How do you conduct a performance review?

A (yearly) performance review is crucial for the growth of your employees and your business. The meeting is an opportunity for you and your employee to discuss his or her attitude, performance and ambitions. These five topics are at the core of the review.

1. Range of tasks and job performance

How does the employee go about his or her work and is he or she efficient? Which aspects should he or she focus on? And is he or she satisfied with the job content?

2. Support from the supervisor/manager

Does your employee feel he or she is getting enough support? What does he or she expect from you as an employer?

3. Working conditions

Can your employee do his or her job well and safely? Are resources sufficient? And can your employee usually complete his or her tasks within working hours?

4. Collaboration with colleagues

How does the employee work in a team setting? What are his or her feelings about the work climate?

5. Growth opportunities

How does the employee want to grow? And is this achievable considering the opportunities offered?
The interview's take-away points will then help shape the real challenge: an action plan, in which you turn the topics discussed into objectives for the coming year. Don't want to get bogged down in empty promises?

You need to formulate SMART ambitions:

• Specific: formulate your objective as concretely as possible
• Measurable: make it measurable in terms of time, quality, costs or something else
• Acceptable: keep it realistic, for yourself as well as your employee
• Relevant: try to align your employee's objectives with those of your organisation
• Time-bound: the plan has a fixed end date, and is subdivided into milestones for interim follow-up