Appraisals can be critical for the growth of any employee. You may be getting ready for your first appraisal, but it will be equally important for you in future as well, as this creates a way forward for any employee.
Before you actually head to your appraisal, it is a good idea to evaluate your performance yourself.
Here are a few tips that will help you prepare better for the appraisal, and also let you positively hold on to your beliefs at work.
Keep All Information Ready
There will be a mix of good times and some not-so-good times at work, so prepare a list in advance that details both. Keep information ready on all the important projects you handled and the good work you did, as your manager may not remember it all. Also, if there were any crucial goof-ups or something significant where you couldn’t perform as required, keep that information ready too.
Hold Your Own Views Too
Sachin Iyer works as Director – Media Buying, at the Omnicom Media Group and feels that the appraisal is not just an assessment of your overall work performance, but an assessment of who you are as a person as well. He feels that there should be a very thin line between sticking to your values and giving in to what your seniors tell you during the appraisal.
You may have done something that you felt was right, and had perfect reasons to do so, while your seniors at the appraisal may not necessarily agree to it. However, if you believe in what you did, stay true to that belief and don’t just give in to their line of thought, just because you want to do better in your appraisal.
Be Ready To Take Feedback
Sachin shares that during the first appraisal, there will be a lot of expectation from both the ends – your seniors will use this as an opportunity to assess what you did and how your tenure has been in the company, while you will also be looking at personal growth and have certain expectations from the company. However, when you are getting appraised for the first time, you should take the feedback with utmost positivity and look forward to fill the gaps, if any. This will surely help in your overall growth.
Talk About Future Plans
Ask questions that will help you improve as an employee but will also build towards the growth of the organization. Make sure to ask key questions that can help you and your boss form an idea of how you both will be working together in the future.
Most appraisals last between 30 to 45 minutes, so make sure you are well prepared and have a good night’s sleep before the day. All the best.
