{"id":11099,"date":"2018-06-18T07:04:31","date_gmt":"2018-06-18T14:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/recruitloop.com\/blog\/?p=11099"},"modified":"2023-05-10T08:42:59","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T15:42:59","slug":"7-ways-scare-staff-away-performance-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zippia.com\/employer\/7-ways-scare-staff-away-performance-review\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways to Scare Your Staff Away During a Performance Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s coming up to <\/span>that<\/span><\/i> time of the year again \u2013 it\u2019s performance review season. And whilst there is plenty of advice out there for <\/span>employees<\/span><\/i> on how to prepare for their mid-year or annual performance review (depending on where you are in the world), it\u2019s just as important for employers to prepare for the process as well. <\/span>
\nEven in small businesses and startups, employees expect to have some kind of formal review either in the middle of the year or at the end of the year, and they respect employers and managers who put effort into reviewing their performance and show an interest in their career development.<\/span>
\nA few weeks ago I happened to witness the other end of the spectrum. <\/span>
\nI was working in a caf\u00e9 located in the foyer of a busy office building in the city. It was just after 3pm when two people came to sit down at the table next to me. It\u2019s a really busy caf\u00e9 and the table was literally right next to me. \u00a0In fact if I moved my elbow slightly to the right it would have been <\/span>on<\/span><\/i> their table – that\u2019s how close we\u2019re talking.<\/span>
\nThe young guy looked a bit awkward as the woman (who I quickly discovered was his boss) sat down with their two coffees.<\/span>
\nWithin a few seconds she began what I can only describe as a complete tirade masked as a \u2018performance review\u2019 – only nothing was really reviewed at all. The poor guy was just dragged over the coals, in a very public place, in a nice loud voice for pretty much all the other caf\u00e9 patrons to hear.<\/span>
\nMy hat goes off to the guy who put up with this complete barrage of bullsh*t for about 40 minutes.<\/span>
\nPerformance <\/span>review<\/span><\/i>? More like performance <\/span>attack<\/span><\/i>!<\/span>
\nIt ended with the manager saying, \u201cI know some of this may have come across as a bit harsh. So if you want to go for a walk around the block to get some fresh air, just be quick because we\u2019ve got the project status meeting at 4pm\u201d.<\/span>
\nShe then got up, left the caf\u00e9 and walked towards the elevators.<\/span>
\nWhen I was sure she was out of earshot, I said to the guy (whose name is Harrison and whose updated resume has now been circulated to many of our recruiters!), \u201cAre you OK?\u201d<\/span>
\nHe literally looked like he was about to burst into tears.<\/span>
\nHarrison didn\u2019t go for a walk around the block but I spent about 10 minutes letting him vent before even telling him I\u2019m in the recruiting game.<\/span>
\nHe was embarrassed, humiliated, felt like crap, and now had to go back upstairs into another meeting with Anthea (his boss) and pretty much pretend nothing was wrong.<\/span>
\nI couldn\u2019t believe what I\u2019d witnessed.<\/span>
\nLet\u2019s just say Harrison doesn\u2019t have any more project status meetings with Anthea, because he quit a few days later (I may have had something to do with that), and Harrison now has a great temp gig that may well go perm.\u00a0<\/span>But that\u2019s beside the point.<\/span>
\nNobody should ever experience what Anthea put Harrison through – neither behind closed doors and certainly not in a public place.<\/span>
\nEmployees crave feedback. Any decent employee wants to know how they\u2019re tracking on a fairly regular basis. But if you want to ensure that your employee quits perhaps even with no notice (sorry Anthea \u2026 I may have had something to do with that too!) within a few days of the \u2018appraisal\u2019, follow these 6 simple steps.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Don\u2019t send out a pre-appraisal questionnaire in advance<\/b><\/h2>\n

Anthea hadn\u2019t sent Harrison anything in advance \u2026 other than a calendar invite earlier in the day telling him he was having a performance review that afternoon. The poor guy had felt physically sick for half the day.<\/span>
\nSeriously reviews need to be booked into the calendar well in advance. About two weeks prior to the scheduled review time, the employee <\/span>should<\/span><\/i> be sent a \u201cpre-appraisal questionnaire\u201d containing a series of several questions including:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • What have been your key accomplishments over the last six months and what are the areas that you are disappointed in or concern you most?<\/span><\/li>\n
  • In relation to communication with your manager what has worked well so far and what do you want to change moving forward?<\/span><\/li>\n
  • In relation to time management, what have you done that has made a difference to your effectiveness in your role?<\/span><\/li>\n
  • What are your top four priorities for the next 3 \u2013 6 months?<\/span><\/li>\n
  • In relation to your personal strengths and weaknesses, what skills have you developed or what competencies have you improved or added to your role in the last six months?<\/span><\/li>\n
  • What are you offering to the business now that you were not offering six months ago?<\/span><\/li>\n
  • In general is there anything about the business that you would like to see improved?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Pre-appraisal documents allow employees to come better prepared to their review, by making them think about relevant issues beforehand. They also help to make them feel part of the overall review process.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Harrison didn’t feel like he was part of any process … other than public humiliation!<\/p>\n

