Employee performance evaluation is one of the most important practices that contribute to organizational success.

Evaluating employee performance can, however, be a stressful job. Managers have to monitor, keep track of progress, and give accurate reviews without negatively affecting morale.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula to evaluate employee performance but these few tips can help you simplify the process and conduct effective performance reviews.

1. Always Prepare Ahead

No matter how closely you have been monitoring the performance of your direct reports, it is always advisable to prepare ahead of a review. Be clear about the objective of the performance evaluation meeting. Make a list of important things that you want to talk about with your employees and be prepared for possible questions that they might ask you.

2. Be Regular

Feedback shouldn’t be given only once a year, keeping employee compensation in mind. Give constant feedback throughout the year. It is important for employees to immediately find out if they are doing something wrong. This practice develops a culture of frequent feedback at your workplace and employees get a chance to correct themselves when they still can.

3. Be Transparent

Most employees have no idea how their work contributes to organizational success. They perform better when they understand their role in the organization. Be transparent about your expectations from your employees. This will motivate them and they’ll have a proper point of focus at their work.

4. Set Goals

Employee performance evaluation is not only about evaluating previous performance but also about improving their future performance. So set proper goals for your employees and align them with organizational goals. Goals always give you a direction to work towards.

5. Give Suggestions

As a manager, it is important for you to understand your employee problems and give suggestions to solve them. Check if your employees need any help from you to perform better. In most cases, absence of proper tools or technical applications affects employee performance. Find out from your employees and provide them with necessary help.

6. Follow-up

Once you finish employee evaluation, your responsibility isn’t over yet. Performance evaluation is a very stressful and responsible job. So, find a way to monitor and keep track of employee progress. This practice encourages employees to go out of their way to fulfil their goals.