Download employee evaluation forms to use in the next review of performance. learn about how to use them and what legal guidelines apply.
There are discussions about employee reviews, and a few claim that they should end the practice. While big companies such as Adobe have eliminated the old-fashioned rating-based performance evaluations, 49% of employers still conduct an annual or semi-annual evaluation of employees in one way or another. Additionally, it is the case that employees who are the majority of workers would like to keep some kind of performance evaluations to let them know their position within the company.
To ensure we’re all on the same page, employee evaluation is the review and assessment of an employee’s performance. The majority of companies conduct evaluations for performance at certain intervals (usually every once or twice per year).
If you decide to provide Employee Evaluation Form feedback by paper, email, or even a one-on-one discussion it is still necessary to make the forms to evaluate employees. The form and the content can differ greatly, based on the particular circumstances and goals.
In this post we’ll discuss the most important factors and best practices to follow when creating templates for appraisals of performance. If you’d like take a shortcut, go straight to the templates for employee reviews.
Why Use Employee Evaluation Forms?
- Inform workers about what managers will be expecting in the workplace.
- Give useful feedback on the job’s performance
- Inform employees about employment-related decisions, like promotions, pay increases, and layoffs
- Know the strengths and weaknesses of employees
- Plan employee development and training programs for employees.
- Establish performance goals and set standards.
- Learn about the tools that employees require to fulfill their duties
- Reward and recognition in writing.
- Find highly skilled workers who have leadership potential
What to Include in an Employee Evaluation Form?
Information about Reviewers and Employees
The form must contain the basic information regarding both parties in the process. This can include but is not only:
- Employee Name
- Department
- Employee ID
- Position Held
- Reviewer Name
- Reviewer Title
Review period
Review forms for employees should include the period of review as well as the date that the review was conducted. This will help determine how far the employee has come from the time that they were evaluated.
An easy-to-understand system of rating
It’s crucial to define the scoring system to make sure employees understand the reason for an exact grade. The most commonly used performance rating systems range from the range of 1-10 as well as “unsatisfactory” to “excellent”.
Evaluation points
If you’re looking to evaluate specific skills or elements of your job, you can put them in a table, where you can easily rate them.
Goals
For the forms for performance evaluation for them to work, they need be able to inform employees about their progress and goals for the future. This helps them understand the standards of performance they need to achieve.
Additional space to make comments
Comments can include additional details that allows you to provide your own honest suggestions to improve efficiency. Comment sections can also be used to encourage employees or to highlight their individual challenges and achievements.
Signatures
Signatures are required in order to ensure that both the examiner and the employee fully understand the process of evaluation as well as the content of the form for evaluation.
Best Practices For Creating Effective Employee Evaluation Forms
HBR recently revealed that 65 percent of employees think that performance reviews aren’t relevant to their work. The report “People don’t want to be comparing with Other People at Performance Reviews. They would like to be compared with themselves. In the article, they write:
Employees believe in the fairness of the evaluation process by feeling included and valued. They also think it’s fair if their evaluations are fair and accurate, and they are by moral and ethical values.”
Sure, reviews can be subjective, so managers need to be cautious. Here are a few suggestions for how you can approach your performance evaluation process without confusion.
- Collect information in a systematic manner Be clear on your purpose(s) that you are pursuing in your appraisal process, and make sure you’ve got the correct information using your employee evaluation form.
- Keep your eyes on the ball Do not try to complete too many things in a single performance evaluation or review form for employees. Conduct multiple evaluation sessions If you must.
- Forms that you can customize for each job list the proper essential and leadership skills to perform the job when you fill out the form the form for employee reviews, it will show the performance of the specific job.
- Give clear explanations of the job duties, goals, and the ratings system in detail.
- Select your rating method carefully Certain roles could be more suited to quantitative ratings of skills, while others might require descriptive ratings, or even feedback from multiple raters.
- Set S.M.A.R.T. goals: Provide precise, pertinent description of the goals the worker must achieve. Determine the measures to measure success as well as the expected deadlines for completion.
- address development One of the primary goals of a performance evaluation form for employees form is to encourage personal and professional growth. It should be able to identify and setting goals for training.
- Give specific feedback to ensure that employees are aware of what they must do to grow and improve.
- Make sure you are objective. Use specific numbers when it is possible, and avoid the use of ambiguous or subjective language.
Format
Two primary types of formats are used for employee evaluation forms.
Scorecard
The type of form for employee reviews utilizes a quantitative approach. The appraiser will list job responsibilities and personal traits, assessing the performance of the employee in different categories. The format must be accompanied by a comment to avoid confusion and ensure that the rating is legitimate.
As we’ve mentioned before, it’s crucial to select a consistent rating scale that’s easily explained. Employees and managers alike must be aware of the significance of the score.
Narrative
The employee performance evaluation format has open-ended questions which allow managers to conduct an assessment of qualitative quality. In some instances employees answer a few of the questions, which can in establishing a two-way dialogue.
For instance, the person reviewing could answer questions like, “What are the 3 areas where employee X can improve?” And the employee could respond to an inquiry like, “What are your 3 biggest accomplishments this year?”
In reality, the forms for employee evaluations used by most businesses consist of scores and narratives. This allows reviewers to collect both qualitative and quantitative data and discover what causes the results, both excellent and not so good.
