© 2010 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved. HRLC-AD SYN 1 CEB HR Leadership Council TM For Midsized Companies CEB HR Leadership Council TM For Midsized Companies Improving the Formal Performance Review Process Tips to Plan and Conduct Formal Performance Reviews

© 2010 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved. HRLC-AD SYN 2 CEB HR Leadership Council TM For Midsized Companies BEFORE THE REVIEW Source: CLC Learning and Development research; HR Leadership Council research. 1. Establish Healthy Employee Relationships Establishing Healthy Employee Relationships Three TipsResource for Your Help 2. Clearly Explain Performance Standards 3. Provide Immediate Informal Feedback Along the Way To Remember: The messenger matters as much as the message. To Remember: Clearly and explicitly state performance criteria to your employees before you begin assessing performance. To Remember: Provide immediate informal feedback along the way.

© 2010 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved. HRLC-AD SYN 3 CEB HR Leadership Council TM For Midsized Companies THE ACTUAL REVIEW Source: CLC Learning and Development research; HR Leadership Council research. 1. Planning Four TipsResource for Your Help 2. Providing Feedback on Personality Strengths 3. Providing Feedback on Performance Strengths To Remember:  If not already required, ask employees to complete a self-review and read it before you deliver their reviews.  Rehearse conversations and key messages before the review takes place. To Remember: Commenting purely on personality strengths is simple flattery; to make this feedback more meaningful, tie it to performance strengths. To Remember: Provide specific examples of strengths “in action.” 4. Providing Feedback on Performance Weaknesses To Remember:.  When providing this type of feedback, avoid judgmental words like “poor performance” or “weakness”; instead, present it in the context of a developmental opportunity.  Do not assume you understand the reason for a performance weakness; allow the employee to discuss why he or she is performing in a particular way. Tips for Providing Feedback on Performance Weaknesses