Employee Performance

Improve the evaluation experience

July 10, 2020
Many managers dislike conducting performance reviews, but it’s safe to say that many employees like them just as little. Here are some of the reasons why—and some tactics you can use to make reviews less painful all around.

Communication is key to fixing performance

June 26, 2020
Dealing with an employee who’s not performing up to standards doesn’t have to be a nightmare. It does call for a lot of communication. Follow these guidelines.

Why do my employees’ self-evaluations seem out of line with reality?

June 12, 2020
Q. Prior to annual performance reviews I like to give an employee a self-evaluation. These appraisals give the worker a chance to gauge a year’s worth of accomplishments, contributions and growth. They are also free to comment, so the process is rather time-consuming. When these forms are returned to me, I get the sense that employees are missing the mark on assessing their worth and performance. Are self-evaluations really worth the effort?

Don’t reward the wrong behavior

June 12, 2020
In their rush to reward and recognize employees, managers often end up rewarding the wrong behavior—and doing more harm than good. Here are some practices you don’t want to reward.

6 ways to help employees make the most of their workdays

March 13, 2020
So much to do and so little time … what worker wouldn’t like to “find” precious extra minutes? While a manager cannot magically pull time out of thin air, she can assist employees with making the most out of work hours. Here’s how.

Widen the scope of reviews

March 13, 2020
We usually judge employees’ work by the traditional standards—quality of work and amount done. However, since no employee works in a vacuum, add these factors to your evaluations to create a more accurate picture of a worker’s contribution to your group.

Staff griping about a slacker? What to do

March 13, 2020
Suppose several of your most trusted employees complain about a co-worker in their group who’s slacking off, disrupting the workplace or failing in some other way. How should you react?

Worker trying? Respect it

February 28, 2020
“Trying” can be quite valuable, and your crew’s attempts shouldn’t be disparaged.

Review workers more frequently

February 28, 2020
Giving performance reviews throughout the year instead of only once is certainly a good idea. You take the pressure off that one time and provide more—and more useful—information as well. Here’s how to make this work.

Work-life balance: The times they are a-changin’

February 14, 2020
The current trends of work-life balance, and what managers can do to accommodate.