Performance reviews: how to use them efficiently and effectively (downloadable template)

Performance reviews are an important element of employee development but are often seen as a tick-box exercise with little value. Our downloadable template will help you review the performance of your team members more efficiently and effectively.

5 mins read
Getty Images 1401761851 (1)

over 1 year ago

​​Annual appraisals are supposedly dead – but this is only true because once a year is not enough to effectively evaluate your employees. We explore how to optimise your performance reviews to grow your team.

Employers are not required by law to conduct appraisals and reviews, but they do benefit all parties. If all the feedback you give your team members is through one annual appraisal, you’re doing your team a disservice and aren’t unlocking their full potential. Feedback should be far more regular to match the fast-paced environments we now work in.

The value of appraisals

Recently, appraisals have been considered a dying practice by many employers who deem it a tick-box exercise with little value. However, when done well, and more frequently, these reviews are crucial for the development of your employees and have multiple benefits for both parties:

-      Ensuring employees understand their role and your expectations for them

-      Determining to what extent employees are meeting those expectations

-      Providing support and having an honest two-way discussion

-      Acknowledging and rewarding good performance

-      Nurturing your employees’ career progression

-      Increasing engagement and longevity

A manager’s responsibility is to empower their people to do their work to the best of their ability and nurture their successes. Performance reviews are a chance to engage team members with regular, one-to-one, honest discussions. It’s not only a chance for the professional to receive feedback from you, but an opportunity for them to raise any concerns they have and to tell you what support they might need.

Without appraisals, employees will still be evaluated, but without the same transparency and objectivity. It will simply exclude employees from the process. This could make them feel out of control of their own futures and unaware of what they can do to improve. Providing honest feedback, even if it is a hard conversation to have, allows them the opportunity to upskill themselves and for you to show you want to help them improve.

Conducting a successful performance review

Firstly, all parties involved need to understand the process and why it’s being conducted in the first place. What do you want to achieve from this meeting? Appraisals need to be structured to be effective. Performance template examples, like the template we have designed, can help you with this.

Every appraisal should:

Be as regular as your team needs it to be– The regularity of your performance reviews will depend entirely on your company, team and management style. With most companies changing much more rapidly, and employees learning in more fast-paced environments, annual appraisals will not be as useful as a more regular performance review. When it comes to feedback, little and often is the way to go.

You might decide that once a month is best for your team members. However, it’s best to be flexible, and if monthly reviews aren’t working for individuals, try checking in with them more regularly than others. It’s all about the employee and your own judgement.

Provide effective feedback– Fundamentally, all feedback must be honest and constructive. Without honesty, it will have no value to the person receiving it – positive or negative. Whether their performance has been excellent or less than satisfactory, you need to advise them on the next steps they should take to improve or grow further. All feedback must focus on the future and how your employee can move forward, rather than dwelling on past failures or becoming complacent following their successes.

Set SMART goals– One of the most common mistakes employers make is setting vague goals. Employers must provide their employees with SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound) goals, that they can focus on achieving ahead of their next review. For example, you may want one of your employees to ‘make more sales’ but this doesn’t give them guidance or direction on how to achieve what you want them to.

To turn this into a smart goal, it might become something like: ‘make eight sales a month, for six months, until you reach 48 sales by the end of this year’. Outlining the main goal, and the smaller steps they need to take to achieve their goals by a set deadline is much better for motivation and productivity. It’s also easier to measure and help them to stay on track to achieve their overall goal.

Be a rewarding experience for employees– Appraisals should be an experience employees look forward to. They should leave feeling that their hard work and progress since the last review has been acknowledged and rewarded by their employer. If the response hasn’t been so positive, they should leave with an awareness of how to improve, through honest and constructive feedback and SMART goals.

Be personalised to individuals– Each member of your team will have a different way of working and different needs. This should be accounted for in your performance reviews. Ideally, you would have a standardised performance review template that can be adapted to each person in your team. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t always work.

If any of your team members have health issues which are affecting their work, take that into consideration and do your best to support them. It is illegal to discriminate against someone for their protected characteristics such as disabilities or neurodivergence. Likewise, be mindful of any personal issues your employee may be struggling with that may have a short-term impact on their performance. You must provide reasonable adjustments where possible to help them improve their performance.

Download our free performance review template to help you ensure your next review has a positive impact on your employees.

