How To Perform Remote Performance Reviews That Are Effective

Working virtually is new ‘normal’, right? Just when we feel that we might be settling in to some sort of predictable pattern working remotely, a new challenge will come our way. I’m sure that performance reviews were not even on your radar until you got that gentle reminder email from your company that your performance review was due – which means you are completing it for your team. Performance reviews are challenging enough in person, but how do we ensure that they are still effective virtually? Here is how to perform remote performance reviews.

Working from home does not suit all of types of workers. There are some personalities that predict success at working from home: conscientiousness, extroversion, and agreeableness (warm and friendly). That’s right, you are more likely do do well working from home if you are less introverted. This is due to the natural tendency to not seek out interactions with some people.

But the biggest predictor of remote working success? Whether someone had honesty to focus on their tasks, or if they procrastinate. A traditional office work environment is designed for work activities. At home, where you are used to socializing and wasting time on the internet- it’s easy to blur the lines between work time and leisure time. This leads to an increase in your levels of work procrastination.

What might feel different in a remote performance review

Essentially there are two things that will feel different in a virtual performance review: the previous goals and standards that the staff were measured with and the level of staff vulnerability during the remote performance review.

The goals that the employee set in last year’s performance review may no longer be applicable. Your old metrics and scale may be off or feel meaningless. It may not be fair to compare sales pre and post Covid-19 if there is an existing slump in the market. Be realistic with their achievement and verbally recognize that things have changed. As an alternative, invite them to elaborate on goals that they made mid-year to adapt.

The decision between who is a poor performer that needs to be identified and who is a star that gets a great raise will not be the same. Do not conduct the review with the same tone as you may have previously.

With the tone feeling different in a virtual performance review, the staff are going to feel increased vulnerability. Remember, you are literally sitting in their living room in a zoom meeting. Their spouse may be in the background listening to what is said because they don’t have anywhere else to go! If you are going to say anything negative, it needs to be constructive and focus on specific issues, not the person in question.

Overall, you are going to be more lenient, flexible, and understanding. Right now people want to work for someone compassionate, they do not need an aggressive leader. They are looking to you for hope.

Here are tips for performing remote performance reviews

Virtual performance reviews will have their own dynamic. This is likely going to feel very different, but hopefully you have been running enough virtual meetings – with the video on – that it will still have a level of familiarity for the employee.

Recognize their flexibility to shift to virtual work

Pull out some new tasks that focus on their virtual work. Comment on their flexibility in being able to shift online, their their organization skills, or their ability to adapt.

Make sure you thank them at some point for their effort and flexibility in adapting to this new remote work. You can email your gratitude to your team it all you want, but it feels different when it is your boss saying it to you on video one on one.

Prepare for some of the questions that may be made with any salary negotiation.

Your industry has likely taken some sort or a hit, employees may have been laid off, furloughed or you just do not have the budget for raises during this uncertain time. See if you can balance that with alternate perks.

For instance, know where your company stands on both percentage increases and additional perks. You may get increased requests to continue to work from home. Know your company’s position on this request before hand so you have something more to say than “uh, let me get back to you on that”.

Consider going all open ended comments instead of scale ratings

Instead of using a scale that may not really reflect their work over the last 6 months, try something open ended that is more conversation based to discuss what went well, and how modifications can bring the employee to the next level.

Read more here on how to prepare and comment on open ended performance review comments so that there is equal participation by the employee rather than you just talking at them.

Be increasingly lenient, flexible, give the benefit of the doubt when working through any scale based questions, if that is what your organization has mandated.

Ensure that you use video.

Make sure that they know they will be on video so that they can prepare. Video is more personal and you can have a more effective chat when you can see their expressions and they can see yours.

Examples of performance review phrases that can be used for remote workers

Here are some considerations that are specific to traits that are applicable to working at home that were mentioned earlier. The below characteristic have both positive and negative performance review phrases.

For additional comments, read more on performance review phrases for high performing employees when you feel stuck on how to critique a high performer. These are great to comment on their overall work that is not specific to working remotely.

Conscientiousness

Positive phrases:

• Able to manage self at home and does not require a lot of leadership oversight
• Was thoughtful of all team members and regularly checked in with them to keep in touch
• Hosted meetings with a clear agenda and organized content
• Demonstrated ability to solve new issues from customers as they come up with a high level of success.

Negative phrases:

• Work quality has slipped since the transition to virtual work. Follow up: start a conversation on how you can support them and find out what is happening.
• Work is disorganized, project deliverables not arriving on time.
• Lower volume of work output, questions on if they are putting in the required number of hours.

Extroversion

Positive phrases:

• Able to engage team mates virtually to complete projects of high quality
• Written communication is inclusive to capture the ideas of everyone
• Conducted regular upward communication to leadership to ask appropriate questions

Negative phrases:

• When working at home, tends to keep to themselves and did not successfully engage team mates
• Use of virtual tools would help communication and connections with team mates
• Did not seek out clarification from coworkers or leadership when working on tasks
• Encouraged to speak up or ask questions during virtual meetings

Agreeableness

Positive phrases:

Negative phrases:

• Does not seem to show concern for other coworker’s time when they may have conflicting priorities at home. For instance, does not pick mutually agreeable meeting times.
• Could be more tactful with colleagues. Their meaning was previously understood when meeting face to face, but there is room for misunderstanding in their written or non-video communication. For instance, sarcasm is not received well when written.
• Encouraged to support their team members and recognize that they may be having difficulty with transitioning to remote working.

Honesty/Procrastination

Positive phrases:

• Available during traditional work hours to respond to questions
• Provided great customer service with clear language and fast response rates
• Demonstrated flexibility and was able to be a resource person to help the rest of the team adapt, while successfully completing their own work.
• Encourages those around them to follow suit by being a leader in goal completion.

Negative phrases:

• Can delay their own completion of projects because they are too busy being the resource person for other people.
• Seems distracted during meetings, does not always appear to be engage in what is happening on the screen.
• There are questions about work completion without supervision. Even though you are given lots of time to complete a project, you ask for additional time or the work seems rushed.

How to end a virtual performance review

Ask them how they are doing, what challenges they are having, what you can do for them as a leader to support their journey in remote working.

What will stick with people is how they felt with you as a leader when they were stressed due to rapid change. Most of your employees may be thankful that they even have a job or meaningful work since they are watching their friends and neighbors struggle. Treat them well, and watch that your previous expectations and biases are not the ones filling out the performance review.