How To Prepare For Annual Review?
How to Prepare for a Performance Review in 5 Steps
- Clarify your goals (annual and beyond)
- Write out a list of your accomplishments this year.
- Decide what questions you want answered.
- Plan to ask for (at least) one thing you want in the coming year.
- Be ready to receive — and engage with — feedback.
What should I say in my annual review?
Talk about your experience in the workplace and mention any questions or concerns you may have about day-to-day tasks. Employers often appreciate insight into individual employee experiences so they can adjust their expectations and goals to better fit their needs.
What to expect in your first annual review?
During the review itself – Different managers have different approaches to performance reviews, just like every other aspect of business. Ideally, you’ll be able to guide the face-to-face conversation, so you should be prepared to give a summary of your written assessment.
If you didn’t have to complete an employee self-assessment, writing down and memorizing notes on your own performance will help prepare you for this part of the process, so you should still take the time to do it. This way, if your manager asks you about your achievements or contributions, you’ll have concrete examples at your fingertips.
Your manager will give you feedback on your performance, both positive and negative. Hopefully, nothing they say will shock you: if you’ve successfully identified your weaknesses, they should agree, and give additional comments and suggestions for improvement.
- Be ready to ask follow-up questions — for both positive feedback and constructive feedback — to understand what your manager considers optimal levels of performance.
- Together, you and your manager might come up with new ideas for action plans to increase or maintain your performance over the next year — that might mean anything from increased check-ins to more creative solutions.
If you have other lingering questions about your position or your role in the company, ask them. This is your time with your manager, and you should make the most of it. One of those questions might be about the possibility of a raise. Unless your company has another preexisting setup for raises, your meeting can be used to broach the subject of a raise and possible promotion with your manager.
What are the three steps to a successful annual performance review?
In order to make the entire process of performance review, think of it as a three-phase process. If you do it this way, both you and your employees will get the most out of the process. The three phases are Setting Expectations, Mid-Year Review, and End-of-Year Review.
Should I be nervous for a performance review?
Regroup after a review – It’s completely normal to be anxious about a performance review, whether your manager has given you a reason to be stressed or not. The bad reputation of performance reviews alone is enough to make someone anxious. Remember, not all performance reviews go awry.
- But if your review does go badly, it’s important to take care of yourself and regroup.
- If your manager delivers feedback that throws you off-guard, keep an open mind and use any feedback as a springboard to growth,
- Turning something that seems negative into a positive can help you regroup and move forward.
If there is any feedback you disagree with or need clarification on, don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions and continue the conversation following the review. No matter where you work or what your role is, performance reviews can seem daunting. It doesn’t have to be this way—especially if you’re prepared for anything. 
Need support with your performance review? *Note: Empower Work provides non-legal support for workplace challenges. This information, while authoritative, is not legal advice or guaranteed for legality. Employment laws and regulations vary by state. We recommend consulting with state resources for specific interpretation and decisions.
What questions should I ask my manager during performance review?
‘What do you think my strengths are as a?’ ‘Have you seen improvements in?’ ‘Does anything stand out to you as one of my biggest successes or achievements since our last review?’ ‘You praised.
What are the 3 core questions of performance reviews?
Performance Review Questions: Current Role – Mediocre questions:
Are you happy with your job? Do you think this role is a good fit for you?
Good questions:
Which job responsibilities/tasks do you enjoy most? Which do you least enjoy? How do you think your role helps the company succeed? What do you like least about your current role? What would you change? What do you like most about working for this company?
What are example phrases for performance review?
Examples of Performance Review Phrases – Employees are often sensitive to feedback given during annual performance reviews, so it’s essential to pay attention to wording when providing praise and constructive criticism, Even if you don’t mean it that way, workers who feel under-recognized for their achievements or unfairly criticized are more likely to quit the team,
- Productivity. Productive employees often display a number of other skills, such as time-management, work ethic, and organizational ability, Some workers are perfectly content with contributing the bare minimum and collecting a wage. Those that consistently strive to produce value should be recognized for it.
- “Always manages their time well and is extremely well-organized.”
- “Displays endless drive to improve productivity, profits, and meet business goals.”
- “Your excellent work ethic speaks for itself.”
- “Consistently contributes measurable value to company goals and projects.”
- Work quality. Team members who regularly deliver high-quality results should be commended for their competence, as well as their drive to maintain consistency.
- “Positively contributes to the performance of the team through their high-quality work.”
- “Can be relied upon to consistently maintain a high quality of work.”
- “I was blown away by the quality of your work.”
- “Most employees aren’t as thorough in their work as you.”
- Attendance. An employee who always shows up on time is reliable and demonstrates that they respect others’ time.
- “Begins every day fully prepared and ready to work.”
- “Shows respect for the time of others by always coming to work on time.”
- “A reliable worker who is always there when you need their help.”
- Punctuality. Punctual workers consistently meet deadlines and deliver items exactly when promised.
- “Always follows through on their promises and delivers work ahead of time.”
