Section 3.9: Your Performance Evaluation

Ruth Lewis

Section 3.9: Your Performance Evaluation

A man and woman in business suits stand in the foreground on either end of the image. Behind them is a large slide “Performance Evaluation: Punctual, Exceeds Goals, Try to Communicate Better, Exceeds Expectations. Overall Jose is Super!”

After a few months of working at a new organization, your employer may sit you down with you for a performance evaluation (sometimes called a performance review or performance appraisal). A performance evaluation is a review and discussion of your performance of assigned duties and responsibilities. This is the time when your manager will bring up any concerns or problems that they have with your performance or behavior in the workplace. This is also an excellent opportunity for you to address any challenges that you’ve been facing. Your manager will also be likely to help you develop a work plan for the next six months to a year.

Here are some tips to help you prepare for your performance evaluation:

Make a list of your accomplishments and challenges: Your manager is going to want to see examples of your strengths and challenges. If you take the time to identify them ahead of time, you’ll be better able to communicate the value of your contribution.

A woman sits in front of a laptop in a kitchen. There is a thought bubble above her head that says “Hmmm. What are my strengths?”

Be formal: Your manager may be treating the meeting casually, but it isn’t. Your performance evaluation becomes a part of your file in human resources and it’s reviewed whenever managers are considering promotions and pay raises. Treat your performance evaluation as you would any important meeting with your manager.

A man in a cardigan and pants and a woman in a business suit and holding a folder are shaking hands in an office.

Be open to feedback: Your manager is going to give you both positive and negative feedback on your performance. Although criticism can be difficult to hear, you need to hear it to get better. It’s important that you’re open to feedback and that you try to learn from it.

Jane meets with supervisor for evaluation. He says “Jane, I’ve noticed that you have all these great ideas but you sometimes underestimate how long it will take to complete them. I’d like you to work on setting more realistic goals for what you can accomplish.”

Be proactive: Don’t just sit there quietly through your performance evaluation. Actively engage in the process. Tell them about your accomplishments and show your enthusiasm when setting your goals for the upcoming year. This is also an opportunity to ask questions and express your concerns.

A man is sitting behind his desk and a woman is sitting on the other side of the desk. There is a speech bubble above the woman that reads: “I’m excited about the goals we have set for the next year. I have a few questions about what you see as my priorities and what you see as actions I can take to further develop my career here at ABC Corp.”

Take Action: Your performance evaluation doesn’t end when the meeting does. Take the feedback that you received and try to improve upon any weaknesses that were identified. Going forward, make it a habit to ask your manager for feedback whenever appropriate. Also, keep a copy of your work plan handy and review it on a regular basis to make sure you stay on track.

A woman is sitting behind her desk in an office. There is an arrow from her computer screen that points to a box, representing what she is looking at on her screen. The screen has an image of a suitcase on it with the words “Work Plan” on it.

Many employees become nervous when they learn that they’ll be having a performance evaluation. However, if you’re properly prepared, it can be a positive experience that helps you grow professionally.

Watch the video or download and read the transcript for “Career Readiness – Employee Evaluations – Performance Evaluations.”