Making the Most of Performance Reviews

Janice Halenza

With 2006 right around the corner, you can hardly pick up a magazine without encountering a “Best of 2005” list for music, movies or books.  It’s the time of year when most of us consider the previous 12 months and make plans for the coming ones.   Similarly, many healthcare organizations conduct their own “year in review” by providing employee performance assessments.

While few staff members eagerly anticipate annual reviews, most find them helpful: In a OfficeTeam survey, 77 percent of professionals said they consider these meetings valuable, while 40 percent see them as very beneficial.  In fact, when conducted well, appraisals can be positive experiences that motivate employees to reach their potential and achieve their professional goals.  Following are some suggestions to help you make these meetings as productive as possible.

Establish the Right Criteria

Many organizations provide evaluation forms to managers for reviews.  If your organization does not have a formal document, talk to your human resources manager to find out what guidelines you should follow.  Specific evaluation criteria will vary depending on the position — a patient registration clerk wouldn’t be evaluated for her accuracy in billing clients, for example, unless this was part of the job description.  Still, there are some general factors that can be considered for all staff members.  Here are some key focus areas:

• Competency: Think about how well the individual performs basic job duties.  For instance, does your front desk coordinator interact well with patients, and process their forms quickly and accurately?

• Teamwork: Does the employee have positive working relationships with others, and does she offer assistance freely?

• Initiative: How frequently does the person volunteer for new projects and come up with solutions to issues before coming to you for advice?

• Soft skills: Is the employee an effective communicator, verbally and in writing?

• Ethics: Does an employee handle confidential information with professionalism and discretion?

Make it a Two-Way Street

You’ll lower an employee’s anxiety – and perhaps increase his receptiveness to your feedback – if you ask him to complete a self-appraisal before the review.  This provides him with the opportunity to weigh in, and gives you a window into his assessment of his own performance, enabling you to better prepare for the discussion.  Perhaps you’ll also be reminded of an accomplishment you forgot – maybe he worked on a major project outside of his current job description.  You also might want to solicit feedback from coworkers or other managers he’s worked with; positive comments balance any constructive criticism you may offer.

Avoid an “ambush” appraisal.  Nothing you say during a formal review should come as a surprise to an employee.   Providing ongoing feedback ensures that employees can immediately correct mistakes and consistently build their strengths.  

Provide Constructive Criticism

The most challenging part of the review may be bringing up areas that need improvement.  Begin on a positive note.  Let the employee know what she’s done well and what, in particular, impresses you most about her work.  After talking about her strong points, shift the conversation to discuss areas where she can grow.  Give specific examples when mentioning weaknesses, and discuss how she can improve upon these areas in the following year.  For instance, you might say to an employee who needs to broaden their skill set, “While you have your basic job duties down, I’m hoping you’ll expand your responsibilities in the next year.”  Then provide a few examples of the types of projects you have in mind.

When offering constructive criticism, make sure you’re having a conversation, not giving a lecture.  By encouraging an open dialogue, you may find out about critical factors that affect her ability to do her job.  For example, maybe deadlines have slipped because the employee is covering for a coworker who left.

Next, establish goals for the employee to help her improve future performance.  These should be specific, attainable tasks, and you will both need to agree on a timeline for achieving them.  Make sure to solicit your employee’s suggestions on how she can improve as well.  If she needs stronger computer skills, for example, perhaps there is an appropriate class available.  Be sure to check in throughout the year to ensure each staff member is on track; sometimes priorities or job responsibilities change, and goals must be adjusted accordingly.

Give employees a written copy of their performance reviews, along with a memo listing the goals, how success will be measured and a timeline for completion.  This way, there will be no question about what’s expected in the next year and staff members have a guide to track their progress.

Finally, keep in mind that in addition to assessing past performance, appraisal meetings are an ideal opportunity to consider future objectives.  All healthcare professionals can benefit from an action plan for moving ahead in their careers.  This is the time to encourage employees to stretch their abilities and establish goals that will improve their overall job satisfaction.

Performance evaluations are an opportunity to reinforce expectations and communicate with your staff about their career objectives.  By preparing carefully for these meetings and offering constructive feedback throughout the year, you and your employees will get the most out of the appraisal process.