Is it time to level up Performance Reviews?

For many of us, the End of the Financial year is the time for the end of year performance review.

Over the last few years, there has been shifts in thinking back and forth from the performance review being an annual event to a focus on frequent 1:1 conversations, coaching and feedback. Many organisations have tried out both approaches, some have moved back to a more event driven approach whilst others are looking for agile ways to tie performance, succession, feedback, and remuneration into the flow of work where people are working remotely for the most part. Whatever an organisation decides works for them a focus on reviews of performance must support career development.

For a long time, the primary goal of any performance assessment was correction. Set ways to assess performance such as goals → measure past performance against those goals → reward or calibrate (correct) performance. In this process, performance and development were seen as the same. The only development that was deemed relevant was closing gaps in current performance to achieve current goals.

Why a focus on Performance Plus Development?

Engagement surveys tell us that employees are looking for learning and career development (this is often expressed as low scores related to ‘training opportunities‘ available to employees). Employees are looking for growth and learning beyond the confines of their present-day tasks. Perception (and reality) of development and space for career evolution is a major driver of engagement and, in turn, performance and retention.

The rapid shifts and pivots experienced by most organisations as a result of the pandemic have highlighted that it’s not enough for employees to merely have the skills needed today. Agile organisations also help employees develop the skills they might need in the future.

Embedding development conversations into performance reviews

• Build-in reflection to your review process.

• Rather than rating performance or focusing only on the achievement of goals and objectives allow employees to reflect and document their achievements, outputs success or failure. The employees and the manager can then have meaningful development-focused feedback and discussion to identify skill strengths and gaps.

Development conversations in tandem with performance conversations

• Weight your performance review questions with reflection questions related to skills and knowledge that helped someone achieve their goals.

• Train leaders to ask development questions and provide continuous high-quality feedback.

• Help make development conversations easier by working with business leaders to create examples of how to develop cross-functional capabilities or skills that are needed for the future. Examples can include: Technical career paths, learning pathways, behavioural or technical skill development.

• Finally, collect and evaluate the post-review data, look for trends in what employees are looking for in terms of skill development and support Managers to provide the required on-job opportunities and development coaching.