We get great benefits to enjoy here at Track5Media, from Hershey Park trips to a stellar healthcare package to free snacks. With all of these fun perks, it’s easy to overlook one of the most important benefits we have. I’m talking about employee reviews. While many cringe at the thought of having a performance review, I find them extremely helpful. Many employers don’t take the time to help you grow in your career. However, here at Track5Media, reviews happen twice a year. While I can’t speak for everyone, during my most recent review last week, I was praised for my accomplishments as well as critiqued and given suggestions on what to work on to become a better employee. I came away from my review not feeling discouraged, but feeling excited to work on improving myself as an employee. A week later, I’m in an interesting spot. I’m deciding what to do after an employee review. Luckily below are just a few things you can do after your employee review to ensure that you’re growing as a person and an employee.
What to Do After an Employee Review
Don’t Forget the Good Stuff!
One of the biggest issues that an employee will have is failing to acknowledge the good stuff that they heard in his or her review. If you haven’t done anything good during your time working for that company, it’s safe to say that you probably wouldn’t have made it to an employee review. Some employees have selective hearing, and will immediately brush aside any positive aspect of the review. Instead, they will focus on only the negative, which is detrimental in the long run. When you’re deciding what to do after an employee review, know that your remembering your strengths is just as important as fixing your weaknesses. These strengths show exactly why you’re a vital part of the company.
Reflect First
It can be easy to have a knee-jerk reaction after having a performance review, especially if it was bad. If you’re unsure about what to do after an employee review, one of the best things you can do is to sit down and reflect. It’s tempting to get angry or defensive, especially if you’re accustomed to positive reviews. However, this won’t do much good. Instead, take some time to think about where your manager or boss is coming from before you react too harshly.
Have a Plan
It’s one thing to vow that you’ll improve your performance before your next review, but it’s another to actually implement a plan to do it. If you want to know what to do after an employee review, start forming a plan of attack. Having a plan is a critical part of achieving any goal. Think of it this way: If you want to lose weight, you don’t just announce it to the world and expect the pounds to start falling off. The purpose of feedback is to help you improve your job, and that requires a detailed plan of action. That may involve learning new skills, reprioritizing your tasks, or reevaluating how you come across to colleagues. Creating a plan of action will not only help you improve as an employee, but it shows your manager that you’re willing to put in the effort.
Follow Up
After you’ve put your plan into action, it’s important that you follow up with your manager. If you’re wondering what to do after an employee review, taking time to sit with your manager and review goals is a great step to take. Check-in with him or her a month after your evaluation. Let them know what you’ve been doing to rectify the situation, and ask if they think your performance is improving. Getting periodic feedback is much better than waiting until your next annual or semi-annual review only to find out that your boss still isn’t pleased. A follow-up meeting is a great way to show your manager that you really are dedicated to improving your performance.
Employee reviews should be the first step towards growing within your company. When you’re wondering what to do after an employee review, consider the suggestions provided above. As always, if you have other suggestions on making the most of employee reviews, feel free to comment below!
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