The Employee Review Meeting and the Annual Appraisal (S-ML0092)

Managers with line management responsibility, team leaders, executives of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as human resources managers and officers.

• Turn the annual review meeting from an administrative exercise into an instrument of leadership and retention.
• Prepare the review meeting on the basis of documented observations rather than recent impressions.
• Formulate objectives that are verifiable and that the employee can genuinely influence.
• Handle difficult conversations: disagreement, disappointment, refusal or silence.

• Why so many review meetings have no effect
  • an appraisal ritual or a management instrument: two opposing logics;
  • the classic biases: halo effect, recency, leniency, comparison between employees;
  • what the employee actually remembers from the meeting;
  • the link between a poorly conducted review meeting and disengagement in the months that follow. 
• Preparation, where everything is decided
  • collecting observations throughout the year instead of reconstructing memories;
  • making meaningful use of the employee’s self-assessment;
  • setting, duration, location and guideline: creating the conditions for a useful exchange;
  • preparing the two or three messages that absolutely have to be delivered.
• Conducting the review meeting
  • the structure: review, recognition, development, outlook;
  • giving feedback according to clear rules: describing rather than interpreting;
  • receiving disagreement and disappointment without giving in or becoming defensive;
  • addressing underperformance without damaging the working relationship.
• Objectives that hold throughout the year
  • formulating objectives that are verifiable, within the employee’s control and accepted;
  • agreeing on development measures and ensuring they are followed up;
  • replacing the strictly annual rhythm with short interim reviews;
  • connecting the review meeting, skills development and retention.