Your employee's role in the performance appraisal process

 The skill to do comes from the doing. 

–Cicero

Performance appraisals are an opportunity for you and your employee to sit down together to work on performance goals and issues. As a manager, think of the review process as a partnership with your employee. It is important to involve your employee in every stage of the appraisal process, so that you can see both sides of the story. This includes having your employee complete a self-appraisal.

In this self-appraisal, the employee evaluates his or her own performance against goals, and often also identifies factors that hindered or supported performance. The employee may summarize his or her achievements, and resources needed for past and future development. The format can vary, from a formal, written self-appraisal to an informal "jot down some notes" kind of process. The important element is getting the employee's perspective. Involving your employee in the process is also beneficial for the following reasons:

• It sets the tone of partnership for all reviews, both formal and informal.
• It reduces negative reactions to feedback.
• It promotes a trusting relationship between you and your employee.