Best Performance Appraisal Examples for Your Business

​It is no secret that success depends on factors like employee productivity and job satisfaction. There is clear evidence showing the direct link between the company's long-term success and how employees perceive their work. Thus, performance appraisals are a proven tool to boost employee satisfaction by exploring a person's strengths, weaknesses, growth opportunities, and areas for improvement.

Besides, there are advanced tools helping managers to conduct next-level performance appraisals. Keeping that in mind, let's look deeper at the performance appraisal phenomenon, determine the best appraisal example, and discover how one can start the process. 

What is a performance appraisal? 

A performance appraisal evaluates the degree to which an employee performs, overperforms, or underperforms. In other words, the tool is perfect for determining what a person lacks in performance and what strengths they need to boost productivity.

In addition, performance appraisals give a realistic perspective on employee performance to a manager conducting a review. Each good review ends with feedback, which later continues with a follow-up.

In the past, companies conducted performance reviews for the entire workforce. However, it was challenging and often inaccurate. With modern technological advances, businesses can conduct performance appraisals more frequently and effectively. 

For example, a 9-box grid is a great talent and performance management method that can help you identify people's abilities, potential and performance. In short, the more a company can help a particular employee to understand their strengths and weaknesses, the higher the chance each given worker in the company will perform to the best of their abilities. 

Best performance appraisal reviews and examples for your business 

​Overall, there are more than 20 types of performance appraisal reviews. Each meets specific criteria and can help pursue specific business goals and objectives. Going through all of them, we've outlined the five best performance appraisal reviews to consider:

1. Self-assessment performance review. In this approach, employees evaluate themselves while following the same assessment guidelines as managers. Notably, when offering feedback for this review example, it is vital to keep a positive tone and ensure constructive feedback.

1. Annual performance review. Annual performance appraisals are conducted once a year and show employees how to prepare for the future. Usually, these reviews include achievements, objectives, and professional development. Remember that an annual performance review should follow after 90- and 180-day performance reviews.

1. 90-day performance review. When it comes to covering a shorter period, a 90-day performance review is a perfect match. This method is excellent after an employee's onboarding process and should include areas like team, goals, and position.

1. Team performance review. Within this type of review, a person's colleagues and peers evaluate them. Essentially, the review shows obstacles to an employee's development and indicates particular strengths a person needs to succeed.

1. 360 performance review. Within this review, managers seek feedback from teammates, subordinates, and the person himself. 360 performance appraisal takes the best from other reviews to have an accurate vision of various aspects of devising an employee's performance.

These five examples are among the best in the performance appraisal realm. You can use any of them depending on the context and business needs. You need to know how to start with them and make them work.

Moreover, along with the performance reviews, it is wise to use some performance appraisal examples. This helps to get the most out of the reviews and take your employees' performance to the next level. Therefore, consider using these performance appraisal examples:

• When making a positive appraisal, consider this one - "The employee meets the company standards by being punctual and responsible."
• When pointing out the need for improvement, you can suggest the following - "The employee spends too much time on social media during working hours."
• When speaking about leadership, you can use this example - "The employee engages in effective team management and does everything possible to improve team ties." Besides, you can suggest that "the employee holds all team members responsible and leads by personal example."
• When talking about communication skills, you can say - "The employee presents great communication skills, especially when it comes to written and verbal communication." If there is a need for improvement, suggest the following - "The employee fails to use email as an effective means of communication."
• When it comes to teamwork and collaboration, you can indicate that "the employee performs as a great team player and other team members respect him/her." In turn, you can also say, "the employee acts inconsiderably toward the opinions of other team members."
• When pondering on time management, you can say, "the employee meets tight deadlines without stress" or "the employee regularly pushes deadlines and fails to deliver."
• These are among the most common performance appraisal examples to use. Depending on whether you want to leave a positive comment or suggest an area for improvement, performance appraisal is a great tool to turn employees toward a greater professional future. 

How to get started with performance appraisal examples 

First, when establishing the objectives for the chosen example, you must choose the employee skills you will evaluate. Generally, each review focuses on communication, teamwork, problem-solving, reliability, and the capacity to meet objectives.

In addition, you need to select a proper grading scale. In a nutshell, there are an A-to-F scale, numerical scores, or written descriptions. When the skills and grading scale is chosen, it is time to schedule a meeting and think about the feedback. Make sure to notify a worker in advance and ensure the feedback is constructive and up to a point.

Performance appraisals are a way for organizations to assess and evaluate the job performance of their employees. They can be conducted on a regular basis, such as annually or quarterly, or as needed. Here are some steps you can follow to get started with performance appraisal examples:

1. Determine the purpose of the performance appraisal: Is it to provide feedback to employees, identify training needs, or inform decisions about promotions or salary increases?
2. Choose a method for conducting the appraisal: There are several methods you can use, such as self-appraisals, 360-degree evaluations, or supervisor evaluations. Consider the needs of your organization and the type of feedback you want to gather.
3. Develop a set of performance standards: These are the criteria that will be used to evaluate employee performance. They should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
4. Communicate the performance standards to employees: Make sure that employees understand what is expected of them and how their performance will be evaluated.
5. Conduct the appraisal: During the appraisal, the employee's job performance should be reviewed in relation to the performance standards that have been set. You should also provide feedback to the employee on their strengths and areas for improvement.
6. Document the appraisal: It's important to keep accurate records of the appraisal process, including the performance standards used, the employee's job performance, and any feedback provided.

By following these steps and using specific examples to illustrate employee performance, you can effectively conduct a performance appraisal that helps your organization and its employees succeed. 

Conclusion ​

Choosing the best performance appraisal example is a great way to promote your business. Knowing the ins and outs of the performance review phenomenon and choosing among the best examples above grants you a good chance to make the most of the performance review process. 

Yet, if you are unsure about right and wrong in performance appraisal, there is always a performance review software to consider.