Whether you’re a seasoned vet or just beginning your career, annual performance reviews are nerve-wracking.
Especially if you and your supervisor don’t have regular check-ins, boiling down an entire year of accomplishments and desires into an hour-long exchange can put a lot of pressure on you.
But you shouldn’t think of a performance review as something to fear. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate your worth, to address challenges and to ask for what you need to do your job better. That might mean more money, vacation days, support on projects, or the option to work remotely on certain days of the week.
As long as you can demonstrate that these changes will help you perform your best, there’s a good chance you’ll reap real rewards from your review.
The key to nailing your performance review is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. To help you get started, we’ve outlined our best advice for how to impress your employer at your evaluation. After they’ve heard what you’ve had to say, they’d be crazy not to give you what you need to succeed.
Relax Before the Review
Performance reviews are straight up stressful, especially if you’re planning to ask for a raise. It might be useful to take some time before to relax. Go for a walk around the block, listen to music or call a friend for a brief chat. This will also put you in the right headspace for the upcoming conversation.
Be Positive and Confident
And you should see your evaluation as just that: a conversation. Your employer doesn’t want to grill you any more than you want to be grilled, so approach the review with a positive attitude and an open mind. If you’re relaxed and optimistic, your employer will interpret it as friendliness and confidence. Just like that, you’re already set up for a good assessment.
Brainstorm Key Achievements
According to Virgin Pulse’s 2014 report, 53% of employers don’t measure improved productivity. This means it largely falls on your shoulders to identify your key achievements and talk about them during your performance review. Think back over the last 12 months, not just the recent few. What projects did you take on? What new responsibilities have you assumed? Create a timeline to demonstrate how you’ve contributed to the company.
Separate Personal from Professional
As much as this is your opportunity to talk about your successes and goals, your employer will use your review to talk about ways you can improve. This happens to everyone, no matter how much of a superstar they are. Knowing this, don’t take any criticisms personally. Realize that your boss is only trying to help, and demonstrate your understanding by asking them for tangible advice on how to improve.
Pinpoint Missed Opportunities
Along the same line, identify times during the last year when you could have contributed more to certain projects. Your boss will be impressed that you’ve thought about this and are actively looking to improve. This is also an opportunity to talk about things you wish you’d been brought onto, like specific projects, conferences or professional development opportunities.
List Your Goals
The most useful part of a performance review is establishing a path forward. Come prepared with a list of goals (two or three big ones, not a grocery list of demands). Having just received feedback from your employer, you can discuss how to achieve these objectives moving forward. It’s especially important to outline how you’ll be measured and rewarded, particularly if bonuses or salary increases depend on you meeting new expectations.
Follow Up
This is maybe the most crucial part of your review and one that often goes neglected. After completing your interview, send your employer a note thanking them and summarizing what you discussed. This email should also include your plan moving forward as well as expectations and accompanying rewards. Send further emails every few months as you track towards these goals. Not only will this encourage you to perform at your best, but it will hold your employer accountable to any promises made during your assessment. When you perform better, the company wins, making it easy for your boss to reward your success.