Effective performance reviews are key to offer employee feedback and efficient performance management. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to know exactly how to choose the right words. Here are impactful performance review phrases you need to build strong working relationships, sorted by professional skill as well as employee strengths and weaknesses.
Attitude and Behavior
A positive attitude is definitely a must for a good work dynamic. However, it is one of the trickiest skills to comment on during performance evaluations. Here are examples of effective phrases by common strengths and common weaknesses that will come in handy:
Strengths
1) Cheerful attitude and positive outlook that benefits the entire team environment.
2) Visible enjoyment of the work that inspires others and keeps morale high.
3) Builds an atmosphere of trust with the entire team thanks to a steady and positive attitude.
4) Always ready to crack a joke or pay a compliment.
5) Does not shy away from friendly conversations that help keep the entire team in high spirits.
Weaknesses
6) Should work on learning to accept constructive criticism.
7) Displays of negative emotion and mood switches might impact team morale.
8) Needs to keep negative attitude under control and express feelings in a healthy way.
9) Keeps to themselves and does not seem open to conversations.
10) Is easily discouraged by challenges and gets upset or angry.
While weaknesses should be pointed out to build improvement strategies, you should always make sure that your feedback to employees is constructive. If you need help, we have a complete article on how to share constructive feedback with your employees!
Flexibility and Dependability
Dependable employees are often flexible employees. If your worker has these essential skills, you should congratulate them accordingly. If you feel that they could improve on these points, it is also crucial that you point it out. Here are our tips to give valuable feedback and build constructive communication on the issue:
Strengths
11) Willingness to excel and help out on different projects.
12) Quick to adapt to difficult situations and points of view.
13) Ability to work on different tasks efficiently.
14) Innovative thinking and critical-thinking skillsto handle challenging situations.
15) Is ready to try on new tools and techniques in their daily work.
Weaknesses
17) Lack of creative thinking when the process needs to be changed or improved.
18) Seems to have no interest in improvement or new responsibilities.
19) Seems reluctant to help other employees and does not share input.
20) Appears to be often unavailable and unmotivated to take on other projects.
Speaking of flexibility: do you use this crucial skill in your day-to-day processes? We have an article on organizational flexibility and why it matters to your success.
Performance and Achievements
Performance reviews should undoubtedly focus on employee achievements. Whether you wish to appreciate consistent and high-quality work or solve issues of employee productivity, here are all the helpful examples of phrases you need:
Strengths
21) Meets or exceeds performance goals and puts value in doing a good job.
22) Contributes to team goals and business growth.
23) Strives to meet objectives and constantly improve.
24) Proud of their performance and achievements.
25) Wants to excel in the completion of their projects.
Weaknesses
26) Does not meet expectations or barely meets expectations.
27) Seems unmotivated in doing their work and uninterested in achieving their professional goals.
28) Makes no significant contributions to team success or company goals.
29) Lack of engagement and enthusiasm for professional goals.
30) Completes tasks and projects without passion or creative thinking.
Remember that performance issues often come from lack of employee engagement. Retention plans should be at the forefront of your HR strategies.
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Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills
Collaboration and strong communication skills should be at the forefront of your performance strategy when evaluating your workforce. Promote healthy professional relationships and soft skills with our list of phrases that will surely improve team dynamic within your organization.
Strengths
31) Connects and gets along with coworkers and easily engages in friendly conversations.
32) Is willing to offer help and share ideas with team members.
33) Is a good team player and is always ready to encourage teammates and appreciate their achievements.
34) Relates to other employees and is always friendly and polite.
35) Jumps in with useful input or queries during team meetings.
Weaknesses
36) Tendency to work alone on projects, which negatively impacts the workflow.
37) Does not view the workplace as an environment for exchange and collaboration.
38) Keeps to themselves and needs to improve teamwork skills.
39) Seems cold or uninterested in sharing moments or information with coworkers.
40) Never participates in team building activities or team meetings.
Highlighting your employees’ strengths is key to building a good team dynamic and improving your workplace environment.
Time Management and Attendance
These may seem like common skills, but time management and attendance are key assets for your organizational balance. Don’t forget to use these fresh ideas of phrases to highlight these essential aspects during your performance reviews:
Strengths
41) Is always on time and ready to work every day.
42) Respects deadlines and achieves tasks on time.
43) Ability to handle various tasks and understanding of which one to prioritize.
44) Good planning of absences and vacations and efficient management of timesheets.
45) Focuses on the tasks at hand and manages their workday efficiently.
Weaknesses
46) Often late to meetings and to work or absent throughout the day.
47) Repeated absences or tardiness impacts the entire team.
48) Inability to meet deadlines and stick to the schedule.
49) Difficulties prioritizing and handling different tasks at the same time.
50) Gets easily distracted and overwhelmed by their schedule.
Do you struggle with employee time management in your organization? From PTO to absences and timesheets, Folks HR is the best time management tool to improve your workflow. Book your free demo here!
Bonus phrases: Progress and Potential
Strengths
51) Interest in new challenges and efficiency in overcoming them.
52) Shows great progress in everyday tasks and goes beyond expectations.
53) Ready to learn new skills and continuously improve.
Performance reviews should also focus on the future. Show your employees you care about their individual growth by offering them ongoing training opportunities!
Weaknesses
54) Uninterest in professional development or improvement.
55) Lack of drive and initiative unless prompted.
56) Does not try to take on new challenges and reach their full potential.
With these constructive and flexible improvement phrases, you are sure to implement successful performance management within your company.
Remember that negative feedback should always be followed by ideas for improvement. In addition, essential employee strengths should be highlighted even if it might seem redundant: recognition is essential to engagement and kind words and positive feedback are always appreciated by your employees. On that topic, we also have recognition phrases examples to use in your company!
All in all, effective feedback, active listening and constructive communication are key when conducting your performance appraisals.
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