Few employees look forward to their performance review. At best, many workers view their evaluations as an unnecessary interruption in their workflow, something to be gotten through as quickly as possible. Far from being unneeded, however, regular performance evaluations are an important part of the manager’s toolkit. The problem lies in implementation: few managers are conducting employee reviews in the right way. Are you looking to get more out of your review process?
Conduct performance reviews as often as possible
One of the principal failures of many managers is that they don’t conduct their evaluations frequently enough. For many, the mistake starts with the name itself. How often have you heard the phrase “annual performance evaluation?” Thinking that effective reviews can done just once a year – or even quarterly – is a serious error. In order to catch problems before they escalate and keep your staff on track, you must have frequent contact with your team.
So how often should you review your employees? Amazingly, many successful companies are encouraging their supervisors to sit down with their staff every week. Such frequent contact allows the conversations to feel more informal, as they become more like a personal status update than an interrogation. Despite their frequency, you will also find that regular, short conversations save time and increase productivity.
Higher quality employee evaluations
No matter how frequently they happen, your conversations with your employees must be focused, with specific goals in mind. What are you trying to achieve at each evaluation?
Offer sincere praise
Your employees must know that you are aware of their hard work and value their contributions. If you are able to pick out some specific, recent achievements, they will know that you are paying attention.
Ask what they need to do their job better
Do they have everything they need to perform at 100%? Does your facility provide all the resources that they need? Aside from identifying weak areas, such questions also prove that you are striving to provide the best work experience possible.
How can our processes improve?
In the course of their work, your staff is certain to notice when things could be done better. Asking for their insight will help you revise your policies and procedures to be more efficient.
Identify an area where they could improve
Finally, set some realistic goals for them to aim for. The time you spend on negative topics should generally be kept to a minimum, as a positive tone is much more conducive to high morale and productivity. Regardless, you should never shy away from addressing the need for change. If there are serious problems for you to address with an employee, you might consider having a third party present (such as a manager from another department) to add weight to your words.
Conducting frequent, high-quality performance evaluations will help you build a stronger team in a hurry. Quality Medical Staffing would like to help you find the staff that you need to reach your goals. With access to an amazing pool of healthcare workers, we are certain we can meet your facility’s needs. To learn more about our per-diem, short-term, and permanent healthcare staffing solutions, contact our recruiters today.