Seven Reasons Why Employee Performance Reviews Still Matter in a Remote Work World

In more “normal,” pre-COVID times, your business probably had a process for creating and conducting employee performance reviews. But with more companies allowing remote work now and in the foreseeable future, how should you approach reviews? Do they still serve a purpose and, if so, what’s the best way to handle them?

Although they may not function exactly the same right now, employee performance reviews are still a good idea for businesses for a number of reasons.

The key to success is to use them to set clear, practical expectations based on the current circumstances — and evaluate performance against reasonable goals for each employee’s working conditions, whether onsite or remote.

Key Benefits of Performance Reviews

Here are seven reasons why employee evaluations are still essential, even during this challenging period:

1. Clarify expectations

Performance reviews provide an opportunity to discuss primary and/or shifting responsibilities, as well as answer questions employees may have about their involvement on a team or in the company as a whole. You can address specific questions or issues that might not get air time otherwise.

2. Provide direction

   Rather than conducting formal reviews once a year, you can have quarterly or even monthly discussions to provide guidance, feedback and direction. In fact, the more frequent and specific the input, the quicker your employee can respond and implement any changes. This dynamic is especially relevant with an increasingly remote or hybrid workforce, where everyone is adjusting to new dynamics.

3. Set goals

Effective employee reviews are more forward-looking than backward-facing, which is especially valuable when the previous months have been disrupted by a global pandemic. Involving employees in creating specific long- and short-term goals is also a more proactive, collaborative approach that makes sense for the current times.

4. Keep rewards fair

In easier conditions when budgets aren’t being cut, annual reviews can help in determining which employees receive promotions or raises based on reaching or exceeding performance goals. Putting expected standards and criteria in writing ensures fairness and consistency with advancement and pay increases.

5. Motivate employees

Offering positive feedback on a regular basis and recognizing your employees’ hard work (particularly during a difficult stretch of time) can be a great morale booster. Be sure to emphasize the qualities that matter more now than ever, like flexibility, accountability, willingness to learn and a sense of teamwork.

6. Provide a document trail

On the other hand, if you experience problems with an employee’s performance or behavior, written reviews provide a way to document issues and outline the specific corrective steps needed for continued employment.

7. Solicit feedback

Performance reviews provide an opportunity to gather feedback from employees about how the company operates, what the supervisor can do to better support the employee and processes that may need improving.

Types of Employee Performance Reviews

When it comes to employee performance reviews, best-practice standards are changing. Rather than a formal, annual undertaking, employee reviews can now occur as timely, ongoing feedback or regularly scheduled meetings. With more frequent touchpoints, you can address concerns immediately, as well as offer helpful insight and support. Beyond performance review frequency, other tools in your performance management toolbox may include:

• Employee self-evaluations — Consider asking employees to provide a self-assessment of their performance in relation to goals set the previous year. Including this step can make the process feel more balanced and inclusive, since employees can point out efforts and achievements that may be overlooked by a manager or supervisor.

Whatever method you choose for weighing employee performance, be sure to communicate your intentions and explain the procedures to everyone involved.

• Coaching and mentoring — More progressive companies are dropping the notion of structured, rigid performance reviews in favor of more personalized guidance and development. A coaching or mentor-oriented approach provides employees with real-time feedback and reinforcements, based on the specific goals and interests of the employee.

• 360° feedback — A 360° (multi-rater) evaluation captures feedback from everyone an employee interacts with on a regular basis, rather than just a manager or supervisor. Evaluations often draw from criteria such as effectiveness of interactions and communication with others, reliability, follow-through with stated goals, and overall performance.

How to Ease into an Electronic Performance Management Process

With an eye toward maintaining a consistent review process, no matter what the current circumstances, now may be the perfect time to shift to an electronic process. You recognize the shortcomings with a manual, paper-based approach, but you’re not interested in learning a complex HRIS system. Fill-and-Save™ HR Form Libraries are ideal for streamlining common HR tasks, including performance management. Each collection of forms is easy to use, accessible 24/7, 100% compliant and perfect for onsite and offsite employees.