It's Time for Mid-Year Reviews

Research supports that effective performance management drives an increase in company performance and drives employee engagement and satisfaction. Many times, we mistakenly think about performance management as providing our employees with a yearly evaluation. It’s more than that and throughout the year, it includes setting goals, providing on-going coaching, keeping documentation with regular check-ins along with a more informal mid-year review and a year-end formal evaluation.

We are half-way through the year and it is time to conduct mid-year reviews. EPI suggests that the mid-year review be more informal. A mid-year review:
• Keeps your employees on track.
• Provides six months worth of performance information.
• Allows you to identify those that are performing well and reinforce continued performance.
• Helps you identify those that aren’t performing well, so they can improve performance.
• Ensures employees are meeting departmental goals and, if not, you can modify and adjust.

Here's a mid-year review checklist that can set you up for success:

 Review job descriptions, employee goals, and documentation that you have been keeping over the last six months

 Allow employees to complete a self-assessment

 Be aware of leniency, severity, central tendency and halo rating errors

 Make the intangible tangible by being specific as you write and deliver performance feedback

 Work with your HR department to understand the rating scale(s)

 Identify gaps between the employee self-assessment and your assessment

 Create a safe, comfortable environment as you deliver your review

 Tell employees what they have done well and what they need to improve

 Provide time for the employee to respond as you conduct your review