How to conduct employee appraisals 

Employee appraisals are a significant element of the performance management process. Providing a formal meeting structure to review and discuss an individual’s performance within the workplace.  

From setting goals to discussing future objectives and training. In this article, we provide a step-by-step guide to support you throughout your performance appraisal process. Including, prepping and planning your meetings, to using performance management software to simplify and enhance your process.  

Preparation is key  

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success”

To make your performance appraisals as effective and efficient as possible, preparation is key. 

You should know what your meeting agenda will be, which points you plan to focus on, and have the information and data ready to back up your points.  

Make clear notes  

If you’re set to hold a performance review meeting, the weeks before should be used to bring together the notes and data you can use to discuss performance with your employee.  

This may include data on their current performance and targets or notes you have made regarding any concerns you have.  

Create a meeting agenda  

Once you have gathered your notes on an employee’s performance, you can set the agenda for the meeting. Most performance appraisals will follow the same structure, ticking off the most important focus areas such as reviewing past performance and setting future goals.  

This agenda should be planned ahead of time and shared with the employee, so they know what to expect. 

Book out calendars and meeting rooms  

With a structured plan for your meeting, you can complete your preparation by scheduling a date and time with your employee. Giving them plenty of time to prepare.  

It’s best to find a quiet, private location where your appraisal meeting can be held. In some cases, a room may need to be booked ahead of time.  

Using an appraisal form 

Now you’ve prepared thoroughly, you’re ready for an effective performance review with your employee. But wait—you (or your line managers) are going to be conducting a lot of these appraisals. Wouldn’t it be better if HR standardised the format of your appraisals?  

Many organisations take this approach. By using a standard template for performance review meetings, you can ensure appraisals are consistent, fair, and equal for all employees. 

An appraisal form is a great way to create a template for all your employee appraisal meetings. Giving you a checklist of areas to cover and a formal structure to follow.  

With BrightBase you can access our range of expertly written HR documents, templates, and guides, including templates for appraisal forms. Save yourself some time and feel confident knowing that your meeting documents are HR compliant.  

What to cover in employee appraisals 

An employee appraisal meeting should cover some key focus areas. Making sure to offer employees a clear and concise structure which they can prepare for.  

The main points to cover include:  

• Measurement of performance against agreed targets, and thorough evaluation of the employee’s attitudes and behaviour. 

• Manager feedback on the employee’s performance and development, and how they can maintain or improve their performance. 

• Encouragement offering positive feedback to employees, to reinforce good performance and behaviours. 

• Employee feedback including questions, concerns, and ideas about their own performance and role. Addressing these can be invaluable in resolving performance issues. 

• Agreeing goals can address performance issues, training needs, adapting to changing duties, or any other issue. They must be understood and agreed by both parties if they are to be acted upon and achieved. 

Keep records of appraisal notes and goals 

It’s a good idea for both the line manager and employee to sign the appraisal meeting form at the end, to formally agree goals set. 

Forms and notes should be archived for review during future appraisals, and as a record of the agreed goals. With BrightHR, it’s easier than ever to store your HR documentation, thanks to our unlimited document storage.  

You can store, access, and view your documents at any time. Meaning an employee’s goals are readily available for review whenever you or they wish to read them.  

Training managers to hold appraisal meetings  

Since line managers are usually the ones responsible for holding appraisal meetings it’s a good idea to train them to conduct these meetings. Not all managers will have experience reviewing performance, and they may not have the skills to provide honest and open feedback.  

To ensure appraisal meetings are efficient and HR compliant, be sure to give your managers the opportunity to learn the skills they need to develop their approach.  

Desirable skills for managers conducting appraisals include: 

• Asking open-ended, probing questions 

• The ability to listen and have a two-way discussion 

• The ability to give objective, constructive, non-judgemental feedback 

• Meeting note taking and documentation of comments and future objectives 

And did you know, BrightHR has CPD-accredited online training courses for managers on those desirable skills.

Hold more effective employee appraisals with BrightHR 

To enhance your approach to employee appraisals, why not consider a performance management software solution?  

BrightHR’s performance management software provides a range of features including: 

• Create agendas for your performance meetings ahead of time 

• Access employee 1:1 meeting forms and performance metrics  

• Set SMART goals for employees 

• Document and store appraisal meeting forms  

• Keep track of performance progress with full visibility of your team in one screen  

• Align goal deadlines with yearly appraisals 

Get your approach to appraisals right with BrightHR. Discover our innovative tool to digitalise and centralise your performance management. Book a free demo today to unlock the many incredible features of our award-winning HR software.