Performance Appraisal Phrases

The difference that wording can make

Many supervisors and managers struggle with the performance appraisal phrases that they should use during evaluations. After all, the review process is neither fun nor easy. In fact, most people would rather go in for dental surgery or have a tax audit than have to come up with the appropriate words to use to evaluate the performance of the employees in a team or department.

With this in mind, it’s not difficult to understand why so many people put this task on the back burner or simply don’t do it at all. Unfortunately, by avoiding these reviews or not performing them at all, a significant opportunity is missed to provide employees with the chance to become more motivated and better at their jobs.

One of the biggest struggles throughout the review process is in using the right performance appraisal phrases. The trick is to choose the right words and expressions, and the right patterns for their use. Many managers find that the “sandwich technique” is highly effective in keeping employees motivated.

This technique involves using a statement about negative performance between two phrases about positive strengths. For example:

• Is an active listener.

• Could be more focused on the main goal.

• Manages time effectively.

You may also have noticed that the “negative” phrase wasn’t worded in a way that suggested that the individual under review was bad at something. Instead, it was phrased in a mild form of positive guidance which showed where there was growth potential. This is a much more constructive way to word areas of weakness in a performance evaluation.

Avoid using negative corrective phrases such as “he was supposed to…”, “she failed to…”, “he isn’t good at...”, as they do not provide positive direction and are cutting rather than supportive.

There are many different kinds of phrases that you can use, depending on the type of appraisal that is being performed, and the category being evaluated. Use the following topics and examples to help you to produce more effective and motivational reviews for your own employees.

The Training Ability Evaluation

Training is a vital part of any organization and ensuring that an individual who is responsible with teaching other employees on the job is doing so effectively will make a big difference to the effectiveness of your team, the productiveness of your employees, and their ability to actually do their jobs and follow procedures accurately.

Those employees responsible for training and improving others can be applauded and encouraged with phrases such as the following:

Positive

• Gets along well with colleagues

• Demonstrates a strong ability to work in teams

Negative

• Could focus more on working as a member of a team

• Has the potential to become a strong leader

The Time Management Review

The ability to use time effectively is key to being able to accomplish goals in a reasonable period of time. It is important for employees to be able to manage time effectively and to continually improve upon the techniques that are used in order to better their overall work performance. Tasks involving time management can include being on time when arriving or coming back from breaks, meeting deadlines, managing a schedule, estimating a project outcome, or balancing the time needs of work with private life.

Phrases that can be used on a performance appraisal regarding time management include:

Positive

• Excellent time management

• Is punctual and often beats deadlines

Negative

• Could concentrate more on meeting deadlines

• Has the potential to learn how to balance speed with accuracy

The Customer Satisfaction Appraisal

When your customers are happy, your business has a much better chance of thriving, therefore, it is very important to know whether or not your employees are keeping your customers happy. This is important throughout every level of the company, as the sales department is not the only one that has contact with customers or influences their satisfaction.

Effective phrases for use in a customer satisfaction appraisal include the following:

Positive

• Is very professional with clients

• Presents well with customers

Negative

• Will be ready to meet directly with clients after further training

• Shows promise in sales after some attention to personal presentation

These are only a few of the performance appraisal phrases that you could use in the various categories of evaluation. By using the techniques they demonstrate, you will be able to ensure a much more positive overall experience for both yourself and the employee being reviewed.