Prior to the appraisal

The process

The appraisal meeting is the heart of the performance management system .It is the cornerstone of the process and as such , preparation and planning are the key to a successful programme.

• Collect information for the whole period under review
• Refer to previous appraisal forms, make copies available to the individual. together with a new pre appraisal document
• Schedule meetings, giving reasonable notice for individuals to carry out their preparation. ( a week may be a good timescale )
• Consider each person’s performance, and future targets.
• Prepare a list of points for discussion, leaving enough time to respond to the appraisees input.
• Ensure appropriate time and location is available for interviews.

How to plan the meeting

• The appraiser should strive to ensure there is a balance at the meeting between reviewing past performance and planning objectives for future performance.
• Try to avoid addressing too many negative points. More than three is difficult to absorb, so prioritise if necessary.
• Identify and evidence specific example of both good and bad performance, with specific behaviours to praise or give feedback on. “That was great “or “that was terrible” with no further explanation of what was great , and why, is unhelpful .
• Only criticize performance, not personality, and only make a criticism about an area that can be improved. There is no point criticizing someone’s voice, or height for example

Giving and receiving feedback

You can download our suggested Performance review planning documents for appraisees and appraisers. You can easily adapt the templates to suit your company needs, But avoid making them too complicated. They should direct the teams thinking, but not constrain it or be onerous.