Legal aspects
The employee evaluation forms you use for your employees need to be uniform, and your procedure must be impartial because, in the absence of this, your employees could bring legal issues to the forefront. Consider these things when creating your forms:
- Reviews are a good source of evidence in the courtroom. The title According to Jeffrey Horton Thomas, of Thomas Employment Law Advocates in West Hollywood, California, reviews are crucial evidence when an employee who was previously employed claims that the action taken by their employer was based on an illegal motive.
- Discrimination claims. If you utilize two different forms for performance appraisals for two distinct types of employees, then you are exposing yourself to claims of discrimination.
- Retaliation. Be cautious when you criticize the performance of your employee, especially in the event that he or she has complained of harassment, safety issues wage and hour problems. If you claim for instance that this worker “is not a team player” it could lead to the possibility of retaliation claims.
Employee Evaluation Templates
The following are a list of nine most frequently utilized employee evaluation forms, that are available in PDF, Word and Excel formats.
1. General Employee Performance Evaluation Template
This is a formal evaluation of an employee’s performance overall that can be carried out monthly or quarterly or even annually. The questionnaire can be answered with either yes or no, and general comments at the close.
2. Essay Employee Review Template
The template for a performance review is based on the narrative structure. The issue is that the review could be biased, and may include personal grudges and incidents that are not directly connected to performance.
3. Numerical Scale Form
This template for employee performance reviews utilizes an ordered set of numbers that allow employees to evaluate a statement using a scale from 1-10. The form is easy to become a template for your annual review since it gathers many details.
4. Peer Review Form
Peer reviews are frequently utilized in academic and professional areas, but they could also be used in other fields. The concept is straightforward: co-workers and supervisors evaluate the conduct of an employee and their professional abilities.
5. Group Evaluation Form
This form of job evaluation helps to understand the team’s performance on a larger scale. It utilizes a numerical scale to evaluate the team’s performance, results, communication, adherence to deadlines, and other important elements.
6. Employee Self-Evaluation Form
The self-assessment forms are often utilized as part of the annual review of performance form that is completed with the help of the boss. The aim is to get an accurate and objective view of the employee’s skills as well as their actions and the level of performance.
7. Introductory Period Performance Review Template
Once the onboarding process for employees is completed, the evaluation template will aid in determining if the new employee is a suitable match for their current job and the business.
8. 30-60-90 Review Template
The 30-60-90-day template is an employee’s evaluation form that focuses on the performance of the employee during the first 90 days of the job. The 30-60-90 days plan aims to define specific goals and expectations for the new employee, present the employee with a plan for their success, and evaluate their performance during the first few months on the job. This form of evaluation is often utilized by new hires and employees transitioning into a new position.
The templates typically include sections where the employee can establish goals and objectives in their first 30, 60, and 90 days working. The employee will outline the steps they will perform during each phase, which include things to accomplish, learning skills, and the relationships they will build. The template also has sections that allow the employee to examine their progress towards these goals, and the supervisor can offer feedback and advice.
9. 360 Degree Feedback Form
The 360-degree feedback forms is an evaluation form that collects feedback from many sources. It could include feedback from the supervisor of the employee or direct reports, colleagues, peers or even from external stakeholders like customers or clients. The purpose in a 360 degree feedback questionnaire is to give the employee an knowledge the strengths and weakness of them and also areas of improvement.
The 360-degree feedback questionnaire typically contains questions regarding the worker’s performance at work and communication skills, leadership capabilities, and other relevant skills. The questions can be open-ended, or utilize ratings scales, and those who respond are often required to give specific examples in support of their opinions. The feedback is anonymously collected to encourage honesty and openness.
A 360-degree feedback form is beneficial for businesses trying to increase employee productivity and create an environment that is constantly improving.
FAQs
What is the Best time to have an Evaluation for Employees?
Utilize these forms to record the outcomes of annual or semi-annual performance evaluations or any other time where you want to assess the performance of an employee. It is possible to use one form or various types, e.g., General form + Self-assessment + Peer review.
Do Employee Performance Evaluation forms work well for Small Companies?
Yes, small-scale businesses must evaluate employee performance regularly. If you utilize a pre-defined form or collection of forms this will make the process much simpler and reliable for you. It will be less time-consuming to create an evaluation process every time.
Do you create employees’ performance reports?
It’s simpler if you are prepared ahead. Here’s the information you require:
- Keep an up-to-date record for each employee by recording the feedback they received throughout the year.
- Provide the employee with the capability to conduct a self-assessment
- Work with HR to improve discipline and reporting
- Before you give the appraisal, go through the employee’s files
- Following the appraisal, go through all evaluation forms and documentation to prepare an evaluation report.
What do I need to include in an Employee’s Performance Evaluation?
It’s dependent on the job however, generally you’ll need to focus on the quality and accuracy of your work, collaboration and communication abilities, problem-solving capabilities adhering to deadlines, confidence, and initiative.
Conclusion
Although employee evaluations may have a bad name, however, it’s an essential tool for companies of all sizes. According to Peter Drucker, famously said, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” Evaluation forms for employees, whether they’re digital or printed in paper form, are the most popular method of evaluating the performance of all employees in your business.
To ensure your employee evaluation form is efficient make sure you give an honest and objective ratings. Include numeric scales along with open-ended questions that collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The most important thing is to make it an interactive process. Involve participants in the evaluation process and act as a mentor who is eager to assist employees improve.
