No matter your professional goal or place in your company’s organizational chart, performance reviews matter: A good review paves the way for promotion or new assignments, while anything less can lead to less-than-pleasant phrases like “needs improvement” or “evaluation plan.”
In many offices, performance reviews come due at the same time, often near the end of the calendar year, requiring reviewers and reviewees alike to wedge a time-consuming process into their regular duties. So instead of a frantic, AI-assisted cobbling together of materials at the last minute, take a few steps to prepare now and benefit later.
Feb. 28: MOAA’s Executive Career Transition Accelerator Seminar
Join fellow transitioning servicemembers, veterans seeking advancement in their civilian careers, and MOAA’s in-house experts for a full day of networking, professional guidance, and much more. In-person and virtual options available.
Know the Terrain
New to your position? A quick conversation with coworkers or a scroll through a human resources website should get you caught up on your firm’s review process. Be sure you’re ready to provide the right metrics, using the right methods, to get your point across.
A word of warning: While changes to military evaluations sometimes take years to process (and become frequent headline-makers), private-sector firms may change their review structure with less warning and more frequency. Be sure you’re pulling from the right research set.
Mark Your Milestones
Don’t wait until November to try and reflect on major accomplishments throughout the calendar year. If you lead your team on a successful project, hit a key sales figure, finish a professional education program, or contribute in some other meaningful way to the bottom line, make a note now to ease the compilation process later.
Write Smart
Data points are important, but their presentation is just as critical to making your self-evaluation stand out. Use action words – “resolved,” “streamlined,” “achieved” – to tell your story.
[ASK THE EXPERTS: How Important Are Annual Evaluations and Performance Reviews?]
Goals Matter
Unsure where to start? Find areas where your professional aspirations line up with the goals set forth by your company or department. Did you lead an acquisition team in a year where your company prioritized growth? Did you help cut costs in a year of fiscal responsibility? Painting yourself as part of the solution to a high-priority concern can go a long way.
Be Ready
A supervisor at a large company may be buried with performance reviews over a span of weeks. Keep track of deadlines, be sure your materials are submitted through your company’s preferred portals, and be as flexible as possible throughout the process. Tracking your achievements throughout the year will make this goal easier to manage.
Want more career resources to help you ace your next evaluation? Visit MOAA’s Transition and Career Center.
