Ever went home and wondered if the boss noticed everything you accomplished in the last month? I wonder if my boss and I are on the same page with how I am performing. I have so much to do, what should I prioritize each month? What skills should I focus on to be even better at my current role or what should I develop if I aspire to take on more responsibility? Will my work performance affect an opportunity for a pay increase?

All good questions and could go unanswered if we don’t have a structured process to make sure we are all focusing on the right items, at the right time and in the right way. Performance Appraisals support our company in providing:

• Exceptional feedback to our Team Members
• Outstanding Customer Service to our Customers
• Strong Financial results for our Shareholders

Performance Appraisals also create a foundation for a pay for performance culture.

Self-Performance appraisals provide a platform for a Team Member to

• Increase self-awareness
• Conduct a quick skills self-examination
• Promote self-confidence
• Think about personal developmental opportunities
• Improve their current performance
• Drive meaningful annual goal setting

Performance Appraisals are a great way for a leader of people and her / his direct report to discuss and memorialize the direct report’s ability to fulfill their roles and responsibilities. When a Leader of People first reviews her / his direct report’s self-performance appraisal and then crafts the final performance appraisal to be delivered to the direct report it creates a format for the two of them to have a very meaningful conversation and a path forward.

The one-on-one Performance Appraisal conversation should not be the only time a leader of people and her / his direct report discuss performance; however, the conversation will ensure everyone is on the same page. Specifically, the Performance discussion ensures the Team Member is working on company initiatives, gaining developmental feedback, and receiving clear direction on how to be an even better performing Team Member going forward.

Performance Appraisals also provide a consistent way for a growing company to evaluate team members who are in the same and similar roles across the company. After Performance Appraisals are completed consistently and fairly our company can leverage them to determine annual merit increases in an objective and fair manner.

What’s the “why” behind all of the time investment in Performance Appraisals?

We plan to wrap up 2024 Performance Appraisals in Q2 and look to implement merit increases for those team members that are merit eligible at the beginning of Q3 (July time frame).