AVP of Talent at FedEx Employees Credit Association, overseeing talent management, development and succession planning.
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Companies work hard to attract the right people, and they work equally hard to support those employees’ development and growth within the company. Sometimes employees do not or cannot perform at the level needed. Accountability and support work together to ensure employees and companies have a mutually beneficial relationship.
Annual performance reviews exist in virtually every company, designed to give yearly feedback on employee performance. At their most primitive, reviews offer documentation of company communication to the employee. At their best, however, they facilitate an ongoing conversation between supervisor and employee about areas of strength, needed improvement and goal setting for the coming year. Here are some best practices for maximizing performance reviews to hold employees accountable.
Be Honest And Specific
For performance reviews to be worth anything, they must tell the truth.
Where does the employee shine? Does the employee regularly exceed expectations? Where does the employee need to improve? Is the employee exhibiting behavior problems, slow comprehension of job functions or poor performance? Performance reviews invite you to officially document these things. Whether evaluating an employee file for promotion or disciplinary action, their performance review should give an accurate depiction of their performance.
Ignoring problematic performance or behavior is negligence against the employee and the company. Telling the truth about poor performance can feel difficult in the moment, but avoiding the truth will be more difficult in the long run. Whether you coach the employee up or out, honesty will get you there with the most ease and with the right documentation should you find yourself in court.
Good feedback is also specific. Rather than asking an employee to “do better with communication,” ask them to “follow all company policies regarding communication with customers and co-workers,” including “proofread emails before sending them and stop interrupting co-workers during meetings.” A clearer directive focuses the employee’s energy toward specific improvements needed, giving them parameters for success and a framework for accountability. While every employee occasionally interrupts or hits send too quickly, if the behavior persists over a longer period of time, the supervisor can revisit the agreement—this time perhaps accompanied by a disciplinary action for non-compliance.
Break Down Goals
Performance reviews should prompt both supervisor and employee to reflect on the past year, considering what they meant to achieve, what they actually finished and why discrepancies exist. Did you accomplish the goals you set last year? If not, why? This conversation welcomes both creativity and reality as you set the employee’s goals for the coming year.
Again, be specific when you guide the employee toward new goals. Were there factors beyond their control to which you wish they responded differently? What did you want them to do, and how do you want them to improve in this specific area in the coming year? Did the employee miss their goals because of poor performance? What specifically needs to change so that they can be successful in the coming year? Are there particular skills you want them to develop, and if so, what can help them?
Rather than leaving the employee with something vague like “act more professionally,” help them set SMART goals, such as “uphold customer service standards and company culture expectations by earning a 95% average on quarterly quality assurance assessments while also avoiding any co-worker complaints to management about their behavior.” This SMART goal has built-in checkpoints (quarterly) for specific measurements (95% average on QA and zero co-worker complaints) to ensure that the employee can realistically achieve their results (uphold standards and culture) within the timeframe (coming year). Employees look to supervisors to help them break down large goals into manageable pieces, and SMART goals offer an excellent framework for creating a plan.
Tweak As Needed
Specific feedback on employee performance launches targeted goal setting that will serve both employee and company well. Revisit the previous performance review each quarter to track progress and tweak strategies as needed. Unexpected events sometimes require rearranging or overhauling our project plans, like the pandemic or a family emergency. Poor performance one quarter prompts analysis so the employee can adjust their behavior toward success. The key is regular, clear and honest feedback between employee and supervisor about what is working and what needs adjustment.
If an employee is just not getting it, their annual performance review should not be their first indication of failure. Discuss performance issues in regular one-on-one meetings or in a six-month review, if necessary. Document the conversation so that the employee can reference your specific guidance, and so that you have a paper trail if you need to exit the employee.
Two Examples
Dan is excellent at his tasks, but his attitude negatively impacts co-workers and undermines department productivity. Dan’s supervisor must address his behavior because attitude is a job performance issue. Dan’s supervisor should affirm his reliability with his tasks but raise the attitude issue right away, with regular feedback on Dan’s improvement, documented in meeting notes and formal reviews.
Judy excelled in her previous department but is making several mistakes in her new role. Previous performance reviews are stellar, but this year’s includes several areas requiring improvement. Her supervisor should consider what training Judy has had or still needs, differences between department expectations and whether their team’s communication is as clear as believed. The supervisor should give Judy honest feedback about gaps in her performance, create a timeframe and plan for improvement to which they both agree and check in with Judy regularly about her improvement. If Judy makes sufficient progress, they can move toward other areas for talent development, but if not, they can tweak their improvement plan or move toward an exit.
Ideally, honest feedback and accountability will boost employee performance and engagement. If not, they create a pathway for exploring new opportunities for both parties. Accountability also protects the integrity of your company culture and the quality of your brand.
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