Balancing, evaluation, conclusions, lessons and new challenges. All this should result from the end-of-year evaluation of employees. However, it will be really effective only under certain conditions.
A condition for an effective and meaningful end-of-year assessment of employees is the year-long ongoing monitoring of variables that were clearly defined at the beginning of the year, named and can be quantified or measured in another way. If you do not have this in place in your company, you do not have to give up the year-end evaluation, but it should look different.
Immediate intervention
Waiting 6 or 12 months to tell an employee what you are dissatisfied with, or to praise them, is an experience. Especially since this strategy does not work effectively.
“The rating that counts is the real-time rating. That is, one that occurs immediately after an employee's activity or activities that are worthy of notice or praise, or that require correction. After all, you will not wait several months for an employee to change a work style that is not satisfactory." said Lívia Bachratá, Director of Public Affairs at Edenred.
Ideally, employees receive feedback from their supervisor on a weekly basis. And that either in person or at an online meeting, in the last case by phone.
It is not recommended to communicate these things by e-mail or in any other written form, because the written text can be misunderstood, it is not possible to react to it immediately and, above all, it is very impersonal.
Letter for employees
"It is also true that praise is given publicly, but any reprimand or activities that require some kind of correction from the employee should be communicated privately. If the superior's goal is to achieve better performance in his person, public reprimand, perhaps humiliation, is definitely not the way to go." L. Bachratá offers another piece of advice.
The end-of-year evaluation can be written in two cases. First, if measurable goals were set in the company. Then it is possible to evaluate performance and achieved goals in writing, using graphs, percentages and the like. "However, even in this case, a personal conclusion should not be missing, in which praise, encouragement, and hope are heard," continues L. Bachratá.
In some companies, the personal letter of the superior to his employees has proven itself very well. Everyone gets theirs. Part of the text is the same for all recipients – a certain form of thank you, listing goals achieved, successes, challenges overcome – and part of the text is very personal. It concerns a specific person, how the superior sees him, what he values in him, or what changes he would like to see. Of course, something like this is not possible in large corporations, but in smaller companies or where you work in teams, it is a very effective tool for year-end evaluation and feedback.
Does everyone deserve a reward?
"Such a letter should be delivered personally by its author to the addressee. And together with it, the employee can also receive a year-end bonus - of course, depending on his performance. In addition to the financial reward, the non-financial rewards that they can have, for example, on the Edenred benefit card, have a very motivating effect on employees and their growth." the Director of Public Affairs from Edenred gives a tip.
She is convinced that every employee deserves some form of reward and thanks during the year-end evaluation. Even one who has not performed at his best or is about to leave the company. "It doesn't have to be a high-value reward, but once it's an employee, it should be considered part of the team, because any exclusion and segregation weakens the team and ultimately the company." added L. Bachratá.
So that the assessment develops
It is extremely important to use precise words and expressions when evaluating. It is not enough to say that something is great, good, average, below average. Because these are very vague and indefinite words. Accurate names help in communication and in achieving goals.
Developing responsibility and improving the work performance of employees is also helped by a strategy in which not only the superior evaluates by listing hard facts and data, but space is left for the other party as well. How does the employee see himself? How would he rate himself? What would need to be done to achieve the set goals?"Last but not least, it is important that the management also acknowledges its level of responsibility. It must openly evaluate in front of itself whether the goals were set correctly, whether they chose appropriate strategies to fulfill them, and whether some of the unflattering results do not also fall on their shoulders. It is the suggestions from the other side, i.e. from the employees, that often help to set better goals and better strategies. Good leaders are open to suggestions from below. I wish every company to have or to be able to raise good leaders. We at Edenred will be happy to help with that," concluded L. Bachratá.
