Tips for Reviewing and Evaluating Employee Performance
For businesses both large and small, managing employee
performance is key to establishing a productive workplace. The challenge that many
small business owners face is the lack of a human resource department,
specially trained in evaluating the performance of associates. Although hiring
a human resource professional may not be in the budget, there are some small,
simple yet highly effective ways for business owners to begin to successfully
managing employees’ performance.
Establish Regular Performance Reviews
One of the first items to accomplish when beginning to
formally review employees’ performance is setting a performance review schedule.
This will help to keep the owner and the employee on track as well as keep a
routine for when the employee will be reviewed. Consider a review schedule
based on the business – many businesses do three reviews a year, one to set the
goals for the year to come, one to check on progress toward the middle of the
year and one to review the entire year’s performance. Your business and
industry will help determine how often you review an employees’ performance.
What to Cover in Performance Reviews
It is also important to establish exactly what items will be
covered during a performance review. While a lot of the topics that are
important are again determined by the type of business, there are also some
general items that should also be included. Some general items include talking
about and setting objectives and/or goals that the employee can complete in their
given position, establishing and explaining how the employee’s performance will
be rated, assessing performance and work in their
position and toward their goals and also allowing the employee to provide their
own feedback.
How to Determine When an Employee should be Terminated
Despite our best efforts, there are going to be times when
an employee is not performing up to the business’s standards. Performance
reviews are a great tool for uncovering when associates are just not properly
matched or capable of doing their job. When it comes time to terminate an
employee, there are some basic guidelines that will help keep the process
smooth and civil. During performance reviews and any other interaction with the
employee, make sure to keep accurate records of how they are performing so
there is supporting evidence to justify and explain why the employee is being
let go.
It is very important to make sure that there is a written
and understood procedure in place for how terminations will be processed. Make
sure that all employees are aware of this from when they get hired onward so
there are no surprises if they should be terminated. Finally, make sure to approach
the employee in private, with another manager or supervisor in the room for
support and have all the necessary paperwork ready for the associate to sign so
they are free to leave at the end of the meeting. Having these items in place
makes the process less painful for both you and the associate.
Employees’ performance is vitally crucial to how a business
operates. By setting up a formal performance review process and having the
proper procedures in place if an employee should need to be terminated it can
help to nurture and grow a culture of high performance within the business.
Always make sure to give employees the opportunity to give their input during a
performance review and let them know that their good performance is important
to how your business operates.
Making critical business decisions is vital to any small
business or work at home business owner. If you are struggling with your
business management skills, Stacy O'Quinn can help! Stacy was once like you,
but used Dani Johnson training tools to turn a struggling home business into a
six figure income. To find out how Stacy can help you do the same, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment