They’re commonly referred to as 1:1s, one2ones or face-to-face reviews. Or, likely, a wide variety of slang terms that employees would prefer that the boss not hear about. These one2one performance reviews are also the bane of many a manager’s existence and the C-suite might be left wondering why more value, productivity and engagement is not achieved with the team through these performance appraisal opportunities. The truth is one2one reviews can be an excellent tool for both the manager and the employee (if done correctly).
Why Managers Benefit from One2One Performance Reviews:
- Increased productivity
- Clear communication of goals and expectations
- Improved morale, engagement and team-building
- Access to quantifiable short- and long-term insights into progress (or lack thereof)
Why Employees Benefit from One2One Performance Reviews:
- Sets a clear understanding of what’s expected of them
- Creates opportunity to air out obstacles or issues
- Builds a better rapport with supervisors
- Provides an opportunity to show off accomplishments
Not only do One2One performance appraisals offer a myriad of benefits to employees, managers, senior-level management and the entire organisation as a whole, if ignored or done incorrectly these 1:1s can have a negative impact. For those trying to do the one2one performance appraisal the right way, avoid these common mishaps:
It’s only a one on one with my top team member, it won’t matter if I push it until next week. Meeting overload is a real problem in today’s workplace. For this reason, coupled with an increasingly demanding workload, it is a normal tendency for managers to look at their double-booked day and search for places to trim. The temptation to push off one2one performance reviews with your team members, however, should be resisted at all costs. The Havard Business Review reports that pushing off your one-on-one time with employees can derail productivity, stall important projects and cause morale issues.
It’s been six months or so, but I have a bone to pick with Sally, so I’m going to schedule a 1:1 this month. Your performance review mechanism should provide clear insight in real-time to the progress toward goals. With the increased visibility and access that HR software tools can provide, surprises are eliminated, and objectives are synchronised. Additionally, even if missteps occur, it will be easy to identify why, and prevent shortcomings from snowballing into larger issues.
To make the most of the performance review, I plan to rehash the whole year’s plan in detail no matter how long it takes. Effective performance reviews are short, sweet, productive and effective. When done the right way, little prep work is needed and the drawn-out “rehashing” is not needed. By accessing real-time insights and visual data through the use of HR tech tools, your team member will be ready to go through the one2one performance review smoothly.
Your Guide To Getting The Most Out Of Your Next One2one Performance Appraisal
- Be Consistent. Set an estimated time for your meeting (and stick to it). Send out an agenda (and stick to it). Set a recurring schedule for your one2one performance reviews (and stick to it). You might be sensing a theme here, and, of course, you’re right. Even if there is little to say, take the time to catch up with your team member and give them the face time with you that they deserve and often covet.
- Keep Things Informal, But Be Prepared. Formalities make the setting tense and discourage quality discourse. Keep the tone informal and loose to empower your employee to feel comfortable sharing. Be prepared to keep things from becoming so unstructured that it becomes unproductive.
- Listen With An Open Mind. As a manager, you have a pre-conceived notion of what your team member is going to say or do. Be sure to actively listen to what your employee says (and doesn’t say) during your one2one performance review. This is your chance to gain insights from someone who has his or her ear to the ground in a way you don’t.
- Use Tech To Gain Deeper Insights. HR performance software platforms can help you gain insights, sync up with employees in real-time and deepen relationships – especially with remote employees. A powerful and easy-to-use HR performance software tool will provide visual reporting tools, mobile access and streamlined objective measurement.
- Ask Open-ended Questions. Take the opportunity to ask your employee for an opinion on things. Sample open-ended questions might include the following: What could our department be doing better? What obstacles stand in the way of your success at the company? How can I support you more effectively? What do you see your trajectory in the company to be?
StaffCircle supports your one2one performance review best practices with technology that makes it easy to succeed. Your spread-out workforce can access this easy-to-use tool from their desktops or via phone or tablet – making engagement easy for all. You and your team will be able to:
- Set personal OKR objectives that allow tracking of goals in real-time.
- Create consistency in performance appraisals across departments and throughout the organization.
- Access visual data, including company-wide leaderboards to show how all team members are tracking toward goals.
- Benefit from functionality that supports rewards and recognition programs.
It is often said that employees don’t quit their jobs, they quit their bosses. This adage highlights just how important the supervisor-employee relationship is to the success of the entire organisation. The one2one performance review (or any other name it might be referred to in your company) is a quintessential tool to keep this relationship strong. It’s the chance to set expectations, measure performance and communicate issues in a two-way fashion. As the importance of these routine meetings is determined, be sure to follow best practices in your performance appraisals, avoid common missteps and tap into the technology that can make you more effective.
Book your demo with StaffCircle today!
