9 ways to prep for performance review season

Performance review season isn’t just about filling out forms or scheduling meetings — it's a time to reinforce company culture, align individual performance with business objectives and foster development. A well-executed performance review process involves strategic planning, continuous feedback and robust training for managers and employees.

Here’s a breakdown of critical components that should be prioritized for a successful performance review season:

1. Align performance reviews with business objectives

Performance reviews are a crucial opportunity to link employee contributions to company goals. Managers should be trained to evaluate performance through the lens of organizational priorities. 

• Goal cascading: Train managers to set goals that focus on individual achievement and support broader company objectives.
• Cross-department collaboration: Performance is enhanced when employees understand how their work impacts other teams and the organization's goals.
• OKRs vs. KPIs: Educate managers on your performance and goal-setting frameworks and how to apply them during performance evaluations.

2. Clarify performance review ratings

Ratings can be helpful, but they must be applied consistently and objectively across the organization. Your People team should provide comprehensive training on interpreting and utilizing rating systems within your organization.

• Clear expectations: Every manager should understand what qualifies as "meeting expectations" vs. "exceeding expectations" and how to articulate these differences to employees.
• Calibration sessions: Regular calibration meetings can ensure managers apply ratings fairly across teams, eliminating subjective bias.

3. Minimize bias in performance reviews

Unconscious bias can drastically affect performance reviews. In advance of performance review season, People teams should create awareness of bias and present actionable solutions to ensure fair assessments.

• Bias detection tools: Equip managers with tools to eliminate biased language from reviews.
• Structured criteria: Implement standardized performance rubrics to minimize subjectivity and help ensure all employees are held to the same standards.
• Intersectionality awareness: Training should cover how factors like race, gender, age and disability intersect and lead to compounding review biases.

4. Ensure psychological safety in performance conversations

Building a culture of psychological safety helps employees feel comfortable discussing achievements and areas for improvement. People leaders should train managers on creating environments where open dialogue is encouraged.

• Safe feedback: Teach managers how to frame feedback non-judgmentally and aimed at growth.
• Two-way dialogue: Encourage managers to ask for feedback about their performance to build trust and transparency.
• Vulnerability: Normalize vulnerability in managers, allowing them to admit their own mistakes, which can make employees more comfortable acknowledging their growth areas.

5. Prepare for legal compliance + documentation

Performance reviews can have legal implications, especially when tied to promotions, terminations or raises. Proper documentation and compliance training are essential for mitigating risks.

• Proper documentation: Train managers to consistently document both high and low performance, ensuring a clear record that can support promotion or termination decisions.
• Discrimination prevention: Make sure managers understand the legal risks of biased reviews — especially when those reviews impact compensation or advancement.

6. Explain how to handle low performance

Low performance is an opportunity for growth — not just for the employee but for the organization. Early interventions and clear pathways for improvement are critical.

• Explicit criteria for improvement: Ensure managers provide specific examples of where performance is lacking and what needs to change.
• Coaching culture: Shift from punitive measures to a coaching mindset, where managers provide consistent support and resources to help employees improve.
• Legal awareness: Educate managers on properly managing performance improvement plans (PIPs) to avoid potential legal claims related to wrongful termination.

7. Plan to support high performers

High performers often receive less feedback, but investing in their growth is essential for retention and leadership development.

• Stretch assignments: Encourage managers to offer high performers new challenges to help them grow and stay engaged.
• Career pathing: Offer training on creating personalized career development plans that align with the employee’s ambitions and the company’s needs.

8. Make performance management continuous

Traditional annual reviews can feel disconnected from daily work. A culture of continuous feedback fosters real-time growth and keeps employees engaged throughout the year.

• Check-in cadence: Encourage managers to hold weekly, monthly or quarterly check-ins that open the feedback loop year-round.
• Micro-praises + corrections: Train managers to provide immediate positive and corrective feedback so employees are always in the know.

9. Offer continual manager development + training

Often, the quality of performance reviews depends heavily on the manager’s skills. Investing in comprehensive manager development programs helps create consistency and fairness.

• Training beyond reviews: Equip managers with ongoing leadership training, empathy development and advanced coaching skills.
• Peer support: Implement peer coaching sessions where managers can exchange feedback and advice for difficult performance conversations.

Performance reviews should be a strategic, continuous process

The performance review season is vital to strengthen the alignment between individual performance and company goals. The more consistent and ongoing the process, the more reviews will feel like a natural part of the performance journey, reducing stress and increasing employee engagement.

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