Use an Employee Self Evaluation

Self Evaluation Enhances the Performance Evaluation Process

So, it is time for the most intriguing aspect of employee development – the evaluation. How can you encourage your employees to take a greater role in the evaluation and embrace some form of career planning? Whether you are using the traditional, annual performance appraisal or a more aggressive performance management process, an employee self evaluation should be an integral part.

What Does an Employee Self Evaluation Do

A self-evaluation provides an employee the opportunity to respond to a series of questions, helping to evaluate his or her performance during the evaluation period. The process sets the stage for open conversation between the employee and the supervisor during the performance appraisal meeting. It also helps the employee take the necessary time to introspectively review personal career goals, evaluate progress, and review areas for growth.

Why Evaluate Performance

The performance evaluation encourages communication with an employee about his or her performance. This is also an excellent opportunity to discuss the following with the employee:

Role related accomplishments,

Business goals for the quarter or evaluation period,

Goals for performance enhancement and improvement, and

The next steps for your personal and business development.

An Approach to Employee Self Evaluation

Use questions to prepare for the performance review and evaluation meeting. This will help to ensure the employee does the following:

Spends time thoughtfully considering job performance since the previous performance evaluation.

Thinks about their work, career, and personal development progress since the last performance evaluation.

Thinks about work, career, and personal development goals the employee would like to achieve during this evaluation period.

Determines areas for improvement and growth

Prepares the for an interactive performance evaluation meeting – a conversation rather than judgement.

What Should a Self Evaluation Include

The employee should review his or her job description to assess the following:

Identify any components of the job description that are no longer part of his or her job or that take additional time to accomplish.

Describe new responsibilities or additional challenges the employee feels has become a regular part of his or her job since the most recent performance evaluation – specifically identify additional decision making, responsibility, accountability or oversight of other employees’ work.

Identify what the employee likes most about his or her current position.

Identify the aspects of his or her job that he or she would most like to change or eliminate, giving reasons for why this is the case.

The employee should review his or her achievements. The following aspects of those achievements should be part of the review:

What achievements and contributions have been the most important.

What goals did the employee wish they had met but did not.

What interfered with meeting these goals.

What other major projects did the employee participate and contribute.

What work is the employee performing that is outside the scope of his or her current job description.

The Self Evaluation should also include goals the employee sets. The employee should include the following goal related information:

The job-related goals the employee would most like to accomplish in the next evaluation period.

How the employee’s supervisor can help him or her achieve those goals.

What additional support the organization should provide to accomplish the goals.

The employee’s self-evaluation should include an outline of professional development – what the employee plans for his or her future might include the following:

Professional career growth goals the employee hopes to achieve within three years.

Resources and support the employee wants from the organization to help meet the professional career growth goals.

Professional and personal goals the employee feels with help him or her improve or develop performance in his or her current job.

The additional support the organization can provide so the employee is able to accomplish these goals.

What next?

When the employee is finished with the self-evaluation, a copy of it should be sent to the supervisor and human resources prior to the performance evaluation meeting. The supervisor has an incredible tool to use for helping the employee develop into a better resource for the company. Including the insights the employee reveals as part of the performance review will give him or her a feeling of importance and worth. They have a stake in what is going on. The whole experience will be more meaningful.