How to Make the Most of a Performance Review

Performance reviews are considered great tools in assessing employees' abilities and comparing their achievements with those of fellow co-workers and to the enterprise as a whole. The method of analyzing an employee by a performance review may vary from one company to the other but the basics of assessing their capabilities are more or less the same.

The performance review is basically a method of evaluating your skills in the current job level that you are in. Interestingly, you could also use it to find out the skills you would want to acquire to reach the higher levels from your position. It is very important that you make the most out of your performance review as it essentially reflects the attention of your bosses as regards your pay raise and even job security.

Here are a few tips for you to consider the next time you are about to hit performance review season and really make it worth scrutinizing by your seniors:

Make sure you completely understand your job description

There are various tasks that you were assigned to at the time you had been recruited for the position that you are in and ensuring that you know all the aspects of your job description is a must. Double check if there is any task that you are unsure of and if there are any, you might want to consult with the manager or your boss to get rid of any confusion about your roles. Try to be very keen on all the specifics of your job position.

Keep a track of your achievements

Before your performance review is created, make a list of all the achievements you have fulfilled and keep a record of it to show it to your boss at the time of your performance review. This will boost your chance for a possible promotion as there will be an ordered presentation of all the accomplishments that you have achieved.

Set realistic goals for yourself

You need to have a sound knowledge of what is expected of you from your job and accordingly plan and enlist a few goals that you are capable of fulfilling within the timeline allocated by yourself.

When setting these, consider making them SMART goals, that is goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. SMART goals make the what, when, and how of your goal clear.

Document these onto a written format and hand a copy of it to your boss or the manager so that he knows what your goals are in order to ensure whether you are working according to your plan. This greatly increases chances of a job promotion or at the very least, a possible pay raise.

Examine your last performance review

Go over your last year’s review, sort out any problems that you have had and try to focus on them this year so that you don’t carry on doing the same mistakes again. Plan on entering training programs to acquire skills that you think would have granted you a better performance review last year.