Contrary to what many may believe, performance reviews are more than simply a way to recognize employee contributions or addressing behavioral shortcomings. Performance reviews, if done correctly, help a manager identify those who are exceeding expectations in their current role, and who might be ready to transition into a position of greater responsibility. Better yet, they can also identify those who might be languishing behind their peers and help determine if recruitment or training initiatives (or both) need to be re-evaluated. Not unsurprisingly, the questions asked during an employee performance review are vital to the collection of this information; meaning that the questions asked during these sessions should always have a strategic purpose, and should never be random.

With so much on the line, it can be difficult to know how to craft the ideal questions to ask during an employee evaluation. For those who might be new to employee evaluations, or those looking for a quick refresher, we’ve put together the definitive guide to generating and structuring solid performance review questions.

What is the Objective of the Performance Review?

Before putting pen to paper for any employee performance review questions, you must first determine the overall objective of the performance review. Is the performance review going to be evaluative or developmental? Perhaps both? Of course, the purpose of the review will drive the type of questions that need to be answered.

-Evaluative reviews (conducted annually or semi-annually) examine an employee’s performance over a specified time, and help managers determine things like an employee’s raise potential and advancement within the company.

-Developmental reviews (conducted semi-annually or quarterly) exist to provide constructive feedback on how a particular behavior can be improved, for the benefit of the employee as well as for the company. These tend to provide the employee with an outline of what actions need to be taken to improve, and a timeline to guide them.

Regardless, a successful review is one that fosters positive, open communication between employee and management, so no matter which review is being conducted, this principle should remain at its core.

Who Should Be Involved in the Review Process?

-The employee’s manager

-The employee’s peers

-The employee themselves

Asking the Tough Questions

Always start on a positive note. It’s much easier to foster a collaborative discussion when the person being reviewed is given the opportunity to discuss their accolades over the year. Begin the meeting by asking the employee to give an example of a project or task that they completed that they were particularly proud of. Doing so will make the employee feel like a valued member of the company and more likely to engage more during the review process.

Next, ask what they hope to accomplish over the next year (the timeframe may be different depending on the nature of your business). The benefits of having the employee verbally communicate their own goals are twofold. On the one hand, it provides the reviewer with a glimpse into the value the employee is looking to add to the company in the short term. It also gives the reviewer an idea of what the employee thinks they can handle and may help to initiate a training plan to get them back to a level commensurate with their peers if warranted.

Ask for feedback on how the company has helped or held back the employee over the past year. In all likelihood, the decisions management may have made that impact daily operations have both helped and hindered the employee. Getting honest feedback from employees can help managers determine what changes to policy have had an unexpected negative impact on the workforce.

Does the employee think they have all the tools they need to do their job effectively? Of course, asking this question may prompt some employees to ask for that which is cost-prohibitive to provide, but in most cases, reviewers will get honest feedback. After all, the majority of employees want nothing more than to do the best job they can, and they have a realistic idea of what it is they need to do just that.

Ultimately, coming up with and asking the right questions during should not be an arduous task, provided that you:

-Understand what it is the review is supposed to achieve

-Make use of all relevant sources of information

-Ask the kinds of questions that encourage honest, open dialog

With that said, it may be worth getting a 360 Degree Employee Evaluation Software to help tailor your performance review questions in order to get the results that you’re looking for.