Assessing Employee Performance and Delivering Effective Feedback

If you did your homework and fully understand the expectations of the roles you are managing, and met with your team to lay a strong foundation for performance expectations, then you are in a great position to start assessing performance and giving feedback.

ASSESSING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Although every company has different performance management forms, tools and criteria, a supervisor/manager should always be tuned in to the following basic elements of employee performance:

• The quality of the work produced
• The quantity of the work produced
• The timeliness of the work produced
• Ability to work effectively with a team
• Ability to handle multiple tasks
• Ability to provide excellent customer service (internal and external customers)
• Ability to follow directions
• Professionalism
• Commitment to self development

ASSESSING EACH EMPLOYEES LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE
In order to accurately assess the performance of each employee, I suggest looking at the documentation you used to establish performance expectations for your team (job description, review form, etc). That documentation, coupled with the categories listed above, should be sufficient for assessing your employees’ current level of performance. Make a list of the names of each of your employee’s, and begin rating them on a scale of 1-10 for each of the categories.

Once you have completed the exercise, you will most likely be able to see patterns emerging. It might surprise you that an employee you have come to rely upon does an exceptional job with the quality of their work, but cannot seem to turn in an assignment on time to save their soul. This type of information is critical as you prepare to start giving feedback.

PERFORMANCE LEVELS
Throughout my years in the business world, employee performance has consistently been categorized into three main groups. Although there is a wide range of performance that exists within each group, performance review forms also typically follow this criteria:

Strong Performer- Common characteristics of this employee include:

• Highly proficient in all aspects of the role
• Consistently excel in their ability to get their work done in a timely and accurate manner.
• Commonly go above and beyond what is normally expected of them in the role.
• The "go to people" within the department as well as outside of your department
• Enjoy taking on additional assignments and challenges
• Are often the trainers for new employees
• Are extremely dependable
• Are often your right hand

Effective Performer -Common characteristics of this employee include:

• Proficient in the majority of the aspects of their role
• Typically get their work done in a timely and accurate manner
• Do what is asked of them but don’t often reach out for additional responsibility
• Can be relied upon to ask questions as issues arise
• Are relatively dependable

Employee with Performance Deficiencies- Common characteristics of this employee include:

• Inconsistent performance
• Failing to grasp or retain concepts or routines
• Work is not consistently completed in a timely or accurate manner
• Does not reach out for assistance when issues arise
• Is not consistently reliable or dependable
• Tends to make a lot of excuses

Now that you have a solid idea of the strengths and development needs of each of you team members, it is time to prepare for giving performance feedback.

FEEDBACK

WHY IS PERFORMANCE FEEDBACK SO IMPORTANT?

The dynamics a leader has with their team is very similar to some of the elements that exist between a parent and child. The role of the parent is to create an environment for their children to flourish. Most parents create experiences for their children to grow and learn from. Then we slowly push them out of the nest so they can test their wings. Ask any child and they will tell you: their parents are ALWAYS giving feedback. Now if you ask my kids, they would probably characterize it as nagging, preaching or just flat out driving them crazy. I prefer to call it constructive feedback. ; )

If you think about the parent/child dynamic, you can see that leaders also need to create scenarios for their employee’s to grow and flourish. As I have said before, how do can you expect our employees to know what to change, if you don’t tell them. In many cases, employees operate under the assumption that if nobody says anything, then things must be going OK. In other cases, employee’s take advantage of a leader they know is incapable of giving honest feedback. They will continue to push the envelope to see how far they can go. I have seen environments that spiral completely out of control because an overly amiable leader can’t muster up the courage to lay the law down and give honest feedback.

CONQUERING THE FEAR OF GIVING FEEDBACK
The first key to getting over the fear of providing feedback is to banish the notion that it is a negative or critical thing. My dad always used to say “what is the big deal; you are just having a conversation”? The more I thought about it I realized he was right. Performance discussions are not about ME talking AT my employee. The discussion is about my sharing my perspective, and then asking the employee for feedback. There is NOTHING negative about that.

WHAT SPECIFICALLY CAN PERFORMANCE FEEDBACK INFLUENCE?

