Successful Performance Reviews

Problem

"One of my least favorite things about managing people is performance reviews. I take performance reviews very seriously and invest a lot of time into them, so they require a ton of work. However, I believe this is important and performance reviews provide you with an opportunity to help a person grow and learn, while also allowing you to reward those who have proven themselves and their skills."

Actions taken

"At Mobiquity, performance reviews are done in March, so I start my process in February. For each of my direct reports, I try to find three to four people who have worked with them or who they have reported to on a project. I then schedule 15 minutes with each of those people to talk about strengths, weaknesses, and to get as much information as I can. I take a lot of notes, and once I have finished gathering feedback for that person I start drafting what the review will look like. Next, I schedule the in-person appraisal, which takes an hour. I love providing feedback to employees, as this allows employees to be validated and provides an opportunity to discuss what they need to work on to get to the next level in their career."

Lessons learned

"Do your research and talk to people who have worked with the employee you are evaluating. Ensure you appraise them on how they perform at their job, as opposed to how you get along with them on a personal level."