How To Do An Employee Review As A Small Business Owner

Blog / Human Resources Services

When you are managing people, it is important that they have regular, productive employee reviews. Your employees will want to know how you view their work performance and what their goals should be if they plan on advancing as your company grows. Without clear expectations however, knowing how to do an employee review can mean whether or not your employee sees this as room for reflection and discussion or a critique of their job. The latter usually ends up in hurt feelings and resentment and sometimes on both sides. With a clear set of directions on how to do an employee review as a small business owner, you can breathe easier, knowing that there is a system and a process that both you and your employee can expect to be followed.

Knowing How To Do An Employee Review Starts With The Employee Handbook

First of all, both you and your employee need to come to the table knowing what the rules and expectations are in the first place. You can’t fault someone for not following through on something when there aren’t any guidelines written on when they are expected to have done. A culture in your office of lackadaisical arrivals and departures from your employees can easily get out of hand and turn into an argument when the envelope gets pushed. This is just one example of why there needs to be written documentation on what is expected in your workplace. If the rules are there, they need to be followed and your employee will know when it isn’t being done and will likely expect you to bring it up during the employee review. You will also need to have clear job descriptions. If your employees are not clear on what they are expected to do and what they are hired for, it is hard to hold them accountable. You can’t fault your receptionist for not getting your Receivables work done on time when you ask her to do it sometimes for a while and then just expect that she would always get it done for you from then on. That isn’t how good employee management works and it will cause a lot of dissention in the ranks if you don’t help them understand what you expect them to do on a daily basis and what their responsibilities are. Your employee handbook should also say how often each employee should expect to get a review from you. Most companies do a yearly review, but some positions, such as sales staff, require more supervision than a yearly discussion. Decide how often you will do it and make sure it gets into your handbook. That of course means that you are responsible for following through on it.

Tips For A Less Painful Employee Review

Many times, companies will list out for the employee what their responsibilities were and ask them to rate themselves on a scale of 1 to 5. This sets the tone for the employee, as well as the person doing the review ahead of time. This also gives a level framework to begin the discussion during the employee review. You will need to give your employee proper time to answer the questions and you will need some time to read and reflect on the responses so you can record your thoughts on their review prior to the discussion. One way to do this if you have more than a few employees is a 360 Degree Review process. This way not only does the employee give their own evaluation prior to the meeting, but those impacted by their job performance as well. Never Say Never And Always -The most important thing you can do during the review, whether it is a positive conversation or not, is to keep the focus on the job performance, not the individual. Avoid labels and personal evaluation. Do not use ‘Always and Never’ statements, such as “You are always late” or “You never turn your reports in on time.” Even if it is true, these kinds of statements are defining and not very helpful. Start Off Positive - Make sure your evaluation starts on a good note. Begin with what they are doing well and spend some time on that before you get to what needs improvement. If you have asked them to evaluate themselves first, they should know what kinds of improvement topics there will be next. Keep The Tone Around Helping - Center the conversation around how you as their employer are going to help them get better at the things they need to either improve on or gain skills in to advance. Employees need to feel supported and will leave your employee review feeling much better about themselves and their job if they know you want them to do well.

Get Help With HR Functions If You Are Not Comfortable With Employee Management

If HR functions feel daunting and are not in your comfort zone, outsourcing them may be your best answer. HR laws and guidelines need to be followed for a lot reasons, and if you are not keeping up with it as a small business owner, it might be better left to someone who can. PEOs are great resources for helping small business owners grow their companies while a PEO handles HR functions such as benefits, payroll, employee handbooks and laws concerning employee discipline and termination. A PEO Broker, such as PEO Spectrum, can help you understand how a PEO would help you meet your needs for outsourced HR and help you get on your way to better employee management. People don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. Don’t let HR functions fall by the way side and cause issues for your business.

If you’d like to find out more about how PEOs can help you provide great benefits and payroll management at less than you are paying now, contact us today for a free consultation.

Blog

How To Do An Employee Review As A Small Business Owner

Blog / Human Resources Services

Knowing How To Do An Employee Review Starts With The Employee Handbook

Tips For A Less Painful Employee Review

Get Help With HR Functions If You Are Not Comfortable With Employee Management

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