4 expert tips for navigating this quarter’s challenging performance reviews

In the middle of the fourth quarter, many employees are thinking about performance reviews, which can cause anxiety, frustration, and fear. It’s important for employers to provide clear expectations, consistent feedback, and opportunities for open communication. And it’s important that employees feel confident and productive when it comes to addressing mistakes and showcasing successes.

Anxiety can hinder good performance during a quarterly review. If the thought of an upcoming performance review makes you tremble, the first step is to find tools to help you reduce your fears. I previously wrote for Forbes.com about a number of stress busters that can help you overcome the challenge.

Once you’ve calmed down, you can take practical steps to shine at your next quarterly review. I spoke via email with Annie Rosencrans, director of people and culture at HiBob—an HR platform that supports communication, inclusion, and belonging—about how to prepare for and overcome an upcoming performance review. She gave me tips on how to overcome these challenging reviews and put my best foot forward.

Tip 1: Show your influence on the company

Rosencrans told me that performance reviews are a good time for junior employees to review all of their accomplishments to a manager. She recommends that you take the time to carefully complete the self-assessment as soon as you receive it, highlighting specific examples of your impact, along with qualitative details about why you will be an asset to the team.

“For example, if you’re in sales and exceeded your goal by 15%, your performance review is a good time to discuss this,” says Rosencrans. “If you are in a customer service role and have a high customer retention rate, use your self-assessment to highlight this along with details about how and why you think you are particularly successful.”

But even if you don’t have anything measurable for your role, she insists there’s still a way for junior employees to demonstrate their influence on the company by, among other things, “mentioning initiatives you’ve been involved in and discussing task forces that you have joined”. on improving company culture (if relevant) or other examples specific to your role.”

Tip 2: Address mistakes or pitfalls productively

Rosencrans suggests that during your performance review, you talk about your strengths, areas for improvement, and how you would like to develop further. “This is crucial to demonstrate confidence and show that you are committed to learning, developing and being part of the company for the long term,” she explains.

Rosencrans believes that managers respect and respect transparency. If you’ve made a mistake, you should own up to it and not just cross your fingers and hope they’ve forgotten it. “You can proactively address what happened and explain what you learned from it and how you would approach the situation differently in the future,” she explains. “This shows that you think strategically and look forward.”

Tip 3: Maintain communication with your manager throughout the year

According to Rosencrans, in addition to discussing performance with your manager during an annual review, you should also schedule regular one-on-one time. “I hold meetings with my team for at least an hour every week, so we have time to communicate not only about the important tasks at hand, but also how team members are feeling, so we can connect on a deeper level” , she says.

She cites that open communication at HiBob has helped maintain an engaged team and explains that this is why they provide feedback tools on their platform that can help other managers and leaders give their employees the support they need need. “It also helps with performance attribution, so employees can see how they have been rated over time and track the improvements of hard-working employees over the course of their employment with the company,” she adds.

If you find yourself in a situation where your manager doesn’t have regular contact bases or one-on-one meetings with you, Rosencrans recommends that you ask for one. “When you have these conversations, use them both to build connections and to ask questions about your own performance to keep the feedback loop open and honest, so you’re not just learning about areas you know about once a year should grow,” she emphasizes.

Tip 4: Be careful if you have a critical review

“When you have a critical performance review, be patient and try not to have a knee-jerk defensive reaction,” suggests Rosencrans. “Thank your manager for the feedback, ask for clarification on anything that feels confusing to you, and reread the assessment.” When you’re in a calmer state, she advises asking for a follow-up conversation to discuss details or explain your point of view if you feel that something does not reflect your performance. “Two-way communication is always an option. “So make sure you don’t focus on hurt feelings, but rather on how you can put these learnings into action,” she concludes.