Why You Should Use an Employee Self-Evaluation

Why You Should Use an Employee Self-Evaluation Why You Should Use an Employee Self-Evaluation Want to encourage more participation in performance evaluation and career planning from your employees? The employee self-evaluation is one of the best methods to engage employees in the process of looking at performance and setting both job and career goals. The employee self-evaluation ensures that employees prepare thoughtfully for their performance development planning or appraisal meeting with their manager. It provides a useful opportunity for the employees to seriously consider their level of performance and contribution. This is especially important when you want to encourage your employees to set stretch goals. Self-reflection on the possibilities can enhance their  capability to aim further, higher, and smarter. It is not the same as the manager expecting more from them. It is far superior for performance when it is the employee raising the expectations. Self-Evaluation as a Career Promotion Tool The employee self-evaluation encourages employees to think about and plan for their future with your organization. They can target their next opportunity, possible promotions, different jobs theyd like to try, and cross-training theyd like to obtain. The self-evaluation is also an opportunity for employees to think about their careers either with your company or with another employer. Does your company use a traditional performance  appraisal system? Or, does your company pursue a forward-thinking performance management process? Whatever method your company uses to encourage employee performance development, consider making an employee self-evaluation an integral component in the process. Your employees will appreciate the opportunity for input and your managers will receive further insight into what motivates  and excites the employee. Why Use an Employee Self-Evaluation? In a self-evaluation, an employee responds to a series of questions that help the employee evaluate his or her performance during the evaluation period. This guides the employee through a thought process that allows him or her to focus on the many aspects and nuances of performance. The employee is prompted to think about all of the components of performance, from the job description to goals accomplished and to include professional development in the mix. This structured approach to performance management and planning helps the employee take a look at his current and desired level of contribution. This self-evaluation opens up the conversation between an employee and the manager during the performance evaluation meeting. The act of self-evaluation and the concurrent introspection causes an employee to review goals, assess progress  and thoughtfully consider areas for job and career growth. Purpose of Performance Evaluation The primary purpose of a performance evaluation is to encourage communication about job performance between the manager and his or her reporting staff members. Additionally, the performance evaluation meeting is an ideal time to discuss: The quality and quantity of the work that you accomplished during the evaluation timeframeYour business goals for the quarter or evaluation time periodYour goals for performance enhancement and improvementThe next steps for your personal and business development in your job and career. Recommended Approach to Employee Self-Evaluation Use these  self-evaluation questions to prepare for your performance review and evaluation meeting with your manager. Doing this self-evaluation will ensure that you: Spend time thoughtfully considering and evaluating your job performance since your last performance evaluation or performance development planning meeting,Think about your work, career, and personal development progress since your last performance evaluation,Think about the work, career, and personal development goals you’d like to achieve during this performance evaluation period,Determine areas in which you want to improve your performance- use coworker and manager feedback over the evaluation time period as input, Determine whether there are components of your job that might fit better elsewhere in the organization,Decide if you are spending time on tasks that are preventing you from contributing the outputs that the organization most needs from you,Adjust your job description to better reflect what you are doing,Prepare to solicit your managers opinions about how youre performing and whether he or she needs particular outcomes from you that youre not currently producing, andPrepare for your interaction with your manager to help make the performance evaluation meeting a conversation, not just a passing of judgment by your manager. Use these recommended self-evaluation questions to thoughtfully prepare for the performance development conversation. Following your thoughtful preparation, please send copies of your self-evaluation to your manager and the Human Resources department prior to your performance development and evaluation meeting.