Performance appraisals can be a tough time for both employees and employers.
While it may seem odd that performance appraisals can be a stressful time for employers, it is true.
It is the people who perform appraisals which have to do much of the nerve-wracking that goes into creating performance appraisals.
Balancing praise and criticism is not easy – putting your staff under the microscope is intricate work.
Since handling performance appraisals means that you have to go through each employee’s work profile spanning at least a year, there is a lot of work that you have to do.
The basic idea behind a performance appraisal is to provide employees with feedback on how they are faring at work and what areas need improvement.
Some performance appraisals may result in employment terminations, and in such cases, it is even more critical to word the appraisal properly.
If the comments on a performance appraisal are not phrased well, they lose their impact.
A positive comment which is not eloquent can actually have a negative effect on the employee – a negative comment that fails to portray an employee’s weakness can be perceived as positive or negative at best.
See also: Sample Phrases for Appreciating Good Customer Service
For employers looking for appropriate phrases (both positive and negative) to use in a performance appraisal, have a look at the following samples:
Sample Phrases to use in Performance Appraisal
Positive
• Communicates clearly and effectively
• Produces easy-to-understand reports
• Deals with others effectively and can work well in a team environment
• Respects company confidentiality
• Provides feedback on time
• Has the ability to cultivate a culture of openness
• Asks well thought out questions and encourages open communication
• Demonstrates level-headedness and responds politely
• Engages appropriately in disagreements
• Proactively communicates potential problems
• Encourages togetherness in projects
• Asks for immediate feedback to ensure appropriate work routes
• Provides openness and encourages positive communication
• Can design measurements for set objectives
• Has the capacity to skillfully overcome clients’ objections and draw the line where necessary
• Adept at making technical abilities obvious
Negative
• Attempts to withhold important information
• Should work on the ability to take constructive criticism
• Needs to work on the ability to interact with team members
• Must work to improve cooperation and interpersonal skills
• Should concentrate on ensuring an environment conducive to creativity
• Reluctant to explore novel ideas
• Should not try to “reinvent the wheel.”
• Needs to improve on customer interaction
• Must work on abilities in goal setting
• Avoids holding employees to account, resulting in underperformance