One of the hardest parts of any manager’s job is the act of reviewing employee performance. It can be difficult enough to keep track of all the achievements and accomplishments of your individual workers – but it’s even worse when you have to deliver a poor performance review.
While no manager wants to deliver a poor review to one of their subordinates, it’s a necessary part of the territory. However, there are some strategies you can take to make the process easier for you and the struggling employee.
- Using the proper channels: First, make sure you’re using the proper channels to communicate the poor review. In many cases, this involves a face-to-face, private discussion. Not only does this allow the employee to provide their own feedback, but it avoids the public shame that comes in group-oriented settings.
- Comparing and contrasting: If possible, try to compare and contrast their performance to the current standards. This can help clear up any confusion and give them a clear benchmark for measuring – and improving – their own performance in the future.
- Highlighting the positives: Most reviews will contain some sort of positive comment – even if the bulk of the review is negative. As such, take some time to highlight the things that your employees have done right. This is a great way to ease the blow of a negative review and help your staff overcome their struggles in the workplace.
- Avoiding demeaning or abusive language: While this should go without saying, always make sure to avoid any demeaning or abusive language. Not only is it critical that you maintain professionalism at all times, even during a poor performance review, but this kind of abusive language only spreads negativity throughout your workforce, and it could affect productivity across the board.
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