- “Consistently meets deadlines and can always be relied upon.”
- “You’re among the most reliable workers I’ve ever had.”
- “I really respect how you always take your promises seriously.”
- Accountability. Every professional makes mistakes sometimes. It can be difficult for employees to publicly accept accountability for fear of disciplinary action, so workers who actually take this step should be commended for it.
- “Shows honesty and strong character by accepting accountability when appropriate.”
- “Strives to constantly improve on their work and is never satisfied with less-than-perfect results.”
- “Your honesty and prioritization of the team ahead of all else are inspiring.”
- Communication. Effective communicators are able to convey complex ideas. They also always make sure to update team members whenever their situation changes.
- “Is mindful of the team and provides any updates when their situation changes.”
- “Is able to effectively break down complex ideas and bring everyone on board.”
- “Has a way of explaining complicated subjects to anyone.”
- ” Thank you for always speaking up during team meetings and providing important updates.”
- “You’re always quick to answer and follow up on emails,”
- Cooperation. Cooperative employees can get along with others despite differences in personalities and mindsets. They also encourage a cohesive team atmosphere and resolve differences between others.
- “Extremely easy to work with and respects all team members.”
- “Always puts the team first and adapts to any situation.”
- “Improves team atmosphere by resolving conflicts between others.”
- “Everyone tells me they really enjoy working with you.”
- Interpersonal abilities, Some team members are not only cooperative, but strive to create strong working relationships with others. They’re able to brighten the team atmosphere and raise morale under challenging situations.
- “Has a pleasant personality that contributes to a positive team environment.”
- “Maintains positivity and raises team morale during challenge circumstances.”
- “Is thoughtful of other team members and is always pleasant to work with.”
- “You always know how to cheer everyone up.”
- Adaptability. Adaptable team members are emotionally and practically flexible when situations change. They not only know how to adapt to changing circumstances, but are understanding and perfectly willing to do so.
- “Is extremely understanding and flexible when unforeseen circumstances arise.”
- “Can be counted on to be a team-player during less than ideal situations.”
- “Is able to quickly find ways to contribute when factors that influence business operations change.”
- “I want to thank you for how flexible you’ve been during this difficult period.”
- Problem-solving. Problem solvers are workers who other staff-members turn to when a challenge stumps them. Compliment their expertise, as well as their willingness to help the team.
- “Demonstrates expertise and critical-thinking skills by cleverly finding solutions to problems.”
- “Is always a reliable source of help for employees who need assistance.”
- “You’re able to overcome any obstacle that stands in your path.”
- “Is there anything you can’t do?”
- Exceptional achievement. You should always take note of employees who go above and beyond expectations. Showing that their efforts are recognized and appreciated is a great way to encourage further overachievement.
- “Always surprises the entire team with the exceptional quality of their work.”
- “Is constantly looked up to by staff members for their exceptional abilities.”
- “You’re one of the most uniquely skilled professionals I’ve ever worked with.”
- “You never fail to break records that we all thought were unbreakable.”
- Leadership. You’ll sometimes encounter employees who not only directly contribute value, but are able to positively influence, motivate, and coach other team members. Effective leaders are uncommon and should be encouraged so that they continue to bring exceptional value to your business.
- “Improves the job performance of the entire team by leading by example.”
- “It’s extremely commendable how you always bring new employees up to speed.”
- “Not only delivers high-quality work, but strengthens the entire culture of the team.”
- “Having you on the team makes a massive difference.”
- “Calling you anything but a team leader would be selling you short,”
- Innovation. Innovative employees demonstrate creativity and are able to contribute unique solutions to problems. They’re the team members who not only improve on current company processes, but often think of entirely new ways to do things.
- “You always bring a unique perspective that nobody else had thought of.”
- “It’s admirable how you’re able to view the same situation in a completely new light.”
- “Wow, nobody knew it was even possible to do it in a better way until you showed us.”
- “You come up with amazing ideas.”
- Attitude. Nobody wants to work with negative team members, even if they’re highly competent and useful. Positive team members, on the other hand, improve the performance of everyone.
- “Everyone appreciates your upbeat attitude.”
- “Even when things are tough, you continue to maintain a positive mindset.”
- “You’re always quick to offer a healthy perspective.”
Take the Guesswork Out of Performance Reviews 
What to expect in end of year review?
1. What Happens in A Year End Review? – In a year end review, a manager evaluates whether employees have met their goals, The manager tells them whether they have measured up to (or surpassed) expectations. They discuss strengths and weaknesses and pinpoint areas for growth.
Additionally, the manager works with employees to set new goals and a plan for achieving them. Employees leave a well-delivered review with valuable insights on their performance and how to improve. The year end review can also determine whether the employee should receive a promotion or raise. In some cases, the manager may inform the employee that she is receiving a promotion during the review itself.
In other cases, the manager consults with other leaders after the review to make these decisions. Managers may also let employees know about any bonuses they will be receiving during this meeting. 