Despite the plethora of business policies and best practices, a credible employee performance evaluation on productivity and effectiveness is still one of the best tools to increase overall productivity.

That’s because a performance review system aligns the organization’s vision, strategy, and values to the work of individuals and teams.

A proper performance review can also boost employee confidence by allowing them to learn and hit their full potential.

How to improve your staff performance with performance review?

So, here are ten performance review tips to help to boost effectiveness and productivity:

1. Define roles with clear milestones

Define roles clearly before conducting a perforce review. That includes a comprehensive definition of employee duties and goals – either long or short-term. Also, the goals should be clear and realistic.

2. Engage employees from the onset

Always be a good listener. It would help if you established trust by asking for their opinions, as this will make them more open during the review process. Don’t forget that it’s the employees who are doing the handy work.

3. Gather employee data

In the current data-driven world, a performance review conversation shouldn’t be subjective to the manager’s opinion only. That said, get rich employee data from multiple sources like fellow managers, supervisors, or hiring documents to guide the conversation.

4. Review performance frequently

Another vital performance review meeting tip is to make them more frequent but less formal. Performance review meetings can be toxic, so be careful not to create unnecessary employee stress and hinder morale.

5. Focus on the future

Traditionally, performance reviews focus on past practices. But because the past can’t be changed, the team should look forward to new objectives. However, always reflect on past experiences as the guiding point.

6. Discuss career development

During an annual performance review meeting, tell the employees about the available progress opportunities to motivate them. Ask them what they hope for the future and if they are happy. Also, ask if they need further training.

7. Ask about yourself

Are you a great leader? Well, the only way to know is to ask the employees about your performance. Show them support and care by maintaining open communication.

8. Focus on solutions

Always focus on the positives to encourage improved performance. Praise the employees for their performance before singling out areas that need improvement. Offer tangible solutions instead of punishment for low performance.

9. Reward strong performances

To motivate both high and low performers, offer incentives for strong performances. This will make not only weak performers work harder but also keep talented employees happy and engaged.

10. Follow-ups

The last performance development review tip is to make follow-ups. After the meeting and creating new goals, you should offer support by keeping the conversation going. In short, maintain an open-door policy.

Final Advice

After a performance review meeting, keep a summary of the meeting with a list of new goals and targets. This should come in handy in your next performance review meeting.