How Can We Improve Our Half-Yearly Performance Appraisal Process? Seeking Your Feedback

Hi everyone, hope you and your family are doing well and in good health.

Performance Appraisal Process

Performance appraisal is a half-yearly exercise of assessing employee performance in terms of quantitative (delivery precision-related) and qualitative (behavioral and learning) aspects. This is part of our ongoing effort to grow our impact, support staff development, and promote fairness and transparency. Here’s what you need to know.

Each half-year, in July and January, all staff will go through self-evaluation and be evaluated by their manager on how well they met expectations around outcomes and core competencies for the previous year. These assessments will focus on the bigger picture of your performance—the "what" (how successful you were at meeting your goals and what results you delivered) and the "how" (the skills, mindsets, and values you used to get there). They are an opportunity for self-reflection, feedback, and aligning with your manager on the next steps and expectations for the coming year.

Benefits of the Appraisal Process

We hope this process will provide:

- Clarity about opportunities for development and advancement.
- An opportunity for managers and staff to deepen alignment around expectations.
- Insight for leadership on how we’re doing as a team towards meeting our organization’s mission and goals.

General Timeline

Specific deadlines will vary based on what works best for you and your manager, but here is the general timeline:

- Date: Evaluation forms will be available in One Drive (Location) to everyone. Please use them as per your role during the review period. If you have any questions about the form, please ask your manager or contact HR for clarification.

Employee Self Review Categories

- Employee Self Review – Lead
- Employee Self Review - Support Functions
- Employee Self Review - Development
- Employee Self Review – Testing

- Date: Deadline for all evaluations (including self-evaluations). Managers should fill out their assessment before reviewing self-evaluations. We also recommend setting aside ample time to get input from others to inform your evaluation.
- Date: Deadline for holding evaluation discussion meetings and sending completed forms to HR.

Additional Considerations

If you manage someone, your manager will reach out to your direct report(s) to get feedback. While we want to have things on paper, we want you to focus on the conversation. Use your evaluation discussion meeting to reflect, share feedback, and look ahead.

We anticipate that there might be some bumps along the way, and we know we’ll learn a lot from this process. If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, you can direct them to your manager or get in touch with HR directly.

The draft you've created for the performance appraisal is well-structured and comprehensive. However, here are a few suggestions you may consider to enhance the clarity and tone of your message:

1. Start with a brief introduction: Begin your email with a short introduction that sets the context. This will give your employees a clear understanding of what is to follow.

"Dear Team,

I trust this email finds you in good health. As we move into the next half of the year, it's time for us to reflect on our performance and plan for the upcoming period."

2. Add a personalized touch: Make your email more personal to ensure a higher level of engagement. For example, you could include a line like:

"We appreciate your efforts and commitment to our organization, and this exercise is a reflection of that."

3. Specify the process: Be more specific about the process and timeline. Instead of saying "Date", insert specific dates.

"Here's the tentative timeline for the performance appraisal process:

- Date: Evaluation forms will be available.
- Date: Deadline for self-evaluations and manager evaluations.
- Date: Deadline for holding evaluation discussion meetings and submitting completed forms to HR."

4. Be clear about expectations: Clearly state what is expected from the employees. For example:

"Your evaluation will be based on your performance against set objectives and the core competencies required for your role. This is a chance for you to reflect on your achievements and identify areas for development."

5. Use positive language: Instead of mentioning 'bumps along the way', you can use more positive language such as:

"We understand that new processes can sometimes be challenging, but we trust that this will be a rewarding and insightful exercise for everyone."

6. Encourage communication: Reinforce that HR is available for any queries or clarifications. For example:

"Please feel free to reach out to your manager or the HR team if you have any questions or need help. We are here to support you."

I hope these suggestions will help you craft a more engaging and effective communication for your performance appraisal process. Remember, the aim is to make the process as transparent and straightforward as possible for your employees.