An employee performance review is a crucial HR activity that aids employers and employees in identifying potential for growth and enhancing performance.

Businesses embracing continuous performance appraisal outperformed the competition by 24% more frequently

HR must carefully select the performance review questions to guarantee that this activity benefits both parties as much as possible. In this blog,  we will discuss useful questions you can ask your staff in performance appraisal surveys. 

What is a Performance Review/Performance Appraisal?

In a formal evaluation known as a performance review, a manager assesses an employee’s job performance, recognizes strengths and problems, provides criticism, and establishes goals for future performance. Performance appraisals and performance reviews are other names for the same thing. Before frequent feedback performance management systems, many firms held annual performance evaluations for the entire workforce. 

Now, however, an increasing number of enterprises do quarterly, monthly, or even weekly reviews. Several businesses have completely stopped using formal performance assessments in favour of more informal management check-ins.

Why are Performance Reviews Important?

With time, more and more organisations realise the power of performance reviews. When conducted properly, performance reviews can assist staff members in comprehending their strengths, how their role fits best into the overall aims of the firm, areas of growth, and expectations.

When managers utilise performance appraisal successfully, they are better equipped to identify top performers, address problems before they become intractable, convey expectations, promote personal and professional growth, and increase employee engagement.

When managers utilise performance appraisal successfully, they are better equipped to identify top performers, address problems before they become intractable, convey expectations, promote personal and professional growth, and increase employee engagement.

In firms that effectively manage performance, staff members will regard reviews as just one of many resources available to them for success.

What to include in your Performance Review Template?

According to one HBR survey, 65% of workers thought their performance reviews had little bearing on their careers. In light of this, your performance review template must be designed to ensure the reports are objective and truthful. Make sure to add the following;

Introductory Data

You must provide the following information in the performance appraisal for analysis and demographic purposes:

  • Person’s name
  • The ID of the worker
  • Department
  • Position
  • Reviewer’s name and title

 

Review Time

The performance review template must include the review period (week, month, quarter, or year), as well as the date the review was conducted, for you to follow an employee’s professional development and success over time.

Rating Strategy 

The most crucial aspect of a rating system is that staff members comprehend what each rating represents. The employee should be able to identify what they did well and what they need to do to improve. That is possible if there is enough explanation associated with each one.

Things to Evaluate

The performance review template should include a list of specific skills and duties to be rated. Make sure both management and self-evaluations are done.

Objectives 

Employees must be aware of their upcoming expected goals and challenges to understand the performance appraisal rating they must obtain.

Add Comment Sections

A good technique to get honest feedback is to ask for more input in the employee’s own words. This also gives the worker a chance to highlight accomplishments or talk about elements of the job that they found difficult. 

Signatures

Don’t forget to sign the performance review of the employee, both the employee and the reviewer.

Examples of Performance Review Questions

360-degree feedback, when practiced with the best principles, provides essential input into employee performance. Performance appraisal questions should reflect certain points. Managers can address several employees’ needs to increase workers’ output. This interaction strategy is straightforward and effective. 

  • Clarity of what is expected of them at work
  • Providing them with the necessary equipment
  • Recognizing their work and praising them
  • Taking care of employees 
  • Encouraging their development
  • Giving importance to employees’ opinions
  • Communicating the vision & mission of the organisation
  • Monitoring and discussing employee growth and development with them
  • Providing opportunities to learn and grow

Making questions that assess the engagement statements described above will help you come up with your performance review questions. A yes/no question can be converted into a scored response if you need extra information or a result you can monitor over time. 

To take it a step further, ask for a list of responses or leave the response open-ended if you’re looking for action items, such as areas where you can make improvements or where you can acknowledge accomplishments.

Important Questions Ask in Performance Reviews

The list of questions you can use in your performance appraisal survey is provided below.

1.  Performance Reviews for Employees 

You can ask your workers these questions to analyse their overall performance since joining or previous review;

Areas of Strength:

  • What action, undertaking, or experience are you most proud of since the last review?
  • Which of our company’s values have you demonstrated the most during the past few months?
  • How were you able to help the business achieve its current objective of [developing a more inclusive culture, increasing sales, launching a new marketing initiative, etc.]?

Relation:

  • How has your manager supported you in achieving your objectives during the last few months?
  • What expertise or experience are you expected to provide to your team or the business?
  • What would your coworkers or clients have to say about your most recent encounters with them?

Future Plans:

  • What professional and personal objectives did you meet? Which objectives were unmet? & How you’re planning to incorporate them in the future?
  • What endeavours or targets would you like to concentrate on over the upcoming three months, six months, or year?
  • What aspect of your role/job do you love the most? & How would you use it for organisational benefit?
  • What was the biggest lapse during [period; days, months, years], and why did it happen? What are your plans to counter it effectively?

 

2.  Performance Review Questions for Managers/Supervisors Regarding Employees

72% of respondents said their performance would improve if their superiors gave them better feedback. For a successful performance appraisal survey, a company not only needs to focus on taking but also giving good feedback.

These performance appraisal inquiries are similar to the ones before but are designed to inquire about the employee from the manager. This enables you to assess whether the answers provided by the manager and the employee are consistent.

Areas of Strength

  • What kinds of projects do [Name] do particularly well?
  • Did [Name] make any significant contribution since the last evaluation? Elaborate it.
  • Which corporate value have you noticed [Name] successfully adopting lately?

Performance:

  • How well has [Name] done in the last few months in setting and achieving goals?
  • What responsibility does [Name] have within the group, and what effect have they had?
  • How did [Name] help the business achieve its current objective of [building a more welcoming culture, generating more revenue, launching a new marketing initiative, etc.]?
  • What should [Name] do to ace the [type of] project successfully?

Relation

  • Explain how your actions have affected [Name]’s to advance in their position.
  • What are some instances where [Name] and others interacted positively?
  • How management is planning to help [Name] in achieving [growth, performance, etc.] goal 

 

3.   Additional Questions for Performance Management Assessments

We have added some more in-depth questions businesses should ask employees about managers covering every area of employee interaction with the organisation;

Expectations from Management 

  • What can [manager/employee name] do to make you better/help you?
  • How can I showcase my commitment to my clients? 
  • How can I demonstrate that I am proactive and responsive in my position?
  • What would you require from your management moving ahead to help you perform your job more effectively?
  • How, in the past, has your management aided you in developing and producing your finest work? Give a minimum of two instances.
  • What will you require moving ahead to better assist [Name] in producing their best work and/or attaining growth?
  • What kind of training would you like to have or wish you had?

Job Satisfaction

  • Are you satisfied with [our company]?
  • What do you appreciate most about your job at [company name]?
  • How have you adhered to the company’s values this quarter or year?
  • Would you suggest your friends work here?
  • Do you feel at ease taking chances and bringing forward novel ideas to your manager? If not, why not?

Performance Analysis 

  • How well did you reach your goals this past quarter or year?
  • What unique projects have you been a part of this last quarter/year?
  • What is a recent project to which you have made a substantial contribution, and how?
  • Considering the previous three months, what have you done to inspire and assist your coworkers?

Future Plans

  • What do you want the title of your upcoming role to be at this company?
  • What do you plan to work on for the company in a year? What about in five years?
  • What are your top three priorities for the upcoming six to twelve months?
  • What new abilities, information, or professional experiences would you like to gain to improve your performance and potential?

 

Conclusion

Employee Connect is one of the top providers of cutting-edge solutions in the area of HR software. For nearly two decades, we have persistently pushed the limits of HR technology, building a proud and ardent company. Stay connected with Employee Connect to learn more about ways your HR department can improve your company’s performance review techniques.

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