Understanding Continuous Conversations and Annual Performance Review
In today’s business environment managers have found the critical importance of effectively ensuring to maintain employee appraisals and discussions to keep both the organisation and employee aligned. Likewise, management has undertaken continuous conversations, annual performance reviews or a combination of the two in order to assure this is achieved.
Specifically, continuous conversations involve managers having discussions with employees on a day-to-day basis. This involves talking about all areas of struggles the employee may be facing, talking about points of improvement and further discussing goals that the employee should work towards. Moreover, continuous conversations are largely utilised in strategic planning models and further cascading goals strategies whereby managers are able to ensure that the daily goals of employees are aligned with the overall organisational goals.
On the other hand, annual performance review involve managers assessing and evaluating the employees work performance throughout the entire year. This encompasses assessing the employee’s ability to develop and finding points of improvement for employees to take on board throughout the following year to come. Moreover, annual performance reviews allow employees to stay motivated to improve throughout the following year, hoping for even greater results in the following year.
Likewise, dependent on the situation it is important for management to assess both continuous conversations and annual performance review to decide which is more beneficial for the organisation to effectively undertake. Following, within this blog you can find out the relative benefits of both continuous conversations and annual performance reviews to which it will help you in deciding which one suits your organisation more.
Benefits of Continuous Conversations
Improved Engagement
Through conducting continuous conversations, the benefit of improving employee engagement is effectively attained. Employee engagement levels can be seen to be increased as the continued conversations between employee and manager allows employees to feel a strong sense of value within the organisation. This value means that the employee will begin to take on board the points of development mentioned by management allowing for an increased level of engagement with the employee and the work that they complete.
Increased Productivity
Through conducting continuous conversations, the benefit of increased productivity is achieved. Productivity is effectively increased whereby when employees receive feedback within the conversation surrounding effective areas of improvement and strategies to work more effectively, employees become increasingly motivated to try new approaches to better their personal skills and techniques. Likewise, this will effectively improve the productivity level of employees as management has outlined areas and tricks for employees to work more efficiently throughout the continuous conversation.
Improves Organisational Alignment
When conducting continuous conversations, it can be seen that the benefit of improving organisational alignment is achieved. This is largely due to continuous conversations allowing for management to assess what the daily goals of an employee are and ensure that they are aligned to the overall organizations end goals and objectives. Likewise, this benefits the organization extremely, where if the organization is conducting the cascading goals strategy it assures that at the individual employee level goals are being met that follow the cascading plan.
Reduced Employee Pressure
When conducting continuous conversations, it can be seen that the benefit of effectively reducing employee pressure may be attained. Specifically, employee pressure throughout day-to-day activities such as unforeseen and fast-paced changes actively impact employees’ abilities to perform effectively. Likewise, when continuous conversations are conducted employees are able to seek and receive advice from managers on how to effectively overcome the pressure from the tasks at hand. In turn, employees become empowered, connected and able to take the leadership role on the work they are completing as the pressure placed can be effectively removed.
Improves Trust
Through conducting continuous conversations, it can be seen that the benefit of improving employee trust may be achieved. Trust is improved through continuous conversations as employees begin to understand that managers are working with employees to further strengthen their skills and ensure they are continually comfortable within the organisation. Likewise, employees will feel they may communicate to managers whenever necessary, correspondingly assuring that productivity and efficiency in the workplace are to be attained.
Benefits of Annual Performance Review
Improves Communication
Through conducting annual performance reviews, it can be seen that the benefit of improving communicationmay be attained. Specifically, communication is likely to be improved as employees will find that during a performance review, they are able to communicate their feelings about certain organisational activities, whilst further managers will communicate how employees can further develop effectively. Likewise, a culture of open and honest communication is created where employees can feel safe and ensure their voices are being heard and validated.
Employee Development
When conducting annual performance reviews, it can be seen that employee development is to be achieved. Specifically, employee development is likely to be achieved whereby employees are able to gain important feedback, critique, resources and information on how to improve, how to increasingly strengthen operations and overall increase self-abilities through manager feedback provided during annual performance review. In turn, throughout the following annual period employees will develop daily aiming to strengthen their self-strengths and improve their weaknesses.
Time Efficient
When conducting annual performance reviews, it can be effectively seen that the benefit provided to the organisation is that it is largely time efficient. Specifically, annual performance reviews are only conducted once per year, as such there is time saved up throughout the year for other important daily activities.
Motivate Employees
When conducting annual performance review, it can be seen that the benefit of motivating employees may be achieved. Specifically, employee motivation is likely to be increased whereby based upon the feedback and responses received throughout the annual performance review employees will work towards effectively ensuring that they are to achieve even greater results in the following year. Moreover, employees will stay motivated to sustain the positive feedback that they have received to ensure that they are continually recognised by management for the good they conduct.
Increase Employee Satisfaction
Through conducting annual performance review, it can be seen that the benefit of increasing employee satisfaction levels may be achieved. This is through annual performance reviews recognising all the employee’s achievements throughout the year at once. In turn, employees may feel as though management cares about the work that employees have completed and recognises their value within the organization. In turn, employee satisfaction levels will increase tremendously when managers assure to recognise employees throughout annual performance review.
