6 Tips To Ace Your Remote Performance Appraisal
We all might be very much in sync with an in-person performance appraisals but times have changed, majority of organizations will be conducting virtual performance reviews as the pandemic is still to stay till we all get vaccinated but that doesn’t mean that we treat the process lightly as this review can be even more challenging than you think:
The real question is: Are you actually ready for one?
Because we definitely think it’s not easy to pull off a great one that too over a zoom-call as it’s easier to express yourself better in-person. We’ll help you ace it with some essential tips that can help you represent yourself better while communicating efficiently about your performance, goals and way forward to your manager.
1. Reflect On Previous Feedback & Jot It Down
PREPARATION is the key and your first step to focus on before the appraisal. You need to go in in this case #virtually go in prepared. Take a couple of hours to reflect on the feedback you have received in the past, the milestones you have achieved and the goals you would like to focus on in the coming year. Jot down everything from your accomplishments to career advancement objectives that you would like to discuss with your manager. This will help you figure out what you actually want from the meeting and eventually help you have a meaningful discussion with your boss.
2. Your Way Forward
As we mentioned above, it’s not just having a conversation about your milestones but also discussing your way forward in resolving challenges in the bigger picture. This is a time where both you and your manager can discuss about what additional resources and support you would need to mitigate future challenges in a more effective and efficient way. This is the best time to talk about your long-term career goals.
3. Move Beyond The “Good” Talk
While you’re at the discussion already, utilize this time for a meaningful and honest conversation to open about any hurdles you’re facing to accomplish your goals. Bring issues that might be holding you back from certain areas of progress. The whole idea of this conversation is to identify the loopholes/issues/obstructions, address them to eventually resolve them to the core.
4.Treat It Like An In-Person Discussion
Treat it no differently from an in-person performance review, here are a few pointers you can keep in mind:
- Dress formally, even if it means being there infront of a screen
- Check your camera and mic before hand, remove distractions from the background
- Be aware of your body language
- Listen proactively before throwing a pile of questions at your manager.
5. Keep Taking Notes
Take a proactive approach and remember to take notes when needed. These discussions can help you figure out your upcoming goals and the resources you would need to accomplish them so jot down your necessary pointers. This also reflects that you are very much engaged in the discussion. You can refer to these notes before your next appraisal or probably later when you start working on your new goals.
6. Don’t Take The Criticism Personally
Performance appraisals are definitely not all rosy, there will be feedback, both negative and positive so be prepared to hear something that might be difficult to take in. But remember to be calm and patient about the feedback being given to you and try to take it positively as it’s only meant to help you identify your weaknesses so you can address them and overcome them before they hamper your path forward.
