Have to do written performance evaluations for staffers!

[Deleted]

OMG! I have to do written performance evaluations for the staffers at the non-profit I am VP of.  Never mind that I have absolutely zero management/HR background, just bring on the roster of gutless chicken-hearted fellow officers who have dumped this steaming pile of poo on me.  I have Googled so many online templates, educational videos, etc. and will grab this particular bull by the horns.  I am trying to balance my inclination towards (Dear X, you are a pathetic piece of crap and I don't know why we are cutting you a paycheck) with (X generates a positive attitude and interaction with customers but needs to improve her task comprehension and production skills) The outcome of this internal debate will be directly related to the volume of wine I consume prior to the final draft.  RIP, Employee X

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Yes....yuck!

Better you than me!

[gooddecisions]

Well, is your staff completely awful? I write evaluations twice/year and while most of my co-workers seem to dread it, I don't really mind. But, I have a great team and I am fully aware of all their contributions. I don't know if your company has goals, but I try to align each contribution/success story with a goal and then pull 360 feedback to share verbatims. My biggest challenge is staying within the 6000 character limit and having to edit it down. Toward the end, I usually add 2-4 things that I would like to see them work on or what might challenge or inspire.

[flamingo]

I too am in performance review hell right now. Seriously, it's awful! Not only do I have to do reviews for my team, but I have to find time to do my own self-evaluation. What opportunities did I miss this year? Probably the same ones I missed last year, but I'm thinking I shouldn't actually write that LOL. It's fine, I don't actually mind doing this, as I meet regularly with staff so we all are on the same page with it. 

But as I was not getting any bright insights/inspirations staring at the blinking cursor today as I attempted to fill out my self-eval, I did think about hurling the computer out the window 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Random thoughts because I love this stuff:

• Take the number of evaluations you must write and divide it by the number of days you have until they must be completed. Complete the quotient each day. (So, if you have ten due and five days until they're due, complete two each day.) This will make it less overwhelming and will prevent the last few from being ridiculously written.
• if there isn't an evaluation tool, Use the job description and company expectations to help guide your work. People will be annoyed if you call them out on something they've never been informed was an issue. 
• If this applies to your position, give them mechanisms for how specifically improve and  how you can support them. The necessary improvements will be better received if they know you are supportive and not just punitive. It (usually) makes them want to improve more rapidly also. 
• Try to have at least a three-point but not more than a five-point scale. It's unfair to have simply a yes, you're good/no, you suck scale because then it's too difficult to tell people how they're incompetent and it's too hard to tell the people who are really good that they are really good. Three point will give you blech/okay/awesome; four point will give you unsastisfactory/basic/proficient/mastery, and five point will give unsatisifactory/still learning/basic/proficient/mastery. 
• For those who really do need to improve, give them a deadline for when you'll be giving them more feedback on whether or not they've improved. 
• the sandwhich approach is Start with positive, then give a negative, end with positive. Some people like that; some think it's too mushy. 
• Practice your body language and facial expressions for when you'll explain the negatives. 

[marvholly]

In my working life I did have to do this. However corp had a basic list of traits/questions to be filled in/answered so it was no too terrible. Also, each person did a self evaluation on the same form & we discussed major discrepancies.

[Tennesseer]

@donethat-Are there blank review forms with categories already at your non-profit and do you have access to previous completed reviews of same employees?  If you do, build off off of those reviews.

[kent]

I always viewed those things as form over substance and, as such, generally nothing more that a compilation of bull feathers.

Now, with my venting over, there's a relatively easy way to do this. Keep incident reports (good, bad and mediocre) during the year and when you go to write the evaluation, it will remind you of all the things you need to address.

If an employee has failed to meet expectations during the year, they SHOULD be advised of that at the time of their failure. This kind of "disappointment" should not come as a surprise at review time. Likewise, you can turn a negative into a positive quite easily if they have improved.

e.g.

"Kent was struggling when assigned to perform a simple brain surgery operation. I advised him at the time I was disappointed with the results because he "forgot" to close the cranium leaving that task to the on duty janitor. However, after our discussion, he jumped right in and viewed almost every You Tube video on the actual procedure as well as every memory mnemonics tutorial know to man."  He now performs at an acceptable level.

