Preparing for Year-End Reviews

Do you give year-end reviews to your insurance company’s staff members? Many insurance firms do. If so, read below for some tips on how to conduct these evaluations and provide constructive feedback.

1. The first thing to do is to let all of your employees know their reviews are coming up. Do so at least a month in advance, if possible.
2. Give them details as to what the review process entails.
3. Provide them with self-evaluation forms at least two or three weeks in advance.
4. Ask them to fill them out completely and in detail. Instruct them that they should give these self-evaluation forms to you or to their supervisors at least a week before the in-person evaluation meetings are scheduled to take place.
5. Why provide self-evaluation forms
   a.    This shows the employee you take the evaluation process seriously
   b.    It allows the worker to remember more about his or her achievements and challenges over the past year.
   c.    The self-eval gives you a heads up that the employee believes he or she deserves a higher or lower rating than you plan to give. (Somewhat surprisingly, most employees rate themselves lower than their supervisors planned to.)
   d.    The form allows the employee and his or her supervisor to have a give-and-take conversation rather than just the manager talking about how the employee did well and where the employee needs to improve.
6. Good questions for the self-evaluation form could include:
   a.    What about your job do you enjoy most and why?
   b.    Which of your skills do you think are your strongest and why?
   c.    What was the most challenging or difficult work you’ve done this year?
   d.    Of what are you most proud of this past year?
   e.    What skills would you like to acquire or improve upon this year?
   f.    What new projects would you like to do, or are there new assignments you’d like to take on?6.    Prepare for the review yourself by taking a look at the employee’s job description to ensure it accurately defines what the employee’s job duties are.
7. Take a look at the performance objectives you’ve set for the position. Be sure the employee is well aware of these objectives before the review (you should have discussed these with the employee when you hired him or her, or at the previous performance review).
8. Don’t spring bad news on the employee at his or her evaluation. If you haven’t been happy with the employee’s performance, you should have let the individual know this well before the employee review.
9. Prepare a draft of your review and give it to the employee prior to your meeting.
10. Schedule at least an hour with each employee. Be sure to conduct the review in a private place.

What do you think of our suggestions? Could you add others?
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