In the modern workplace, companies that want to show they’re good places to work are under growing pressure to demonstrate positive talent management processes.
Yet at the same time, traditional methods of doing so are on the decline. The typical annual appraisal to which we’ve all become accustomed is looking ever-more incompatible with collaborative business environments.
A study by CEB found that 95% of HR leaders reported being unhappy with traditional annual performance reviews, while 60% of employees felt they didn’t improve their performance in any way.
This top-down, autocratic way of managing was starting to look outdated, with employees feeling undervalued and defensive after being subjected to them. An Adobe report even discovered 22% of workers have cried after their annual review, such is the feeling of attack they can create.
Learn more: Why Your Employees Hate their Performance Appraisals
However, failing to provide feedback at all also isn't an option. Regular assessment is essential for retaining top talent, with StaffCircle finding 61% of employees would leave an organization if they didn’t receive it from a manager.
So, what can be done? The answer for some could lie in employee self-evaluation.
More companies are looking for continuous feedback between employees and their managers, and self-evaluation may be a great way of encouraging this.
By asking workers to examine themselves and assess their own progress, it offers the potential to keep them better engaged in measuring performance and setting further career goals. It also ensures lines of communication are kept open should problems arise that may otherwise cause dissatisfaction.
This could lead to employees feeling more valued by the organization and more confident in their own abilities going forward.
From HR's point of view, self-evaluation may also reduce the administrative burden that usually comes with appraisals, as there’s no need to trawl through past projects to evaluate performance for each individual.
Another benefit of self-appraisals is that bosses will be able to highlight from the material where further training may be needed, whether that’s company-wide or on a more personal level.
Finally, managers may glean a better idea of how people feel about their work and how exactly they fit into their team or within the organization as a whole.
By helping to convey employees' side of the story, self-reflection has the potential to create a more committed, more productive workforce that strives to aim higher.