See? Easy!

[toomuchreality]

When I was married to my 2nd husband, he came to me one day and asked "What's another word for perfect?" I gave him a few, but each time he said "No, I've already used that one."   It turned out he was writing his self evaluation, for his employer/review. And he was 100% SERIOUS!  He really had already used every word I came up with, for 'perfect'! No improvement needed, or necessary! He wrote things like that every year.  I was shocked!   -No one is THAT good, in my opinion.



Good luck!  (Maybe stop writing in ink, after the 2nd glass of wine!  LOL) 

[emma1420]

We don't do performance reviews where I work.  We get feedback through the year so unless you are incredibly dense (and there are a few people like that) you know where you stand.

i would really encourage you to be very specific for the people who need to improve and provide them with written list of what they need to improve.  I have seen many employee shocked at being put on probation or a PIP because issues were never clearly communicated in their annual review because their supervisor was too chicken shit to have that uncomfortable conversation.

[The Captain]

I'm surprised by some of the comments.  I have always taken the annual review process very seriously.

My thoughts:

1.  The comments given in an annual review should never come as a surprise.  You should be giving feedback through the year and address performance issues immediately if there are any.  Same goes for praise, which should be given immediately when a job is well done.

2.  The annual review process should be used as an opportunity to discuss stretch goals, what your employee likes, and what your employee doesn't like about their role.  I believe staff development is a key role for any people manager.

3.  I keep a tickler file on each staff.  Depending on how many are reporting to me we either have weekly, or bi-weekly meeting.  I write performance comments in the file through the year so I have good notes for review time.

At one company I had 17 direct reports and 13 co-reports I had to write reviews on.  If you stay on top of it during the year it really does go much easier.

[Deleted]

Aug 15, 2015 10:55:00 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

@donethat-Are there blank review forms with categories already at your non-profit and do you have access to previous completed reviews of same employees?  If you do, build off off of those reviews.

It's a tiny struggling HOA that has never done employee reviews before.  Trust me, you really don't want to know the employee structure under the previous regime.  

We are trying to join this century and something approaching professionalism.

[Deleted]

Aug 15, 2015 15:07:01 GMT -5 emma1420 said:

We don't do performance reviews where I work.  We get feedback through the year so unless you are incredibly dense (and there are a few people like that) you know where you stand.

i would really encourage you to be very specific for the people who need to improve and provide them with written list of what they need to improve.  I have seen many employee shocked at being put on probation or a PIP because issues were never clearly communicated in their annual review because their supervisor was too chicken shit to have that uncomfortable conversation.

Yes, I tried to be appropriate but specific.  I balanced things like, "employee fails to respond in a timely manner to voice- and mails" with "employee will immediately meet with her manager to develop a workflow plan encompassing timely response to voice and e-communications"

This person is probably in the incredibly dense category but she is incredibly cheap.  I can teach skills to a stump, but I can't motivate the stump.

[Tennesseer]

Aug 15, 2015 19:14:34 GMT -5 @donethat said:

Aug 15, 2015 10:55:00 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

@donethat-Are there blank review forms with categories already at your non-profit and do you have access to previous completed reviews of same employees?  If you do, build off off of those reviews.

It's a tiny struggling HOA that has never done employee reviews before.  Trust me, you really don't want to know the employee structure under the previous regime.  

We are trying to join this century and something approaching professionalism.

You threw me when you added HOA. A non-profit HOA? Who are these employees and how are they part of the HOA?

Seeing you have to start from scratch, ask all the mucketymucks what they would like to see reviewed and rated and on a performance evaluation.

Will you have to create a review from scratch with a scale of a four or a seven the highest rating? What standards and goals have been communicated to the employees to be reviewed? If merit increases will be based upon your first review and the first review has to be done say within the next few months, would it be fair to the employee to have their merit increase based upon what has been only recently communicated to them?

One last question-are you paid for doing this VP job and paid enough to probably affect the salaries of the employees? I think of a HOA as a neighborhood of homes with rules.

[toomuchreality]

Just a general semi-work related post (cuz I like it! ). No other reason for posting this.


