A 2-minute cheat sheet to improve your performance reviews

Performance reviews need an upgrade. Here’s a quick rundown of how you can do just that!
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Customization

Tailor your performance review system to the needs of your company. Don’t just get rid of your reviews because you know other companies have!

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Timing

Hold them once every six months or every quarter, and wait a few weeks before holding any corresponding salary talks. The emphasis should be on progress, not judgement.

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Balance

Make review cycles balanced by having peers, managers, and employees review each other. If a single person writes the review, have a supervisor evaluate it before submission.

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Data

Organize your data beforehand. Using a review tool to collate the relevant information in one place will help to make objective decisions further down the line.

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Transparency

Be clear with your employees about the structure and purpose of your performance review cycles. Make sure they have realistic expectations and plenty of time to prepare for review talks.

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‍Development

During review talks, use your observations to focus on development goals and OKRs: don't just talk about the past.

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Sensitivity

Be sensitive to people’s reactions to reviews. Give them space to process information whether the review relates to development or salary.

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Feedback culture‍

Support your review cycles with a broader culture of continuous feedback and learning.

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Best-practice 360º questions

• What do you consider their biggest achievement since the last review?
• What should they keep doing?
• What should they change?
• What is the most important development goal they should be working on?

Best-practice self review questions

• What are your three biggest achievements since the last review?
• What do you consider your three core strengths?
• What are your three key learnings & development goals?
• What support do you need to move forward on your development goals

For more on the above, including case studies, best practices and other details, check out our blog and Knowledge Hub!

⭐️ Performance reviews can be enjoyable

Companies who use Leapsome find their employees look forward to their next performance review and HR teams find they gain valuable time back by streamlining review processes on our platform.

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