• Improvement in an employee’s timeliness or accuracy of their daily work responsibilities
• Preparing an employee for future promotional opportunities
• Raising the collective performance of your entire team
• Addressing significant performance deficiencies of a specific employee

TYPES OF FEEDBACK
Feedback should become a fluid part of how you manage each and every day. Feedback typically comes in two forms:

Informal Feedback- This type of feedback should occur naturally throughout the normal course of the leader’s day. Characteristics include:

• Occurs on a daily basis- Feedback should occur as a regular course of conversation throughout the day. As you are chit-chatting with your employees, be sure to compliment them on a job well done. If discussing a problem, ask for feedback on the issue along with their recommendations for mitigating the risk of future issues.
• Is typically done in a casual setting- Be a prominent presence in the work area. Stop by and chat with your employees. Ask about what they are working on, or the status of an issue that had previously been discussed. Include others in the discussion if needed. This makes the group feel as if they are a true team and are working toward a common goal.
• Can be positive or corrective in nature- Complimenting an employee about an accomplishment in front of their peers is the right thing to do. I highly encourage public displays of recognition whenever possible. But don’t necessarily shy away from having open discussions about issues or problems in the work area. As long as you keep it positive and make it a learning experience for the team, forge ahead.
• Encourages open dialogue with the employee- The more your employees see that they can l participate in discussions related to both positive and negative situations, without fear of humiliation or retribution, the more of a cohesive team you will create. They will start to trust and rely on each other for guidance and this has the potential to head off a number of potential issues.

Formal Feedback- This type of feedback typically results from a significant performance issue, an ongoing performance issue. Characteristics include:

• Feedback session is scheduled- A specific meeting time is scheduled and the supervisor/manager should come with a formal agenda of what they wish to speak about.
• Is typically done in a private setting- the meeting should occur in a private office or conference room. Interruptions should be kept to a minimum.
• Can be positive or corrective in nature- Regardless of the reasons behind the meeting, remember that a mixture of positive and corrective feedback should be used if at all possible. If not handled appropriately, a barrage of negative feedback will cause most employees to shut down. Even the worst performing employee typically has some redeeming qualities.
• Encourages open dialogue- Although you should always try to ensure open dialogue with your employee’s, there are times when a discussion needs to be designed to send a strong message. When an employee is struggling with their performance, it is critical that you ask good questions in an attempt to find out what is contributing to the problem. Let’s face it, as the leader, you are the one responsible to try and help assist the employee in overcoming their issues. After you have sufficiently discussed the issues, it is time to clearly state the expectations going forward and the consequences for failing to meet those expectations.

GENERAL PERFORMANCE FEEDBACK

Feedback required for strong performers:
Strong performers need reinforcement from their leaders. They need to see that the leader recognizes their top notch performance. They want more challenging work assignments and exposure to other people and process throughout the organization. Many want your help getting to the next level. They are typically great collaborators and enjoy projects that allow them to create efficiencies for the work environment. They are talented individuals who have earned your respect and your loyalty.

Your job in developing a strong performer is to get to know their aspirations, and then continue to give the projects to increase their exposure to new skills and to the people that may want to promote them into a new role. Frequent meetings with a strong performer are necessary to keep their professional growth moving forward.

Finally, keep in mind that these employees are the ones who help make you look like a hero to your boss. Senior managers love to see work teams comprised of many of these strong performers; it helps them sleep much better at night….trust me! So make sure your high performers know how much you value their performance and commitment.

Feedback Required for Effective Performers:
First let’s recognize that there is absolutely nothing wrong with an effectively rated performer. As one of my old bosses used to say, “They make good foot soldiers”. While this is true, I would not necessarily be comfortable with having an entire department of foot soldiers. The average performer is typically dependable and reliable. They come in every day, do their work and go home. They often have no desire to move up in the ranks and balk about taking on significant additional responsibilities.

Be careful not to judge these employees. Remember, not everyone is meant to climb the corporate ladder. The employee may just be working as a second source of income and work is not their top priority. They may be the primary caretaker for their children or a parent, or they may be at a point in their life where their job is more about WHAT THEY DO, not WHO THEY ARE.

What you should expect from the average performer is that they continue to produce solid work. They must also keep up with the pace of organizational change and demonstrate a reasonable willingness to go above and beyond when asked. Continue to challenge them with little projects to see what they are capable of, but be reasonable with your expectations.