      

[Tennesseer]

Aug 15, 2015 20:20:25 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

Just a general semi-work related post (cuz I like it! ). No other reason for posting this.


      

I had a manager like that. She hated everyone. And I mean everyone. Fortunately, I only worked for her for three months and then she resigned. On her last day of work, the three of us who worked in her office (the rest of the employees under her level of management worked through out the northeast) helped her load up her car with her belongings. We waited until she drove her car out of the building parking lot to be sure she was not coming back

[Deleted]

Aug 15, 2015 20:19:35 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Aug 15, 2015 19:14:34 GMT -5 @donethat said:

It's a tiny struggling HOA that has never done employee reviews before.  Trust me, you really don't want to know the employee structure under the previous regime.  

We are trying to join this century and something approaching professionalism.

You threw me when you added HOA. A non-profit HOA? Who are these employees and how are they part of the HOA?

Seeing you have to start from scratch, ask all the mucketymucks what they would like to see reviewed and rated and on a performance evaluation.

Will you have to create a review from scratch with a scale of a four or a seven the highest rating? What standards and goals have been communicated to the employees to be reviewed? If merit increases will be based upon your first review and the first review has to be done say within the next few months, would it be fair to the employee to have their merit increase based upon what has been only recently communicated to them?

One last question-are you paid for doing this VP job and paid enough to probably affect the salaries of the employees? I think of a HOA as a neighborhood of homes with rules.

1.  Yes, a non-profit HOA with voluntary dues.  4 part-time employees.  Beggars weren't choosers, not far from turning out the lights 2-1/2 years ago.  We have come a looooong way since then and I am trying desperately to keep up the momentum and direction.

2.  I am a mucketymuck (Vice-Pres) and the others are MIA for a variety of reasons (running for public office, busy at job, had a stroke and heart surgery, don't give a damn, etc.

3.  No increases, merit or otherwise, just a chance to keep your job instead of returning to unemployment or grocery store cashier for two of the four.

4.  Last question, not a damn dime b/c they have not minted enough money in the US to pay for the grief it entails and we wouldn't have the $$ if they did mint them.  Yes, we have rules.  And some amazing dedicated volunteers who have moved a community of 7000 homes forward against apathy, benign neglect and outright obstruction since December 2012.  

5.  I remove my head and examine it frequently, but I think y'all know I am a tilt-at-the-windmill person who believes in the future.  With DH's blessing I have taken on this challenge and he has been amazingly supportive.  Aggravation and kidding aside, I have learned and grown through this experience.  I have acquired a lot of new computer skills, personnel management skills that don't involve lethal weapons, and I have met a lot of truly amazing folks across our community and beyond.  A community is never stronger than the people who inhabit it and across America it's time to shut up and step up to make things better rather than sitting around whining about how it should be.  

Besides, this keeps an old person out of trouble 

[Tennesseer]

@donethat-so the HOA diretly pays the four part-time employees' salary?

Out of curiosity, could the 7,000 homes be broken down into neighborhoods and have a representative from each neighborhood provide you with feedback they have collected from their neighbood home owners? Have the neighborhood rep summarize the pros and cons of the emploees who take care of their neighborhood area.

Throw some of this data collection back on the homeowners and the board. You're not a mind reader. Information from a possible 7,000 homes is a lot of information for one person to compile into a performance evaluation.

[Deleted]

Aug 16, 2015 17:49:44 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

@donethat-so the HOA diretly pays the four part-time employees' salary?

Out of curiosity, could the 7,000 homes be broken down into neighborhoods and have a representative from each neighborhood provide you with feedback they have collected from their neighbood home owners? Have the neighborhood rep summarize the pros and cons of the emploees who take care of their neighborhood area.

Throw some of this data collection back on the homeowners and the board. You're not a mind reader. Information from a possible 7,000 homes is a lot of information for one person to compile into a performance evaluation.

Yes. we pay the employees' salary.

No, we can't break it down.  Employees are directly responsible to their bosses', the HOA Board.

