You want to inspire workers - managers and employees alike, and help them improve. But you want to be subtle. More importantly, you want to dodge any trouble with Human Resources when your only intention is to help.
In this article, we'll talk about the meaning of performance reviews and provide teamwork performance review phrases you can use to convey feedback clearly, yet subtly, in a timely manner and with a positive attitude.
What is a Performance Review?
A performance review is a review process of assessing an employee’s performance over a certain period. The idea is to provide employees with specific, measurable, actionable insights on how they can improve by highlighting and acknowledging their strengths and weaknesses.🏆
It’s also a great way to help employees and other team members understand the company’s goals better and how they can align their work with those goals while showcasing communication skills. It's also a great way to help employees become their best selves and become more productive.
According to PR Newswire, a survey of 1,400 GenZers on the industry trends from the International Intern Leadership Conference showed that 63% of respondents prefer to receive timely constructive feedback throughout the year.
Your team might get the wrong message from your review if you call them to your office and go:
You don’t want to demotivate the employee, but still, help them through actionable feedback. So when providing constructive feedback, sandwich it between positives. 🥪
So, how do you write impactful employee performance review phrases that help to create an effective performance review process?
Start with the positives: Ensure employees that you’re noticing what they’re doing well. Be specific (for example, mention they have great time management skills or lots of creative solutions) and inspire them to achieve more with positive feedback.
Provide constructive criticism: State areas for improvement. Again, be specific. Most importantly, provide actionable steps they can take to improve.Where relevant, provide examples and set goals on how to achieve improved performance.
End on a positive note: Find an overall positive comment before closing the review. For example, acknowledge their progress towards a goal they mentioned during the previous review. Also, ask how you can help moving forward. This will help with the perspective around performance review responses overall.
Remember to lay the groundwork for the next performance appraisal process once you’ve completed the current one. Set achievable goals for the next month, quarter, or year, and periodically check in with the team to offer help.
While it's important to frequently map out time forproductive one-on-one meetings, (rather than just sticking with annual performance reviews) it might not always be feasible. But you can use a tool like Assembly to guide the team quickly.
For example, you can use Assembly’s One-on-One Direct Reports template to check in on the team and provide help without investing time in an in-person meeting. Here’s more on how Assembly can help:
50 Positive Performance Review Examples
Performance review sessions can be a hassle but it gets easier when you have a few employment performance review examples up your sleeves.
Below are 50 positive teamwork performance review samples to inspire you during the performance review process.
The examples are categorized based on the area of review.
Always brings insightful ideas to the table when working to solve a problem
Uses a logical approach to identifying the root cause and determining a viable solution
Is flexible about trying new problem-solving techniques
Actively seeks challenges and tries to find solutions
Tries to test ideas or verify their relevance and viability when testing isn’t possible
Explains his/her thought process for a solution to ensure others see the rationale clearly
Management
Identifies and assigns tasks that align with the team member’s core skill set but still challenge them
Prioritizes tasks effectively
Is a good negotiator and able to persuade clients effectively
Acknowledges and appreciates the team’s contributions
Sets achievable goals for himself/herself and the team
Leads by example /leads team meetings
And here are some additional review comments that can come in handy:
Colleague Review Example Comments
It can be helpful to include examples of how to phrase feedback for different types of colleagues. For example, you may want to provide specific comments for a team member who needs to improve their communication skills versus someone who excels in that area.
"Your ability to collaborate with team members is outstanding. I've noticed that you consistently find ways to bring out the best in your colleagues and help everyone stay on track."
"I appreciate your attention to detail when it comes to projects. Your thoroughness and accuracy have helped us avoid mistakes and improve the overall quality of our work."
"You consistently go above and beyond in your work and show a strong commitment to the team's success. I appreciate your hard work and dedication."
"I've noticed that you've been taking more initiative lately and have been coming up with creative solutions to problems. Keep up the great work."
"Your communication skills have improved significantly over the past year. You've been more assertive in meetings and have been able to get your point across effectively."
These comments can be used as a guide to help employers structure their own feedback, while also providing concrete examples of how to phrase feedback for different situations.
"You consistently produce high-quality work and pay attention to even the smallest details. Your attention to detail has helped our team avoid mistakes and improve the overall quality of our work."
"Your ability to manage projects and meet tight deadlines is impressive. However, I'd like to see you take on more leadership responsibilities in the future."
"You have a strong work ethic and are always willing to go the extra mile to get the job done. However, I've noticed that you sometimes struggle to ask for help when you need it. Don't be afraid to reach out to colleagues or managers for support."
"Your communication skills are excellent and you've been able to build strong relationships with team members and stakeholders. However, I've noticed that you sometimes struggle to express your ideas clearly in written form. Consider taking a writing course to improve this skill."
"Your problem-solving skills are outstanding and you consistently come up with creative solutions to complex challenges. However, I'd like to see you take a more strategic approach to your work and think about how your contributions fit into the bigger picture."
Negative Employee's Performance Review Examples
Although 83% of employees in a survey want feedback, whether negative or positive, it's human nature to prefer positives.
So, while it may be difficult to give negative feedback, you want to help the team grow. So, that’s why you need to deliver constructive criticism in a professional manner.
You should always start and end with the positives. But you also want to help the team grow, and that’s why you need to deliver constructive criticism in a professional manner.
Choose your words carefully when providing constructive feedback to any team member. You want the reluctant team members to understand why something is a problem and offer recommendations on how they can work on it.
Here are some examples for inspiration:
You’ve been missing deadlines over the past quarter. We want to stick to our timelines and be a reliable partner for our clients. Is there something we can do to help you manage your time more effectively? Have you tried using a planner app to plan your time?
You closed fewer clients during the past two quarters. Are you facing any difficulties at work? We can provide training resources if you believe they’ll be helpful.
There have been instances over the past quarter where you didn’t cooperate with the team after a disagreement about team projects. Disagreements are a part of working with a group, but team members must work together towards a common goal. Is there something we can do to help?
Use the Right Tools for Performance Reviews
Performance management and self-evaluation processes don’t have to be dreadful, time-consuming tasks that threaten your interpersonal skills. Instead of just viewing reviews as a task to check off your list, use them to help the team grow by following performance review best practices to improve professional development (whileraising team spirit).
In-person performance reviews can be a time-hog. ⏰
Using a tool like Assembly makes employee reviews easier with customizable workflow templates. For example, for a productive and useful annual performance review example, you can use the Manager feedback template to provide reviews quickly and anonymously while improving the teamwork skills.
The team can ask questions about the feedback using the comments section. More importantly, they’re less likely to feel reluctant about asking questions when you’re not sitting in front of them. Don't forget to throw in some fun with the best team building activities.
Like the sound of it and want to get more performance review phrases for teamwork? Book a Demo today!
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