Performance reviews are renowned for being nerve wrecking, overly time-consuming and – worst of all – ineffective. The good news is that they don’t have to be any of those disappointments. Preparing a list of conscientious and focused performance evaluation questions can go a long way toward helping you set a positive, supportive tone while giving your employees a clear understanding of their roles, progress and continued goals.

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Performance reviews are renowned for being nerve wrecking, overly time-consuming and – worst of all – ineffective. The good news is
that they don’t have to be any of those disappointments. Preparing a list of conscientious and focused performance evaluation
questions can go a long way toward helping you set a positive, supportive tone while giving your employees a clear understanding of
their roles, progress and continued goals.
Create a better evaluation experience for everyone involved by taking a look at the following top performance review questions for
managers. While preparing for your next round of reviews, consider each question as it relates to your employees.
1. What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of? Starting off on a positive note helps employees shake off any nerves and feel
more comfortable opening up during the rest of the meeting.
2. In which area(s) would you like to improve? This is a natural follow up to the previous question that reveals whether an
employee’s perception of his weaknesses is in line with your evaluation.
3. What have I done to help you do your job better? What have I done to hinder your job performance? – While it’s true that your
employee is the main focus of the evaluation, your leadership is a major factor in her success or shortcomings. Take advantage of this
meeting and ask for honest feedback on how your guidance affects her.
4. Do you have the resources and tools you need to perform your job? Potentially one of the most constructive performance
appraisal questions at your disposal, this discussion can generate immediate plans for how you, other employees, or the company as
a whole could contribute to stronger performances from your employee.
5. What are your goals for the next six months/year? Identifying and discussing measureable benchmarks gives your employee a
clear path for achieving success at his next performance review. Be ready as well to discuss what you believe should be included in
your employee’s short and long-term goals.
6. What do you want your next position at this company to be? Simply asking your employee about her career goals can lead to
a vague answer. This question provides a more direct way to gauge her plans for advancement and determine whether those goals
have changed since the last performance review. Her response also opens the door for you both to create a plan and a list of
milestones she should work on, providing her the best chance at reaching the next level.
7. Are there any other concerns you have going forward? Remember that your employee evaluation forms can’t possibly cover
every aspect of an employee’s situation. This question gives him the opportunity to share issues that may not be on your radar. Be
open to his comments and be prepared to respond appropriately – even if “I don’t know, but I’ll find out” is the honest response.
Performance reviews can be a great time to gauge accomplishments, set priorities and prepare for future success, but they must be
thoughtfully completed, with a focus on open dialogue and honest feedback. What are your favorite performance review questions?
Share them below in the comments.
Seven Great Questions Manager Should Ask During Performance Reviews
by
Bob Braman
Senior Partner – Manufacturing