Of 7000 homes, we have 1500 members on a good day.  They, and many non-members, demand we enforce the deed restrictions stringently.  And, yes, they rejected mandatory dues many years ago.  I am able to compile info b/c I get a copy of every deed restriction filed on my phone, have phone cons with staff 10-15 times a day and get a lot of other calls directly b/c my cell phone is on the HOA website. We are very hands on here 

We just have to keep keeping on.  Thanks for your support!

[Tennesseer]

Aug 16, 2015 18:59:54 GMT -5 @donethat said:

Aug 16, 2015 17:49:44 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

@donethat-so the HOA diretly pays the four part-time employees' salary?

Out of curiosity, could the 7,000 homes be broken down into neighborhoods and have a representative from each neighborhood provide you with feedback they have collected from their neighbood home owners? Have the neighborhood rep summarize the pros and cons of the emploees who take care of their neighborhood area.

Throw some of this data collection back on the homeowners and the board. You're not a mind reader. Information from a possible 7,000 homes is a lot of information for one person to compile into a performance evaluation.

Yes. we pay the employees' salary.

No, we can't break it down.  Employees are directly responsible to their bosses', the HOA Board.

Of 7000 homes, we have 1500 members on a good day.  They, and many non-members, demand we enforce the deed restrictions stringently.  And, yes, they rejected mandatory dues many years ago.  I am able to compile info b/c I get a copy of every deed restriction filed on my phone, have phone cons with staff 10-15 times a day and get a lot of other calls directly b/c my cell phone is on the HOA website. We are very hands on here 

We just have to keep keeping on.  Thanks for your support!

Best of luck.

[toomuchreality]

Aug 15, 2015 20:30:53 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

ugh.



I had a manager who on his first day (he was promoted), had a huge black wreath left on his desk. It had a banner across it that read "IN SYMPATHY"  Underneath it said "For all those that have to work for _____."      → Yikes! 
He didn't last long. Although much longer than most of us expected.            FYI:  I had nothing to do with the wreath.

[Tennesseer]

Aug 17, 2015 20:58:47 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

Aug 15, 2015 20:30:53 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

ugh.



I had a manager who on his first day (he was promoted), had a huge black wreath left on his desk. It had a banner across it that read "IN SYMPATHY"  Underneath it said "For all those that have to work for _____."      → Yikes! 
He didn't last long. Although much longer than most of us expected.            FYI:  I had nothing to do with the wreath.

Two friends of mine, one a senior manager and the other a director, had employees enter their locked offices through the office ceilings and take dumps on their desks. Both were well respected and liked members of management except for a few 'crappy' employees in their organiztions.

No DNA testing on the piles of crap. Just security cameras put in their offices. No repeat 'gifts' were left again.

[toomuchreality]

Aug 17, 2015 21:13:38 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Aug 17, 2015 20:58:47 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

ugh.



I had a manager who on his first day (he was promoted), had a huge black wreath left on his desk. It had a banner across it that read "IN SYMPATHY"  Underneath it said "For all those that have to work for _____."      → Yikes! 
He didn't last long. Although much longer than most of us expected.            FYI:  I had nothing to do with the wreath.

Two friends of mine, one a senior manager and the other a director, had employees enter their locked offices through the office ceilings and take dumps on their desks. Both were well respected and liked members of management except for a few 'crappy' employees in their organiztions.

No DNA testing on the piles of crap. Just security cameras put in their offices. No repeat 'gifts' were left again.

That's horrible!  Do you suppose they really did 'it' there, they didn't do it privately, then just leave it? I just can't even fathom someone doing that... Even if the did it privately. Holy Moly!  O-M G!

[Tennesseer]

Aug 18, 2015 3:07:44 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

Aug 17, 2015 21:13:38 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Two friends of mine, one a senior manager and the other a director, had employees enter their locked offices through the office ceilings and take dumps on their desks. Both were well respected and liked members of management except for a few 'crappy' employees in their organiztions.

No DNA testing on the piles of crap. Just security cameras put in their offices. No repeat 'gifts' were left again.

That's horrible!  Do you suppose they really did 'it' there, they didn't do it privately, then just leave it? I just can't even fathom someone doing that... Even if the did it privately. Holy Moly!  O-M G!

I would say 'it' was done then and there. Otherwise the act doesn't generate the same insult from the perp.

[Deleted]

Wow!  I really like the black wreath idea