According to William Shakespeare the human life is divided into seven different stages the first being the birth of a child/infant and the last termed as his second childhood. On similar lines, I thought of classifying the various stages of a new entrant from college into a world full of challenges, opportunities and competition. Where success is not defined by the opportunities you grab but by the opportunities you let go. Where apart from passion, commitment and energy you need to have the ability to take risks. Where you would learn to work in teams and that you can’t survive in silos. Whatever you have dreamt in the past of achieving in future is put on a real test to evaluate your mental and emotional stability.
Welcome to the World of Corporates.
An Infant is Born:
The birth of an infant in the corporate world symbolizes the time when a fresher enters or joins a company directly from campus. He is unaware of what his future will be and what beholds in the coming times. He tries to seek answer to his queries (mewling) in order to give his best and to secure/attain a place in the organization.Whining School-boy:
He learns the tricks of the trait and is finally acquainted to this professional world wearing rose colored glasses and entering this art gallery with big dreams and aspirations and is soon pulled down to the ground with rope of responsibilities and expectations. The poor entrant is always nervous and doubtful about his decisions and thus unintentionally troubles and annoys the big fishes in the net and gets smacked (whining)The Lover:
Well! Everything in this universe has negative and positive effects. After getting smacked by the big bosses the fresher finally realizes the responsibilities he has on his shoulders and falls in love with his work and tries his best to design and decorate his lady (job responsibilities) with world’s best ornaments (ideas and presentations)The Soldier:
Now he neither knows any difference between day and night nor he remembers when to eat and rest, only thing that runs in his mind is work and commitments, which is going to fetch him the entire world in terms of earning a good reputation in the society which might be short lived however he can put his personal life at stake for this very bubble reputation.The Justice:
He is no longer a fresher now but an image with a round belly and beard with a formal cut which symbolizes his position in the corporate world and the big chunk of money that he has made. On account of his experiences he is full of wise expressions with latest examples and sans any doubts preaching everyone like a priest from outside but internally is a big fish ready to eat the small ones entering his world.Let the Show Begin
Are you in for it???
Stress Free Performance Review....
Do They Really Exists??
It’s almost that time. No, not the holiday season, but the “other” annual event that is just as much anticipated…annual performance and development reviews. Fondly called PD&Rs, reviews can present anxiety for HR professionals, front line supervisors, and employees alike. I’d like to take a look at a few of the issues that arise year after year, suggesting ways to make the process-dare we say, enjoyable?
Human Resources
This is a hectic time in the life of an HR professional, especially if you work for a large company. Budgets have to be submitted and approved detailing exactly what the average recommended raise will be this year. This is always a nail-biting process, as everyone will blame HR is there is only a 2% raise this time around.
A great way to avoid stress and disappointment from your staff is to keep an ongoing visual record of the company’s performance metrics, as it relates to profit sharing bonuses and annual merit increases. Knowing from a high level how the company is performing can cushion some of the blow in a down year and provide anticipation when the company is doing well.
Another area of angst is putting together the department/team specific spreadsheets that Managers and Supervisors will use to rate employees and assign raises. Do yourself a favor and prepare and distribute these early! There is nothing worse than confusing cost centers and omitting names from the spreadsheet because you are in a rush. Proper planning will save you a huge headache. Add a return receipt confirmation flag so that you can be sure that all of your department contacts received their information way ahead of schedule.
Also, if you have more than a few first-time Supervisors, you may want to be proactive and schedule a PD&R training session. Taking the time to present the process and outline expectations may save you more than a few confused emails and phone calls down the road. This also ensures that all front-line managers receive the same message from HR regarding the current year’s review process.
Below are also a few tips that you can pass on to Supervisors and employees.
Supervisors
One of the biggest reasons that Supervisors dread reviews is that they may not have regularly met with their employees to discuss performance during the year. Because of this, they are hesitant to bite off such a big chunk, especially if the person is an underperformer.
If your Supervisors are too busy to meet with staff weekly or bi-weekly, recommend a monthly, or at the very least, a quarterly review. This provides the employee with an accurate assessment of their performance and skills, allowing time for improvement if needed. Also, this will eliminate the tight feeling in the pit of the Supervisor’s stomach at the thought of explaining why someone does not deserve a raise, but hasn’t been given prior feedback.
An easy way for Supervisors to assess performance quickly is to require all staff to submit a monthly report. The report would list accomplishments against planned objectives and also list any problems the employee may be facing. If all is well, a quick email commendation alleviates the need for a meeting, and you have more time to spend with employees who need real assistance.
One thing that all Supervisors seem to complain about is not having sufficient time in the day to actually write the performance reviews. They may have all the data, but their day is filled with solving operational and employee issues. A great way to get the job done, plus provide a breather, is to allow the Supervisor to work from home writing the reviews. This allows a block of uninterrupted time in which to complete the task.
One company I know of with a team of ten Supervisors allowed each supervisor to work from home one day on reviews. They coordinated things so only one person was away from the office at a time, and the Supervisor was required to be on-call via phone if needed. I think this is a win/win solution and one that your Supervisors will appreciate.
Review time is hectic for HR and Supervisors, but it can be very stressful for employees as well. The following tips can help them get the most out of their review.
