How to Conduct End-of-Year Performance Reviews for Managers

Disclaimer: This article should not be considered to be legal advice, and altHR is not liable for any actions taken based on this article.

We’re fast approaching that time of the year again, and 2022 has simply gone by in a flash. There’ve been many changes in the world of HR and workforce management, but one thing that remains consistent is end of year reviews (also known as performance reviews, appraisals, and any number of different monikers). 

If you’re an employee, performance reviews can certainly be intimidating — but as employers, these end-of-year reviews can also be challenging. After all, this is a crucial time for you to give constructive feedback and appraise your employees, while also receiving feedback to ensure that you’re doing the best you can to provide a conducive, empowering environment for your employees to thrive in. 

So whether you’re an experienced manager, an HR manager, or this is your first time on this end of a performance review, we’ve compiled a couple of useful tips to help you get the most out of performance reviews in 2022.

1. Start with the good points 

In general, a performance review at the end of the year should start with the employee’s accomplishments throughout the year. This can help by starting the review on a positive note, and it lets your employees know that you’ve been noticing the hard work your team has been putting in to help the business (and yourself) reach business objectives and goals. 

2. Talk about areas to improve in

Once you’ve covered the good points, it’s also equally important to offer constructive feedback during appraisals. This can be a difficult section of end-of-year reviews for a first-time manager to manage, so a good tip is to look at it as aspects of the job that an employee can improve in. 

Remember that constructive feedback isn’t just a way to improve the performance of the team to achieve deliverables for the next year. Instead, this part of the review process will also help employees in their own professional (and even personal) development, ultimately helping them to achieve their own goals. 

3. Don’t limit feedback to results and KPIs

Of course, KPIs and results are crucial, and they form the basis for a significant portion of the review. However, it’s also crucial that you take into account other aspects of the job, especially as certain outcomes can be out of the control of employees. 

Consider the effort and impact an employee has made in their day-to-day in the review, and even the ability of individuals to get with the team. This can help with employee engagement and team harmony, ultimately empowering the business to grow with an empowered workforce. 

4. Focus on growth and development

Once you’re done with the above, you should also take some time to discuss the professional aspirations of your employees. Speak to them about their long-term career goals, and what you can do to help them achieve them in the company. 

At the very least, this will allow you to understand what drives your team on an everyday basis, while you’ll also benefit from a driven employee who feels supported in what they do.

Some examples on ways to support your employees here would be to offer cross-department exposure, upskilling opportunities, or even mentorship opportunities that will only help both the business and your employees.

5. Work together with your employees

At the end of the day, work with your employees to find a common ground and foundation to build upon. If there are any issues that are holding your employee back, try to find a solution in a collaborative manner with them, while offering employees a chance to offer their own perspective on any challenges to the business. 

Remember to keep an open dialogue with your employees, not just during the review, but beyond and throughout the year. This can even be improved by having regular performance reviews or check-ins between managers and employees, so that any potential issues are spotted early and rectified — rather than waiting till the end of the year.