You may also be interested in

Maximise productivity: the power of full annual leave entitlement
5 mins read
  1. Article

Maximise productivity: the power of full annual leave entitlement

​When employing staff, annual leave is often seen as a ‘given’ – a perk that is just considered standard practice. You reward your employees with paid time off – that works right?

Unfortunately, an increasing number of employees across the UK, for example, are not making the best use of their entitlement. According to research by HR software provider Access PeopleHR, there was a 7.7% fall in the annual leave taken by UK workers between 2022 and 2023 across 18 different industries.

Annual leave is not merely a statutory requirement; it’s a strategic asset that can inspire and motivate employees – positively impacting your organisation.

The benefits to you as an employer

As we all know, you as an employer have a duty of care to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of your employees.

You might view annual leave as a cost to your business, but in reality, encouraging employees to take their full entitlement can bring numerous benefits to your organisation.

Increased productivity

Encouraging employees to take time off can significantly boost productivity. Now this may seem unusual at first, but well-rested employees are more efficient and effective. When employees take regular breaks from work, they return with improved focus and energy.

This break from routine tasks allows them to approach problems with a fresh perspective, often leading to innovative solutions, increased output, and a fresh sense of purpose.

Employees who take a large proportion of their annual leave entitlement are often less likely to experience fatigue and stress that could end up leading to mistakes and errors. In the long term, investing in your employees' rest can lead to a more resilient and productive workforce.

Reduced risk of employee burnout

Burnout is a growing concern– with 82% of employees at risk of some form of burnout in 2024. It can lead to decreased performance, increased absenteeism, and higher turnover rates. Encouraging employees to take annual leave can help to mitigate this risk by providing them with the opportunity to recharge and disconnect from everyday work pressures.

Helping employees embrace their annual leave may help reduce the likelihood of experiencing chronic stress, a leading cause of burnout. By promoting a culture that values rest and recuperation, you can help ensure your employees remain engaged and committed to their roles.

It’s more important than ever that people take time off to rest and recharge – so that they can come back stronger than ever.

Improved mental and physical health

We want employers to prioritise both employee wellbeing and productivity, and taking annual leave can play a vital role in maintaining the mental health of employees. Time away from work can reduce stress, improve mood, and boost overall life satisfaction.

Employees who feel mentally and emotionally healthy are more likely to contribute positively to the workplace upon their return to work. They exhibit better problem-solving skills, can enhance their creative thinking, and are generally more motivated.

Heightened employee satisfaction

Employee satisfaction is closely linked to retention rates and overall company morale. Encouraging employees to take their annual leave demonstrates that you value their work-life balance. This can lead to higher levels of job satisfaction and an increased sense of loyalty.

Those who feel supported in their need for rest and personal time are more likely to speak positively about their workplace, reducing turnover and, in turn, attracting top talent. Satisfied employees are also more engaged and motivated, creating a positive feedback loop that benefits the entire organisation from top to bottom.

Ultimately, it’s the duty of managers to help their teams book time off, whether it’s through regular reminders or implementing a simple and efficient booking system. Companies need to take action and discover why employees may be reluctant to take time off, to put strategies in place to support them. It’s also essential that you have a clear view of any requests that come through from your team so that you can manage them promptly.

Alternatives for those who struggle to take their full entitlement

While it’s ideal for employees to take their full annual leave, it’s not always possible. Some employees just don’t want to take it – and that’s fine.

Here are some alternatives to ensure they still get the rest and recovery they need:

Carry forward holiday leave –allow employees to carry over at least some of their unused leave to the following year. This provides flexibility and ensures they don’t lose their entitlement. This can be particularly useful during busy periods when taking time off is challenging.

Time off in lieu (TOIL) –offer additional time off to compensate employees who work extra hours, which can help to compensate for unused leave and give employees some much needed time off at a later date.

Flexible working hours –allow employees to adjust their work hours to accommodate personal needs. Compressed workweeks or staggered hours can help employees manage their time better, reduce stress, and improve work-life balance, even if they can’t take extended periods of time off.

Frequent breaks in the day –encourage short breaks throughout the day to help employees recharge and maintain their focus. This could be between meetings, after they’ve finished a project, or ticked something off their to do list, making it easier for employees to maintain productivity levels even without taking long holidays.

Final thoughts

In most businesses, communication which encourages employees to take time off is key. Having an easy and simple method to book time off, usually via a time management system that allows someone to submit leave for approval to management and HR, is essential.

This can make all the difference and encourage a healthier attitude towards requesting holiday, especially if the system being used is fast, efficient and accessible to all employees.

