The New Hire’s first Performance Evaluation
The first performance evaluation will prove to the new hire that he/she made the right choice
Explain performance criteria in the first weeks of work
The performance evaluation process begins immediately upon hiring the new employee. In the new hire’s first or second week of work, explain the firm’s / department’s performance criteria. If your company has a performance evaluation guide, use that as a basis for the discussion but don’t just hand it to the new employee. Taking the time to explain the guide with examples of superior performance will crystallize the behaviors you want the new hire to demonstrate.
Identify examples of solid performance
Entry-level workers generally don’t know how to perform at the highest level in a new job. If the new hire is an intern, post-college or lower-level worker, consider developing a rubric with examples of “solid performance (meets expectations)” and “outstanding performance (consistently exceeds expectations”). For example, if showing initiative is a key performance attribute, then you might explain the criteria as follows:
“Our firm values self-motivated employees. At your level, to show initiative, you should work diligently to perform your tasks. This is what is required to “meet expectations” for this performance attribute. Ultimately, we want you to be self-directed, identifying what needs to get done and performing the task with a minimum level of supervision. You will need to be self-directed to “consistently exceed” our expectations for performance.”
Develop feedback loops
Feedback is designed to:
- Align the new-hire’s goals around the organization’s goals
- Motivate the new hire through recognition
- Calibrate the new-hire’s performance relative to goals and objectives
Timely feedback is most relevant (at a minimum, you should discuss performance at the end of every project). Ideally, the feedback process should be two-way (as opposed to top-down, one-way delivery). I like to have new hires assess their own performance because it often helps them identify ways to improve. This makes your job as manager easier because you are more a coach than an instructor. One way to accomplish this is to have a new hire write a one paragraph on a weekly basis with reflections summarizing successes and perceived shortfalls.
