The effective review system
For a system to deliver results, these things have to be in place.
- Senior management need to be aware of the value of annual reviews and ongoing staff appraisal and development. Unless they are seen to value the process and see the review meetings as time well spent, it can be hard to maintain momentum.
- The system must be workable, relevant and appropriate to the demands on staff. The style of review system needs to match the culture of the organisation.
- The appraisal needs to be constructive and the outcome developmental. Staff must be able to see how to improve and must be supported in that improvement.
- Staff need to know how the system works and the advantages to them of using it effectively.
- All managers need to show staff continually where they are succeeding and what their next steps might be. An annual review or appraisal should bring no surprises. Ideally it's an opportunity to review the whole year's work, summarising and building on ongoing informal meetings or comments.