Self-Evaluations: An Important Way to Play an Active Role in Your Performance Appraisal

****** Guest Post *******

Want to play a more active role in your annual performance appraisal and ensure you and your manager are "on the same page" when it comes to your performance? Halogen Software, the industry leading provider for online nursing competency assessments, development plans and performance management can help you prepare an employee self-evaluation. Your employee performance appraisal doesn't have to be a passive process that you "undergo". Play an active role in your organization's performance management process as well as in your career by thoughtfully completing and submitting an employee self-evaluation.

There are lots of excuses for not being proactive in this regard: I don't have time; my manager already knows what I do; it won't make a difference, etc. The bottom line is that it's a mistake to downplay the importance of your self-evaluation. In so doing you remove your voice from a formal process that results in documents that remain on your permanent employment record that could affect your job and your earning potential. Don’t simply be the "recipient" of feedback, you can have a voice, and inform or shape your manager’s perceptions before your performance appraisal and ratings are done.

Whether your facility conducts these as a formal part of your performance management process or not, you can take advantage of this valuable tool to ensure your annual performance appraisal is a fair and objective record of your contributions to the organization, and includes your major accomplishments and areas for potential development.

A good self-evaluation gives your manager a broader perspective to evaluate your performance. Remember it's often really hard for your manager to see the full picture on your skills and abilities, and understand all the factors that affect your performance – they have others to manage, can work different shifts, or might even work in a different location. Completing a self-assessment allows your manager to view your performance through your eyes and get your "side of the story", leading to a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. In some cases, the information revealed in your self-appraisal might even guide or redirect your manager's assessment. Go ahead, toot your own horn, and conversely, ask for help in further developing your skills and competencies.

All too often, these annual performance appraisals feel like "top-down" evaluations that leave employees feeling powerless and result in unpleasant surprises for both managers and employees. But they don't have to. Effective performance management requires an ongoing, two-way discussion between you and your manager about your performance, priorities and challenges. One way to encourage this two way dialogue is through self-appraisals, where you the employee, formally evaluate your own performance, then send your assessment to your manager before they write your performance appraisal.

Don't let your manager get caught off guard in your employee performance appraisal meeting, and discover that you have a completely different perception of your performance and value, or that they are lacking vital information that affects ratings. An employee self-appraisal can help identify differences in perception that might not surface otherwise, allowing your manager to prepare appropriately for your performance appraisal meeting and ensure a fruitful discussion and fair performance ratings.

To learn more about our performance management solutions for nursesvisit our website: www.halogensoftware.com.