5 Simple Steps for an Effective Employee Self Review

If there’s one thing that we know employees dread, it’s the requirement to write a comprehensive self-review every year. While you might have a lot on your plate in the new year, here’s a few simple things you can do to knock your self-review out of the park:

1. Reflect on your performance:

Before writing your self-review, take some time to reflect on your performance over the past year. Consider your accomplishments, areas for improvement, and any challenges you faced. We would recommend taking detailed notes of your wins throughout the year so that you can easily identify areas of growth, as well as times that you exceeded expectations.

2. Review your job duties and goals:

Review your job duties and the goals you have been working towards over the past year. Your goal here should be to identify the specific areas where you have met or exceeded your roles expectations, as well as identify opportunities that will enable you to move towards the next level of your role. If you have access to it, we would recommend printing out your roles and responsibilities. You can then use two unique colors to mark where you feel like you are meeting/exceeding the expectation, or where they may be additional room for growth.

3. Seek feedback from others:

Consider seeking feedback from your colleagues, supervisor, or other stakeholders to get a more well-rounded view of your performance. While your company may be collecting peer feedback through an evaluation platform, they might be aware of strengths that you have demonstrated that you didn't think to include yourself.

4. Use specific examples:

When writing your self review, use specific examples to illustrate your achievements and areas for improvement. This can help make your review more concrete and persuasive. If you have created SMART goals, you should be able to pull details from your goals. Otherwise, use the examples you came up with in the first tip or that your peers provided when you reached out to them. Specific examples will help your manager understand that you truly have demonstrated growth within these areas.

5. Keep an open mind:

Remember that the purpose of a self review is to provide a candid assessment of your own performance and to identify areas for improvement. Be open to feedback and suggestions for improvement and be prepared to discuss any areas of disagreement or misunderstanding. Ensure that you give yourself credit for your accomplishments, but that you are also humble enough to recognize how you can continue to grow and improve in the coming year.

Overall, the key to writing an effective self review is to be honest, reflective, and specific, while also being open to feedback and suggestions for improvement.