Getting the most out of your performance review – Writing Your Self-Assessment - Tip #1
Like them or not, annual performance reviews are a staple of many company cultures. Often the employee is required to prepare a self-assessment. “I always try to do high quality work” is a common self-assessment response – but it’s worthless! (The problem is that anyone can make that claim. You need to differentiate yourself!) Instead, open with an action word and quantify the impact you had; writing a self- assessment is akin to writing a resume – similar advice applies.
For example, “Simplified the process for analyzing failed assemblies resulting in 32% faster throughput and 20% improvement in the accuracy of the analysis findings.” To get the most out of your annual self-assessment, be specific and memorable. Provide evidence of your achievements so that you stand out. Give your manager something tangible to work with when they’re advocating on your behalf.
Personally, I’m a fan of the annual review. All year we’re buried in issues; it can be hard to see the effect our efforts are having. Taking some time to reflect on the year’s accomplishments puts everything in perspective; we can see that all those daily steps and frustrations have added up to result in a real impact. Reflection also helps us recognize those areas where things fell short, which can be useful in identifying project goals and skills to work on in the coming months.
The key take-away here: Specific, noteworthy examples of accomplishments not only make us feel good, but they maximize our chances of a good review from management, and hopefully a nice raise as well.
Stay tuned for more annual performance review tips.
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