Performance assessments are exactly what they sound like: they are an evaluation of how employees’ are currently performing on the job and a plan for making any necessary improvements. Performance assessments are an essential tool in the Human Resources arsenal as they provide data for other departmental functions (compensation, position determination, employee training, and employee development, etc). So how does one perform a performance assessment? Here are three tips on how to conduct a performance assessment:

• Make sure you have set out the expectations for the employee regarding what she or he is expected to achieve. This can be in the form of a job description, a set of job duties, or SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time bound). The employee should be clear about how they are going to be measured at the outset of the assessment period – this will forestall any excuses later on down the line, the most common being: “no one told me about what was expected of me”.
• Provide clear, unambiguous feedback about performance at least two or three times a year (if you can do it more without being overly annoying, the better). Cite examples of positive and negative behaviors and discuss metrics that you are using to track the achievement of the employee’s goals.
• Identify employee development needs – discuss with the employee the steps they need to take to improve their skills, knowledge, and abilities to perform better in this job and, if necessary, maybe prepare for the next one.

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