Performance reviews are a source of nerves for even the most confident employee.
No matter how well you think you’re doing, there’s always a chance that your reviewer may see things differently. When you go to the optometrist, you think you’re seeing the world just fine, but someone puts new glasses on your face and suddenly you see the scratches in the paint on your car.
A performance review, or an appraisal, is the process by which a company assesses an individual’s work performance in relation to certain established criteria. Ideally, the review is intended to help the employee – either to stay on track, to get back on track, or in the best of cases, to get ahead.
The employee may be given a good idea of what the company expects from them going forward, and given feedback on their job performance up to that date. It’s also a chance for an employee to review the company and where they stand in it.