Employees
As an employee, staff members will want to ensure that all of their accomplishments are included in their review. However, the reality is that the average Supervisor manages 15-30 people, and may not remember every detail. A great and simple way for team members to avoid items being omitted is to keep a “Me File”. This can be a simple word or excel document in which they keep a running tally of their performance metrics, any special projects completed, and other leadership exhibited. This is an excellent idea that any Supervisor would appreciate at review time.
Alongside the Me File, it is a good idea for employees to keep a folder (real or virtual), which holds any awards, customer commendations, or other items showing that they went above and beyond the call of duty. This is the type of information that can make the difference between a “commendable” and an “excellent” rating.
Lastly, if an employee is unsure of just how they are doing, they should not hesitate to request a meeting or a one on one with their direct Supervisor. Everyone deserves feedback, but sometimes superiors get so caught up in the day to day operations, they forget. A polite, professional reminder can open the door of communication and clarity.
Now, I know there may never be such a thing as a “painless review”, but I hope these tips will help. It’s great to share ideas and you never know when something you mention will make someone’s life easier.
So what about you?
What are your techniques for dealing with reviews?
Stress Free Performance Review....
Do They Really Exists??
It’s almost that time. No, not the holiday season, but the “other” annual event that is just as much anticipated…annual performance and development reviews. Fondly called PD&Rs, reviews can present anxiety for HR professionals, front line supervisors, and employees alike. I’d like to take a look at a few of the issues that arise year after year, suggesting ways to make the process-dare we say, enjoyable?
Human Resources
This is a hectic time in the life of an HR professional, especially if you work for a large company. Budgets have to be submitted and approved detailing exactly what the average recommended raise will be this year. This is always a nail-biting process, as everyone will blame HR is there is only a 2% raise this time around.
A great way to avoid stress and disappointment from your staff is to keep an ongoing visual record of the company’s performance metrics, as it relates to profit sharing bonuses and annual merit increases. Knowing from a high level how the company is performing can cushion some of the blow in a down year and provide anticipation when the company is doing well.
Another area of angst is putting together the department/team specific spreadsheets that Managers and Supervisors will use to rate employees and assign raises. Do yourself a favor and prepare and distribute these early! There is nothing worse than confusing cost centers and omitting names from the spreadsheet because you are in a rush. Proper planning will save you a huge headache. Add a return receipt confirmation flag so that you can be sure that all of your department contacts received their information way ahead of schedule.
Also, if you have more than a few first-time Supervisors, you may want to be proactive and schedule a PD&R training session. Taking the time to present the process and outline expectations may save you more than a few confused emails and phone calls down the road. This also ensures that all front-line managers receive the same message from HR regarding the current year’s review process.
Below are also a few tips that you can pass on to Supervisors and employees.
Supervisors
One of the biggest reasons that Supervisors dread reviews is that they may not have regularly met with their employees to discuss performance during the year. Because of this, they are hesitant to bite off such a big chunk, especially if the person is an underperformer.
If your Supervisors are too busy to meet with staff weekly or bi-weekly, recommend a monthly, or at the very least, a quarterly review. This provides the employee with an accurate assessment of their performance and skills, allowing time for improvement if needed. Also, this will eliminate the tight feeling in the pit of the Supervisor’s stomach at the thought of explaining why someone does not deserve a raise, but hasn’t been given prior feedback.
An easy way for Supervisors to assess performance quickly is to require all staff to submit a monthly report. The report would list accomplishments against planned objectives and also list any problems the employee may be facing. If all is well, a quick email commendation alleviates the need for a meeting, and you have more time to spend with employees who need real assistance.
One thing that all Supervisors seem to complain about is not having sufficient time in the day to actually write the performance reviews. They may have all the data, but their day is filled with solving operational and employee issues. A great way to get the job done, plus provide a breather, is to allow the Supervisor to work from home writing the reviews. This allows a block of uninterrupted time in which to complete the task.
One company I know of with a team of ten Supervisors allowed each supervisor to work from home one day on reviews. They coordinated things so only one person was away from the office at a time, and the Supervisor was required to be on-call via phone if needed. I think this is a win/win solution and one that your Supervisors will appreciate.
Review time is hectic for HR and Supervisors, but it can be very stressful for employees as well. The following tips can help them get the most out of their review.
Employees
As an employee, staff members will want to ensure that all of their accomplishments are included in their review. However, the reality is that the average Supervisor manages 15-30 people, and may not remember every detail. A great and simple way for team members to avoid items being omitted is to keep a “Me File”. This can be a simple word or excel document in which they keep a running tally of their performance metrics, any special projects completed, and other leadership exhibited. This is an excellent idea that any Supervisor would appreciate at review time.
Alongside the Me File, it is a good idea for employees to keep a folder (real or virtual), which holds any awards, customer commendations, or other items showing that they went above and beyond the call of duty. This is the type of information that can make the difference between a “commendable” and an “excellent” rating.
Lastly, if an employee is unsure of just how they are doing, they should not hesitate to request a meeting or a one on one with their direct Supervisor. Everyone deserves feedback, but sometimes superiors get so caught up in the day to day operations, they forget. A polite, professional reminder can open the door of communication and clarity.
Now, I know there may never be such a thing as a “painless review”, but I hope these tips will help. It’s great to share ideas and you never know when something you mention will make someone’s life easier.
So what about you?
What are your techniques for dealing with reviews?
Courtesy: http://www.younghrmanager.com/stages-of-corporate-life
