employee to write a response to be included in their personnel file. (Keep in mind that, in some states, an employee has a legally protected right to do this.)
If any matters were raised that required a follow-up, use the plan that was documented previously to actually follow up as indicated.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Already a member? Log In
Back