Whether you look forward to or dread performance reviews, they are mandatory in IT employment, and if you’re not taking steps to prepare for your next one, you’re missing out on an important opportunity. Take these steps to ensure that your next performance review is a success:
•Familiarize Yourself with the Review Process – If you have undergone a performance review with your current employer before, this step will be unnecessary. But if this is your first time, make sure you know what to expect. Contact the human resources department or your manager and find out how the review process works, and how it affects your bonus/salary.
•Track Your Accomplishments – It’s always good to enter a performance review with a list of your accomplishments ready to reference. Start keeping a simple work journal that lists the projects you’ve worked on, the contributions you’ve made, and the outcomes. Compile this list throughout the year when the information is fresh and don’t wait until the last minute.
•Review Yourself – It’s never easy to evaluate yourself objectively, but it’s important to try so that you can anticipate some of the issues that will be raised during your actual review. Think like a supervisor and be honest with yourself. You may even be able to get feedback throughout the year.
•Determine Your Goals – A performance review looks both backwards and forwards. Expect your manager to ask you about your goals in the coming months/years and your ambitions with the company. Make sure that you have an honest and realistic answer prepared in advance.
•Evaluate Your Boss – Many performance reviews give the person being reviewed a chance to evaluate their direct superior. If you are being reviewed by your boss, this can put you in an uncomfortable position, but it also presents an opportunity to improve your working relationship. Prepare a diplomatic answer in advance.
•Chart the Course – As the person being reviewed, you have some freedom to chart the course of the discussion. If there are issues or topics that you feel are urgent to discuss, make sure they are brought up during the review process. Letting your manager know prior to the meeting the topics that you want to talk about will give each side the opportunity to be properly prepared.
•Do Your Research – If your performance has been particularly stellar of late, the time right after your review is a great time to ask for a raise. Don’t just throw out a number, though. Take some time to research what similar professionals in the same part of the country earn on average, and then use that figure to formulate a sensible raise request. You are much more likely to get what you want if you can back it up with actual data.
Learn about other strategies to help you enhance your career by contacting the IT employment experts at Resolute Technologies.