If you are looking for a talented professional to join your team, or seeking a career change, get in touch with one of our specialist consultants today.

Scientific CV Template
3 mins read
  1. Article

Scientific CV Template

​If you are looking for your next position in the science industry, it is important to optimise and tailor your CV to give yourself the best possible chance of securing your dream role.

Build the perfect scientific CV with our free template below:

[Full Name]
[Home Address]
[Contact Number] • [Email Address]

Personal Statement

This section is your chance to summarise the rest of the CV, and convince the recruiter to get in touch. It is important to keep it brief, between 50-200 words and outline; who you are, any specific skills you have to offer (including ‘soft skills’) and your career aim.

Depending on the role, the key ‘soft skills’ employers are likely to look for include: communication, decision making, leadership skills, problem solving and being a team player. Be sure to reference your ability in these areas wherever possible in your CV.

I have gained valuable experience in [area of expertise] at [organisation name] and have a particular wealth of experience and skills in [specific area]. I graduated in [year] from [university name] with a [degree class] degree in [subject], and am now an [industry] professional.

My important achievements include working alongside the [team name] team at [organisation], and contributing to projects such as [project name]. I was responsible for/organised [task] and increased/decreased [profit/other metric] by [£X/X%].

I am looking for my next opportunity within an [business type/industry] organisation, where I can bring real value and develop my [scientific/research] skills further.


Education

This is your chance to talk about your qualifications, academic and vocational. This is a particularly important section for those with no relevant work experience. You should give detail about what you studied, where and when, and list them in chronological order. If you have many of one qualification, such as GCSEs you might find it useful to group them together.

  • [University Name]

  • [Date M/Y– Date M/Y]

Degree subject and class achieved (list Masters/PhD first)

  • Modules studied

  • Skills used

  • Dissertation brief

[College/School Name]
[Date M/Y– Date M/Y]

A-levels:

  • [Subject] – [Grade]

  • [Subject] – [Grade]

  • [Subject] – [Grade]

[College/School Name]
[Date M/Y– Date M/Y]

GCSEs:

  • [Number] GCSEs, grades [range], including Maths and English

Skills

This section is useful to clearly outline the laboratory/scientific skills you’ve gained at university or in industry. Include even minor relevant skills to increase your chances of being discovered in a CV database search.

Work experience
This should be brief and, as a general rule of thumb, focus on the last five years of your career, or last three roles, in chronological order with most recent at the top.

If you are a recent graduate then work experience should be listed before your degree details - if the work undertaken was relevant. If it was not relevant to your industry then list detailed degree/dissertation information first.

You should highlight your key achievements and use bullet points rather than lengthy descriptions.

[Job Title], [Company Name] [Location]
[Date M/Y- Date M/Y]

Achievements and responsibilities:

  • Brief role overview

  • Worked alongside [team] to produce [project]

  • Implemented [change] which resulted in [benefit]

  • Received an [award name] for [reason]


Hobbies and Interests

This section is not essential to include, but you may wish to depending on the role you are applying for. It can be a useful chance to show a little more of your personality. However, be warned this can be very subjective, ensure anything listed here reinforces your application and the idea that you’ll be the right fit for the role. If you don’t have any real relatable hobbies, it is probably best to omit this section.

I organise a weekly [sport] game, manage bookings, transport and help to coach the team.

Undertook a [course] in order to improve my [skill].


References

References are available upon request.

Download our full scientific CV template.

Coaching for intersectional inclusion
9 mins read
  1. Article

Coaching for intersectional inclusion

​​Everyone has multiple layers to their identity, and no one is one label. There are other aspects of their identities to consider, and no one should be put in a box. Many businesses, which celebrate Pride Month, for example, are perceived as not doing enough for people who are underrepresented in more than one way.

Recent research by Culture Amp in ‘The Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Report 2024’ found disabled women and black women are more doubtful of their employers’ equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDI&B) efforts than any other group.

This is likely because women might feel their entire identity and additional barriers aren’t being considered, if they are part of more than one underrepresented group. Some employers’ initiatives provide a base-level overview of inclusion for women, but they might only explore the perspectives of white women, for example, or women in general, with no specific solutions explored for LGBTQ+, disabled or black women, for instance. Each may have very different experiences of what it means to be a woman.

Coaching people within your organisation can help leaders and employees gain a deeper understanding of intersectionality and why it’s important. We interviewed Mary-Clare Race, CEO of Talking Talent, for her insight and best-practice tips on all things coaching and inclusion.