Employee evaluation is a regular assessment of a worker's performance, behaviour and development against previously agreed expectations. For it to make sense, the expectations must be specific and known in advance, evaluating against criteria the employee sees for the first time at the review meeting damages trust. A combination that works well is short interim conversations throughout the year plus one summary evaluation with conclusions for pay and development. The conversation should be two-way, that is, it should also include feedback on management and working conditions. A common mistake is mixing performance evaluation with a pay conversation in a single meeting, because the employee then hears nothing except the number. The output should be a written record of agreed steps that can be followed up on at the next evaluation.
See also: Employee development plan, Exit interview, Employee onboarding.
