However, there are valid business reasons for giving this process enough attention.

• Most employees want regular and formal feedback. Supervisors mistakenly believe that the daily “atta boys” or correctional comments paint a clear picture for the employee.
• The performance evaluation is a permanent employment record and can be requested under a number of scenarios, such as in the event of a discrimination or wrongful discharge issue. The company might even have to produce performance evaluations for a number of employees as proof of equitable treatment.
• It forces the supervisor to formally evaluate the employee’s contribution.

Worthwhile Performance Evaluation
Review yearlong recollections and records. You should maintain a repository for notes and records during the entire year about the employee’s performance and behavior. Notes on the calendar also can be helpful. Even significant events that occurred 10 months prior easily can be forgotten and might have been a critical part of the whole picture.

Request Information
There are several ways to solicit information from the employee prior to the evaluation. Give the employee a blank performance evaluation form to complete and return to you prior to the evaluation.

Ask the employee to submit answers to some critical questions:
• What do you consider to be your significant contributions over the past 12 months?
• List any roadblocks to success that may have occurred.
• What do you wish you had done differently over the past 12 months?
• What comments would you like to make about the leadership and guidance you received over the past 12 months?

Review Previous Evaluations
Review previous evaluations to see whether there are recurring issues that haven’t been addressed. Looking back is also a good way to refresh your memory and evaluate the progress (or lack of it) the employee has made. It also can help you recognize improvement in the employee’s knowledge and skills.

Summary Statement
After collecting data and before beginning to complete the form, create a summary statement that accurately reflects the message you wish to send with the evaluation. For example, “Tracy has had a successful year in terms of learning new tasks and working with co-workers. However, she still needs to improve on attendance and punctuality.”

Complete the Form
When filling out the performance evaluation form, use examples that justify each rating. You should be able to articulate what the employee would have needed to do to have received a higher rating in each category. There should be no “surprises” in the evaluation if you have been candid with the employee on an ongoing basis.
Avoid “overrating” while filling out the form. If there is improvement required in a particular category, the employee should not receive a rating that indicates that performance is satisfactory.

Review Backup
A human resources professional, a peer who is skilled at performance evaluations, or your employment attorney should review the evaluation prior to delivering it to the employee. Phrases or statements that may seem descriptive could prove legally problematic at a later date. For example, a statement such as, “Tracy was a good employee until she took family medical leave. When she came back her performance suffered.” Such a statement could appear retaliatory.

Employee Meeting
Set aside at least an hour to meet with each employee and accept no interruptions unless it is a bona fide emergency. Give employees advance notice so they can prepare as well. Deliver the information in a collaborative manner, allowing discussion along the way. If an employee debates a rating, listen and take notes. Promise to consider the employee’s comments, but do not change any ratings in the meeting. Encourage the employee to follow up with you if they have additional thoughts about the evaluation.

Follow Up
Commit to sufficient follow-up after the evaluation. If you have instructed an employee to improve in a particular category, make an agreement with the employee about how it will be measured and in what time frame. Forgetting to follow up gives the employee the impression that everything is fine.

The performance evaluation is a snapshot of the previous period’s performance, and a formal assessment of how employees were judged by their supervisor. Although evaluations are not intended to be motivational tools if they are well-crafted and properly executed, they can be extremely motivating to employees. Employees should take from evaluations a clear picture of how the company has viewed their performance and behavior, and what is required for success.

Danielle Rodenbough is the principal of Trouble at Work?, a human resources consulting company located in Leawood. She can be reached at (913) 345-8593.