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Guidance on helping employees achieve objectives

05 Sep 2008

As an employer or workplace mentor, your feedback is invaluable to a trainee's development. Even if discussions take place regularly in the office, appraisals have a unique, specific dynamic - what is said will be deliberate, purposeful and personally focused, rather than just a passing comment. The appraisal should also give you the opportunity to review your trainee's performance in relation to organisational goals, as a trainee's agreed performance objectives are likely to have taken into account not just development needs but also how their role fits into the business.

Giving feedback

Appraisal meetings are most effective when they follow a structured agenda. Planning in advance will mean a more orderly meeting with a clear purpose and outcomes - and an enthusiastic trainee.

Many employers have standard appraisal forms that are used throughout the workforce, completed by the trainee and submitted prior to the appraisal. But remember it is your responsibility to give a trainee a full and concise appraisal, so you may wish to seek the views of colleagues who may have coached or seconded your trainee, or seen your trainee in action on projects or in workshops.

At the outset, it important to restate the purpose of the appraisal - to assess achievement of performance objectives and plan the next stage of your trainee's career development. Where deserved, remember to give praise - but occasionally ask what the trainee might do differently next time to deliver an even better performance.

Remember to look for signs of reticence and be receptive. People often avoid uncomfortable topics, particularly those involving colleagues or sensitive subjects. If the dialogue diverts away from the agenda, keep returning to the objectives. And be prepared to disagree - there is no reason to sanction everything your trainee says or thinks.

Handling poor performance

It's important not to ignore problem areas in an effort to make the appraisal a wholly positive experience; objectives won't be achieved without the relevant corrective action. Well-intentioned, constructive criticism is part of helping your trainee improve.

Through using open questions you can guide your trainee to a realisation of how better performance might have been achieved. However difficult it is for trainees to hear uncomfortable truths, in many instances they will be aware of their own shortcomings. Where performance has been below expectations, a benefit of giving honest feedback is that your trainee is likely to be eager to do a much better job next time and may approach you more readily about potential obstacles in the future.

Rewarding achievement

As an employer or workplace mentor, your role is more than simply teaching someone how to carry out a job - you are also a source of encouragement and support, so it is important to recognise effort and commitment as well as the end results.

Add your own comments to the appraisal form and ensure your trainee receives a copy - be sure that any positive comments from the meeting are recorded; words of praise in print carry much more credit and give your trainee a tremendous boost in confidence.

Certificates, company awards and name-checks in employee newsletters are all valid ways of recognising your trainee's achievements, and although an official promotion may not be the next step, look for ways in which your trainee can see their ideas put into action, or become more actively involved in certain decision-making processes.

Depending on any existing development programme, performance objectives may be linked directly or indirectly to promotions and salary reviews. Whether or not this is the case, it's advisable for achievements to be recognised.

Forward planning

Together with your trainee, this is the time to plan what happens next. Think about how the future development of your trainee fits with your objectives and with plans for others in your team. This may include setting new performance objectives, agreeing with your trainee to answer challenging questions on existing objectives, or how you can provide new opportunities for your trainee to gain varied experience. 

A critical factor with next-step plans - especially those that arise from individual performance appraisals - is that they are implemented and followed up. One of the most common complaints job-hunters make about employers is their failure to deliver on development commitments. It's the easiest way to lose good people, so don't allow good intentions to become empty promises.