Performance Reviews
What is a "performance review"?
In regards of performance reviews, a performance review is an evaluation of your performance in your job. A performance review is usually conducted by your supervisor or manager, at 3 months, 6 months or 12 months, depending on what your companies H.R. policies are. In a performance review you will usually sit down with your managers, they will give you candid feedback about your performance in a number of different areas. Therefore a performance review may cover tasks that you've been assigned to do, how well you take charge, how you take responsibility and to how well you get along with people you work with. Most of the time, your salary increase will be based upon how well you do in this performance review.
How do I prepare for a performance review?
The best way to prepare for a performance review is to keep a weekly accomplishments log. I know that sounds like a lot of work, but if you can keep a detailed record of everything you have achieved and accomplished for the company you work for over the course of a year, you will be armed with a tremendous amount of information that you can take with you, give to your supervisor before that review actually takes place so that they can see a lot of the things that they may have missed. That's going to really help shape how that performance review is going to go, and it's also going to have a tremendously positive impact on how much your raise is going to look like at the end of that review.
What should I do if I get a poor review?
If you get a poor performance review the first thing that you should do is to ask why and get very clear feedback from your supervisor on what was negative. What did you do that did not live up to their expectations, provoking the poor review? Ask what their expectations were and what their expectations of you are now going to be, so that the next performance review you can do much better.