Your job is to manage the employee based on where they are in their life. Keep in mind that things can change in a heartbeat and the once average employee could suddenly become ready to take the world by storm. The lesson here is to never write an employee off. Keep the lines of communication open and always continue to champion their growth and development.

Feedback Required for Employees Exhibiting "Initial" Performance Deficiencies:
Regardless of what situation you are dealing with, you will need to make a conscious effort to increase the level of feedback you are providing the employee. Initially, this should be a combination of formal and informal feedback. If the performance is not improving, you will want to lean toward more formal meetings to review the issues and discuss your concerns. Make sure to document each of your discussions.

The thing to remember about employee’s experiencing performance issues is that you may never know what is contributing to the issue. I have seen cases where very bright employees with promising futures absolutely implode. Although you will want to lines of communication open at all times, you can only go so far in helping an employee with an issue. Remember, you are not the employee’s parent, social worker, psychiatrist or clergy. Your role in addressing performance issues includes:

• Being open and honest about the specifics of the performance deficiency- You need to be able to clearly and concisely explain what specifically is unacceptable about the performance
• Being supportive, encouraging and non-judgmental.
• Creating a plan WITH the employee to address any re-training opportunities that may exist
• Establish a plan for weekly meetings where you and the employee can review the progress they are making on their performance goals

If the performance issue appears to be influenced by outside factors (family issues, substance abuse, and medical or mental health issues) it is your responsibility to reach out and identify any resources that may be available to assist the employee.

Feedback Required for Employees Who Are Struggling with "Ongoing" Performance Issues
Be sure to thoroughly prepare for the conversation by having specific examples ready to share with the employee. The meeting should proceed as follows:

• Thank the employee for taking time to meet with you
• Tell the employee that you took some time to review some issues that have surfaced regarding their performance
• Explain the things that are impacted by their performance issues (customer service, financial loss, etc)
• Share specific examples with the employee
• Give the employee an opportunity to discuss the issue(s) and provide any feedback they may have
• Ask the employee what you can do to help them improve their performance in these areas
• If the request is reasonable, make a plan with the employee about when and how to address their request
• If the request is unreasonable, be honest with the employee and tell them why
• Explain to the employee that you will assist them in improving their performance by arranging additional training and providing them with additional feedback to ensure the two of you are able to gauge their process
• Reaffirm your commitment to helping them and ask that they keep you informed of any issues or problems they may encounter.

How to Effectively Deliver a Performance Improvement Plan
If you have had previous discussions with the employee regarding their performance, and have not seen significant improvement, it is time to get more formal with the process and corresponding feedback. Most companies have some type of performance improvement plan that should be implemented at this point. Be sure to come to the meeting with a fully documented performance plan. The meeting should flow as follows:

• Thank the employee for joining you
• Explain that you wanted to get together and discuss some of the ongoing performance issues the employee continues to experience
• Recap the performance discussions you have had recently with the employee
• Explain that you feel it is time to place the employee on a performance plan
• Describe the performance plan process as required by your company
• Review the details of the performance plan with the employee
• Review the time frame the plan will be in effect
• Review the schedule of follow-up meetings that will occur between you and the employee
• Be very clear about the expectations for improvement and the consequences for failing to show immediate and sustained improvement in their performance
• Reassure the employee that you are committed to supporting them with the plan
• Ask the employee for their feedback
• Conclude the meeting by asking the employee to keep you informed of any issues or problems that arise

Leadership Commitments for a Successful Performance Improvement Plan
There are several things required of the leader if you want to have success with a performance plan:

• Increase the level of communication with the employee
• Maintain solid documentation of performance related issues
• Stick to the meeting schedule you agreed upon with the employee
• Ensure all follow-up training takes place as planned
• Follow-up with the employee to ensure the training was effective

With this level of oversight, most employees are able to turn their performance around. If the employee continues to struggle throughout the performance plan, you will most likely be looking at a possible demotion, transfer or even termination. Partner with your manager/HR representative for next steps.

SUMMARY
Daily communication with your team members is absolutely critical for success. Not only are you creating an environment that ensures accurate and timely completion of the work that is done in your department, but you are creating a culture that supports professional development.  Assessing employee performance and providing timely feedback on that assessment is a minimum expectation of a leader's job.