As an employer, it is important to regularly review the performance of your employees to ensure that an excellent standard of performance is consistently being met or exceeded.
Therefore, when carrying out performance reviews with employees, you should recognise the following:
1. A demonstration that they possess the knowledge and skills to perform their jobs to a excellent standard.
Defining competency of the role through a list of skills required and knowledge requirements will make identifying this easier. Don’t drive blind!
2. A good professional relationship with clients, customers or suppliers.
Remember, one of the most important factors in customer relationships is the people who answer the phone or make the deliveries, so define what it is you want your staff to say or do.
3. Prompt completion of work and the meeting of all targets.
Of course, the targets must be achievable. Progress is often made in several short steps rather than a step too far which can act as a disincentive.
4. Correct carrying out of procedures and operation of systems and processes.
Define key ground rules and what standards you require in providing the service or product.
5. Good relationships at all levels.
Remember this relates to internal, not just external. Furthermore, politeness and being helpful to all levels of customer staff is a key element.
6. A good sense of team-working, sharing the vision and values of the business.
Do your staff know your values and accept the vision? Performance is enhanced through good leadership and getting your staff excited about what it is you are trying to achieve beyond the next order.
7. A positive attitude and outlook.
Oh, if only! You cannot change personality but with sufficient patience and tenacity, you can change staff view of the company by addressing issues, always being fair and most of all, listening.
8. Good absence and attendance levels.
Be fair and be reasonable. Don’t assume everyone who goes sick is pulling the other one. Look for patterns, undertake Return to Work interviews, and address concerns in a helpful and no-threatening way will help. Basically though, you want staff who want to come to work and that is up to you as managers.
9. Low incidents of accidents or breaches in Health and Safety rules.
Be safe and be pragmatic. Staff who lose a limb can be quite demotivated! Staff want to be safe so make sure you look, with them, at their environment and how you can make it more enjoyable and safer too. You can be surprised how a small change can not only make it safer but more effective to help improve performance.
Here’s a post on how to turn things around for under-performing employees.
If you found this useful, please visit our collection of posts on People Development.
For more information on reviewing the performance of employees, please contact us on enquiry@w-l-p.co.uk.