5 Ways to Make the Most of Mid-Year Reviews

Welcome to the season that many leaders face with more than a little trepidation: mid-year reviews. It’s the point on the calendar that serves as a reminder that the time remaining to deliver desired 2022 results is finite. It’s also the point when managers find themselves working (and worrying) overtime in preparation for conversations with staff to calibrate results and effort – and ensure that everyone is well poised to support success for the remainder of the year.

Even before the enormous changes ushered in by COVID, remote and hybrid working configurations, and the retention crisis facing many organizations, the value of the traditional review ritual was in question. Busy managers were challenged to find the time. And employees reported feeling that the exercise was an administrative necessity to be endured rather than a motivational touchpoint.

Mid-Year Reviews Today

Today, other factors are conspiring against mid-year reviews as well. Evolving philosophies are de-emphasizing formal performance management events in favor of a more iterative, organic process. And more organizations are requiring staff to take vacations in response to unprecedented levels of employee burnout. All of this could understandably cause leaders to declare an end to the mid-year review.

But 2022 may be the year that will benefit most from a thoughtful approach to this summertime tradition. It’s specifically because of the extraordinary effort invested on the part of employees (that’s led to burnout), waning levels of satisfaction and engagement, and growing attrition numbers that we need this time to pause and reflect more than ever.

And yet, using the old playbook (that didn’t work all that well for many before) will likely not meet today’s unique conditions and needs.

This year offers the perfect opportunity to update the approach – and in the process, to gain greater value from mid-year reviews. Read on to learn about five adjustments you should make. 

Earlier this month, I met with Nemak’s global human resources team to explore how the workplace and career development are changing - and what’s going to be required to drive success for individuals and the organization. These round-table events are among the highlights of my week - offering a rich exchange of ideas, perspectives, and inspiration. Please let us know if your HR or L&D team might benefit from an opportunity to pause and dialogue around evolving best practices. I’d love to schedule a virtual or live event with you.

I’m excited to be facilitating an interactive webinar on Monday, June 20 at 9 PT with my friends at AthenaOnline. This free event will offer leaders tangible strategies for offering the growth and engagement required to reduce unwanted turnover as we settle into the new ‘abnormal’. Please consider joining us by registering here.

Gloria Feldt is an acclaimed expert on women, power, and leadership with frontline leadership experience, a bestselling author, and an in-demand keynote speaker. She is co-founder and president of Take The Lead, whose mission reflects her life’s passion: to prepare, develop, inspire, and propel women to take their fair and equal share of leadership positions across all sectors by 2025.

Intentioning will help you envision the life and career you might have thought were impossible dreams, then give you the courage and actionable tools to achieve them. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and a pandemic of racial injustice that together shook our world to its core and revealed deep fault lines in our culture, Gloria, shows how we can seize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity created by massive disruption to build back stronger with diverse women at the center of the recovery. You can listen to the first chapter of the book here along with a mini-workbook with exercises.

Last month, I had the pleasure of being Sonal Bahl's guest on her How I Got Hired podcast. We had a rich and wide-ranging conversation... and I now understand why Apple ranks it among its top 50 career programs in 22 countries! Sonal blends genuine curiosity with deep expertise - making her a delightful interviewer as well as a thought leader in this space. I hope you'll listen to this episode - and many others. You won't be disappointed! 

• Your Working Life
• Growth Manifesto Podcast
• Business Confidential Now
• HR Hardball
• The Brand Called You
• Beltway Broadcast

Thanks for reading. Until next time.

Julie

P.S. If you have read Promotions are So Yesterday, thank you! And if you loved it, could you leave a review?