    2. Work within unrealistic timelines<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Who needs realistic timelines?!? <\/span>
    \nAll Anthea needed was 40 minutes to annihilate Harrison and she could get back on with her day. What more time do you need as a manager? At least she made it to her 4pm meeting!<\/span>
    \nAs a manager or business owner, you should ideally send out pre-appraisal documents two or three weeks ahead and your employee should have their responses back to you at least a few days before the scheduled review. This gives you ample time to prepare your own comments and areas for discussion.<\/span><\/p>\n

    3. Humiliate your employee <\/b><\/h2>\n

    Better yet do it in a public place! And make the review as intimidating as possible. <\/span>
    \nGosh if you\u2019re lucky your employee might even resign on the spot!<\/span>
    \nUnfortunately in smaller organisations employee engagement and staff satisfaction (key measures of staff retention) are often left to fall by the wayside. Annual performance appraisals often become a quick impromptu catch up over a sandwich at a nearby caf\u00e9, a 15 minute chat in a taxi on the way back from a client meeting, or worse still a two-line email along the lines of \u201c<\/span>It\u2019s great to have you on board. You\u2019re doing a terrific job. Keep up the good work<\/span><\/i>\u201d.<\/span>
    \nActually if Harrison had received a quick email like from Anthea, he might still be there!<\/span><\/p>\n

    4. Don\u2019t let your staff member speak<\/b><\/h2>\n

    A performance appraisal should ideally be a two-way street. Unfortunately in Harrison\u2019s case it was definitely a one-way street \u2026 just the way Anthea liked it.<\/span>
    \nIn and ideal world Anthea would have started with the positives \u2013 things Harrison had achieved and was doing well in his role. Of course then she could have discussed the areas where he could improve.<\/span>
    \nTo ensure your employee runs for the hills, don\u2019t let them speak, bulldoze them and leave them defenseless and on the verge of tears. <\/span>
    \nThen just get up and walk away!<\/span><\/p>\n

    5. Don\u2019t ask for feedback<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Don\u2019t let them suggest how they might improve their own performance and under no circumstances should you ask them what you can do to help them achieve this. Don\u2019t even think about offering further training.<\/span>
    \nIf you treat the performance review process seriously, then your staff will also take it seriously. They will feel more looked after and appreciated, and you will have a more constant finger on the pulse of what people are feeling like in your business.<\/span>
    \nWhy would you want your employees to feel appreciated? <\/span>
    \nAnthea had bought Harrison a coffee. Wasn\u2019t that enough?<\/span><\/p>\n

    6. Don\u2019t follow up<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Anthea had made it quite clear what Harrison had done wrong. She had given him time to walk around the block and think about it. What could there possibly have been to follow up?<\/span>
    \nPerformance review follow up is the most important step. If you have agreed to help an under-performer, make sure that you do so. Talk to their supervisor or take it upon yourself to initiate whatever steps you discussed with them to help them perform better.<\/span>
    \nThis is not only for the employee\u2019s benefit, but also to protect you. <\/span>
    \nA performance review ideally helps you to achieve the following:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Identify and monitor over and under-achieving employees;<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Structure future training programmes and possible future roles;<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Provide both praise and constructive criticism in a neutral environment;<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Clearly communicate your expectations to employees; and<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Motivate employees to greater efforts on the company\u2019s behalf.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      In Anthea\u2019s case, a performance review helped her achieve the following:<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Exert her authority and humiliate one of her employees in a public place; and<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Ensure that he resigned less than a week later leaving her in the lurch.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        In all seriousness, if well prepared for and properly conducted, a performance review indicates to your employees your professionalism, your appreciation of their contribution and your desire to see them improve and grow within the company.<\/span>
        \nIt also allows you to see which of your employees are making the most valuable contribution and which, if any, are letting the side down \u2013 useful information to have in today\u2019s tough business climate, where every dollar must count.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        It\u2019s coming up to that time of the year again \u2013 it\u2019s performance review season. And whilst there is plenty of advice out there for employees on how to prepare for their mid-year or annual performance review (depending on where you are in the world), it\u2019s just as important for employers to prepare for the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[100,120],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n6 Ways to Scare Your Staff Away During a Performance Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I you want to ensure that your employee quits within a few days of their annual performance review, follow these 7 simple tried and tested steps.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zippia.com\/employer\/7-ways-scare-staff-away-performance-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" 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