51% of employees in the workplace are disengaged while 13% are actively non participative. This means they are not satisfied with their job or performance at work. This can result in low productivity, high churn rate and overall poor growth of a business.
That’s why businesses need to regularly conduct virtual performance reviews in their company to interact and engage with their employees.
In this article, we explore the best practices you can implement into conducting the virtual performance review to boost efficiency, employee morale and overall growth.
Table of Contents:
The performance review can be defined as a formal and objective evaluation of an employee’s performance which is conducted by their seniors or HR.
It consists of:
- Providing required feedback
- Identifying the strength and weaknesses of the professional
- Laying out objectives for the future
The performance review can be done both in person and virtually. The performance reviews that are conducted remotely are called Virtual Performance Reviews.
HR or the senior management required to prepare well for the review where you need to maintain a positive environment. Also, you need to provide a professional review or feedback that can help them improve.
It is essential to have a regular virtual performance review in an organization to boost the productivity and team engagement.
Conducting remote performance management is essential for businesses and HRs for these following major reasons:
- Maintaining productivity and engagement: Performance reviews are a critical element in maintaining productivity and employee engagement in remote work environments. According to Gallup, employees who receive regular feedback are 3.8 times more likely to be engaged at work.
- Providing clarity and the right direction: Regular virtual employee reviews help them understand how they are doing, where they can grow professionally, and identify any areas for improvement. They give employees direction and purpose.
- Aiming for continuous improvement: Ensure timely and constructive employee feedback, to nurture a culture of continuous improvement. Regular feedback allows employees to understand their performance in the context of their day-to-day work and adapt swiftly.
- Building a strong team: Reviews can help bridge the gap some remote workers feel in terms of disconnecting from their teams. They can strengthen team cohesion in a virtual setting.
- Boosting employee satisfaction: Many employees value receiving feedback more than a financial bonus. When you conduct regular and structured check-ins, it can dramatically boost team collaboration and engagement.
- Avoiding surprises: Providing employees with regular feedback, including informal check-ins, helps avoid “blindsiding” them at formal evaluation time and reduces the stress that usually surrounds these reviews. Employees want to receive feedback, whether positive or negative.
Here are best practices for conducting virtual performance reviews, drawing on the provided sources:
1. Preparation is the key
Preparation is vital for effective virtual performance review meetings. This involves setting clear agendas, preparing questions in advance, and providing employees with guidelines for creating a focused environment.
Managers should also gather information beforehand, such as employee self-evaluations and peer feedback, especially since they may not observe daily remote work directly. Using performance evaluation forms can help collect relevant information and focus the discussion.
2. Utilize Video Conferencing
Conducting reviews via video conference is important. It helps maintain a personal connection, allows managers to observe non-verbal cues, and enables viewing the employee’s work environment. Being explicit and verbal is key to avoiding misunderstandings over video.
3. Develop Two-Way Communication and a Supportive Environment
You can create an open, supportive, and positive atmosphere. Explain that the review is a sincere conversation between manager and employee, not just a one-sided evaluation.
Allow employees to share their perspectives and feedback. Showcase empathy and great listening skills.
4. Be Empathetic and Acknowledge Circumstances
It’s crucial to be empathetic and acknowledge the diverse working conditions and personal circumstances remote employees may face.
Remote workers might be juggling family responsibilities or dealing with isolation. Show compassion, flexibility, and leniency, recognizing that employees may not be operating at 100% due to difficult situations.
5. Focus on Work Performance and Be Objective
Evaluate performance based on actual work and behaviors, avoiding personality-focused feedback. Establish clear performance metrics and goals that align with organizational objectives to allow for objective evaluation.
Also, factor in effort, not just outcomes. Providing specific, actionable feedback is important for employee growth.
6. Personalize Evaluations
You also need to customize the evaluations based on the employee’s specific role, job rank, and career development goals rather than using generic criteria. Adjust metrics based on the current work environment to help employees feel connected.
7. Discuss Future Plans and Set Attainable Goals
You must dedicate time during the review to discussing the employee’s future plans and setting achievable goals.
Remember to always provide clarity on how to achieve these goals and include plans for professional development. It is important for HR to ensure that individual goals are aligned with the overall company objectives.
8. Recognize Contributions
Make sure to use the positive aspects as well and acknowledge high performance.
It is essential to recognize achievements as it helps in boosting employee morale and retain top talent, with reduced churn rate. Positive reassurance helps employees cope with uncertainty.
9. Leverage Technology and Data
Utilize digital tools and the data they provide to enhance the review process. You can leverage technology to streamline processes, provide insights, and help analyze performance data for employee development.
It will help you gather a comprehensive overview of the performance metrics where you can collect data from various sources.
With the advent of AI, you can make it more nuanced, detailed and data backed. You also need to use the top performance management software to streamline this process effectively.
10. Integrate Continuous Feedback
Performance reviews should be part of an ongoing dialogue, not just a one-time event. Incorporating continuous feedback and regular check-ins throughout the year is more effective than relying solely on formal annual reviews.
This prevents surprises, increases engagement, and allows employees to improve in real-time.
11. Follow-Up and Provide Support
Follow up after the review to help employees stay on track with their goals. Create an action plan for future progress.
The HR department needs to provide ongoing support and guidance which must address potential stress or burnout. This can be only done by understanding the workload, employee challenges and the priority approach towards wellness practices.
With these practices, organizations can conduct virtual performance reviews that are constructive, supportive, and effective in developing employees and contributing to organizational productivity.
Conclusion
Virtual performance review is not just about evaluating the employee’s performance and providing feedback. It is a strategy aligned with a larger approach towards building an interactive and engaging employee prioritizing their productivity and well-being.
The best virtual performance review practices such as focusing on continuous feedback, positive reinforcement, developing two-way communication, leveraging technology, providing support and others can help a business optimize their overall team performance and boost employee morale.
To streamline such practices, it is essential to utilize required tools, systems and services. We at HROne, a leading HR software and Payroll SaaS application brand that can help manage various HR processes such as online performance appraisal with industry expertise and required technology.