Appraisal season is here – What next ? (Part 1)

April / May is the month when performance evaluation results and merit increases / salary revisions are announced by companies along with the annual ritual of promotions / role changes. Having seen this cycle for the past so many years, I have realised that it requires real patience and maturity to stay calm and focused during these 2/3 months. All around you, you see everyone posting updates about promotions and talking about the ratings received by themselves and their colleagues. Some end up being happy and some dejected for obvious reasons sometimes rational and sometimes irrational.

Being in the corporate, you see all kinds of emotions amongst employees during these times and as a HR professional you end up being witness to and getting involved in this emotional rigmarole. I remember every time in the month of March people coming and saying “????? ???? ?? ??? ?? ?? ??? ?”

Having been witness to all this during the past years, I just thought of writing my perspective to both the good and the bad scenarios that employees go through.

In the first part today, Lets delve into the aspect of disappointment / dejection and some ideas to deal with it (I know most of us will resonate with this as only few become happy for what they receive, and this happiness is also short-lived if they know their peer received a better rating or increase):

• ?Understand the Rationale:

Most of the times, we just see the outcome and draw conclusion based on it. The essence lies in understanding the aspects that led to the outcome. Rather than having an emotional reaction to the situation, it’s always advisable to be more rational and try to understand the areas which could have been better or improved. Understanding the factors that led to the outcome by seeking clarity on the reasons behind your appraisal results can help you address any areas of improvement.

• ?Seek Feedback:

There is no harm is being a little more receptive to feedback. It is difficult but being open and receptive helps. Ask for detailed feedback and specific examples from your manager and stakeholders. Spend time in reflecting and understanding where things could have gone wrong or derailed. Seek inputs for the same from your manager, colleagues, peers and stakeholders.

If you are open to pay attention to what you hear from them, you will surely get some valid inputs to act upon for the future. Reaching out also helps in conveying your genuine interest in improvement. It will help in getting inputs for drawing some actionable ideas to be implemented in the future.

• ?Stay Professional:

Having worked diligently for the full year and then receiving a not so desired and favorable outcome can be taxing and disappointing. It’s important to maintain professionalism. As we all put in a lot of passion and energy in our work, being emotional about the result and outcome is natural. Reacting impulsively can harm your reputation, job security and the relationship with your manager.

I remember a time when despite closing a critical project successfully for the organisation, my new manager approved a lower bonus directly impacting my financial calculations and planning. Dealing with such a scenario is tough but being professional despite the dejection is the least that we can do.

Instead of giving a knee jerk reaction, it is advisable to take some time to process the outcome/result and then respond to it.

• ?Set Clear Goals – What Next:

After taking the above listed 3 steps, its important to think through those and then plan for “What Next”. It is necessary to synthesise all the inputs and information that you might have received and organise it into actionable ideas. Some of those ideas could be accomplished by your own self and some could be with the help of your manager, subordinates, peers, and stakeholders.

Work with your manager to set achievable goals for the next appraisal cycle and plan for the resources that would be required to be successful. Having clear objectives can guide your efforts and improve your performance.

• ?Enhance Your Skills:

Better results in the next year require better skill, capability, planning and execution. Based on the insights derived from the earlier actions, it’s important to consider acquiring new skills or improving existing ones that are relevant to your role. This can increase your value to the company and may lead to better appraisals in the future. Your manager and the HRBP are your key partners for this. Reach out to them and engage in developmental conversations to build a robust plan for your own development. Access all resources offered by your organisation and outside of the organisation which will help you build your capability to deliver better results.

Doing this is what will help you to avoid a repeat of the current year results in the next year.

• ?Going Beyond is Key:

I have observed that people keep repeating the same deliverables every year and expect the company and manager to reward them better for the same output. If you desire of getting outstanding reward, do remember that you must ensure that you do something beyond the routine. As a manager, I have always ensured that my subordinates identify and work on a key stretch assignment every year. This assignment would be connected to your role directly or could be something outside the scope of your role.

Such stretch assignments help us to expand our horizons, build skill and knowledge and contribute in our holistic development.

• Maintain and expand relationships:

Maintaining healthy and fruitful relationships with all stakeholders in our ecosystem is the key to successful performance. Always remember to collaborate and contribute to making our stakeholders successful. If your efforts are channelized to ensure that your stakeholders are successful, it has a ripple effect in the whole organisation.

Being inclusive towards others and accepting them for who they are is the key to ensuring healthy relationships in the organisation. Having a good rapport with your manager and colleagues is always supportive and beneficial. It helps is your success and results in better support and opportunities within the organisation.

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Always remember, a poor appraisal isn’t the end of the road; it can be a starting point for personal and professional growth. Moving on is key. Embrace what you receive and accept it with gratitude and move on for better times. Focus on the future and how you can leverage this experience to advance your career.

In the next part of this article, we shall explore some actions that can be taken if you decide to explore other options.