December often marks the month of performance appraisal’s for many organizations. For many managers and employee’s this is a dreaded time of year for one reason or another. Some managers procrastinate because they see the review as a hassle with little evidence that the review actually improves employee performance. The key is that if you want to motivate employees to improve their performance, start by motivating managers to do a thorough job on reviews.

Manager’s should ensure that the review is meaningful by discussing what was/was not accomplished while also focusing on what’s important to move ahead.

Secondly buy-in from the management team is essential since they utilize the forms. Through their experience in working with the forms, they may have excellent insights and suggestions on how to improve them. If the managers felt included in the review form development/improvement process, they will be more likely to comply.

A solid training system should also help motivate managers to review performance by demonstrating how individual performance benefits the organization and how managers can measure performance in an objective manner. If manager’s can clearly see the correlation between a performance review system that adds value to their margins, they will be more likely to give quality feedback to their employee’s.

Lastly, all managers should be required to conduct timely and thoughtful employee performance reviews. If managers are evaluated on the quality and the consistency with which they do their performance appraisals, there is a clear message that communicates the value to the organization. Overall, for performance reviews to be as effective as possible, managers should feel involved in the process, receive proper training and be able to see a clear correlation between the review and reaching organizational goals.