Make performance reviews an effective contributor to your organisation’s health.  You can utilise features within the DOTS LMS to help you create and deliver performance reviews without the dread and and trepidation so often part of this business process.

• Don’t accept a 6 or 12 month review cycle as default.  You can set the system for shorter periods for review meetings that may include some ‘course correction’, praise and recognition and re-focusing on new objectives.

• Create scales for your key result areas [objectives] that are clear and descriptive.  You can create as many points in your scale and add as much text as you need to make the scale very descriptive.  The more accurate your scale the less likely there will be ambiguity and misunderstandings during the review process.

• The same goes for your competency scales.  There may be a number of competency frameworks operating in your organisation so make the scales as extensive and descriptive to meet the needs of your workforce.

• Encourage the use of the Development Planning module for post-review action plans.  You can use both pre-set plans and enable custom plans for people with specific needs or ambitions.  One of the biggest complaints about performance appraisals is the lack of follow up actions.

• Show managers how to enter interim notes into to review system.  These notes ensure information, ideas and observations are collected in one place and available for the review meetings.  Interim notes are a great way to ensure your people receive the recognition they deserve.

• Explore the use of the 360 Profiling module.  Many clients are using the 360 module for their senior leadership and developing a range of assessment types.  You can also use the 360 profile as a self-assessment tool that is a great re-enforcer for development and learning plans.

• You can assist managers by enabling other managers to ‘review the reviews.’  This is very effective as a coaching tool to help mangers improve their delivery of performance appraisals.

Performance reviews are often met with trepidation by both employees and their managers.  This contributes to both a reluctance to conduct them and if they are conducted the quality of the experience and the follow up often destroys any good that could flow from this activity.  We recommend that managers meet regularly with their team members and build performance coaching ‘all the time.’  When it comes to review time there will be less friction to having the conversations necessary to help your team to performance improvement.

If you would like some help setting up performance reviews in DOTS LMS, other systems or even on paper, we can help you out.  For an initial discussion please get in touch.