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December is a busy time for us HR professionals. In addition to preparing the new year's staffing plan, we are the driving forces behind year-end performance and salary reviews. We understand that employees take their salaries quite personally, so we focus a lot of our energies on making sure the process goes smoothly for all. But what about us?
As HR staffers, we often receive the leftover salary crumbs, because we neglect to prepare for our own year-end reviews. Don't let this happen to you. Instead, follow this advice to ensure a review that will help your career:
Get Prepared
This year, do things differently by setting aside time to review your annual goals and prepare a self-evaluation that provides a brief synopsis of how you performed over the review period. This is your opportunity to evaluate yourself as if you were your own boss. Rate yourself based on how well you met your objectives, and be sure to include a brief summary of your major accomplishments from the past year. If you were unable to meet specific milestones, determine why this occurred. Don't wait for your boss to point this out to you.
Be Specific
When writing your self-evaluation, be detailed. If you saved the company more than $50,000 in recruiting fees by implementing an employee referral program, add that fact to your list. If you designed and implemented a new money-saving employee-orientation program in February, remind your boss that the program has been successful.
Share Your Self-Evaluation
Submit your self-evaluation to your manager before your review, even if this is not a formal part of your company's review. Your detailed examination of your year with the organization will certainly serve as a reminder for your boss.
Take Responsibility for Driving the Process
When it comes to receiving your review, you have two choices: You can wait around until your boss gets to you, or you can be proactive and make an appointment for your review. If you choose the former, you could be waiting a long time. Take the initiative and block out the time. You will be glad you did.
Tomorrow…
What happens if your boss keeps putting you off? Remind your boss that you are still working with last year's goals, although you are well into January. Tell your boss that you value feedback, and you are looking forward to receiving some direction.
If compensation adjustments are associated with your review, gently remind your boss that it would be helpful to know what your salary will be for the year so you can budget accordingly. Hopefully, your boss will take the hint.
If you take time now to prepare for and schedule your review, come January you will be able to avoid asking yourself why your boss never got to your review or why your raise was so small. You might even find that your review is a pleasant and helpful experience with a focus on where you are heading, rather than where you have been.
