Top tips to prepare for your appraisal

Your appraisal is a time for you and your manager to have a one-to-one in-depth discussion about your overall performance in your role. One of the most important things you can do to ensure you have a successful employee performance appraisal is to actively prepare for it.

Here are 4 simple tips to do to make sure you are fully prepared for you appraisal.

Keep track of your achievements throughout the year

Six months can fly-by, so when it comes to preparing for you appraisal it’s difficult to remember everything. Keeping note of your projects will help jog your memory and will help make your preparation process a lot easier.

Prepare in advance

Preparation is key. Before you attend your appraisal, it is important that you note down some of your most important achievements, big or small along with any back up stats and information needed to prove the success of your work. Preparing for you appraisal allows both you and your employer to get the most out of it, whether it be self-evaluation, career goals or to provide a clear picture of your performance and progression.

Before you attend your appraisal, it is important that you note down some of your most important achievements, big or small along with any back up stats and information needed to prove the success of your work

Enlist the help of a colleague and or mentor

If your workplace offers a mentoring scheme, then enlist their help. They will be able to mentor you through the process of preparing your self-evaluation and telling you what to expect. They would have had a fair few appraisals in their employment and are therefore in the best position to help you.

Alternatively, ask one of your colleagues if they could let you know the best way to deliver your appraisal to you manager. They will know how your manager likes to execute an appraisal and therefore they can help you best deliver the key information in the best way.

Self-evaluate

Often in your appraisal your employer will evaluate how you handle yourself in the workplace. It is important to evaluate this yourself to understand what your flaws might be and how you will try and overcome these. Being mindful of your own self-evaluation will help you to not be put off-guard by what your employer might say.

Your appraisal is an important time in your career. It helps you evaluate you, your role and your career goals. This one-to-one discussion with your manager will also help you understand what is expected of to progress within your career.

Maybe you'd like to negotiate your salary in your next appraisal? Here are some top tips on how to do this