Performance reviews are crucial for employee development, but they are often handled ineffectively. Instead of being a constructive experience, a performance review can sometimes become a “burden” for both the manager and the team member. The reason is straightforward: we place too many expectations on a single conversation. Since performance reviews occur infrequently, the process doesn’t become routine, making it feel cumbersome for the manager. In this article, I’ll explain why transitioning from yearly performance reviews to regular check-ins is beneficial and how to make that shift.
Research from the O.C. Tanner Institute shows that regular and frequent check-ins help employees feel valued, supported, and connected to their workplace, which enhances their well-being. By providing real-time feedback and addressing challenges promptly, regular check-ins significantly increase employee engagement and reduce the risk of burnout. They are much more effective than annual performance reviews.
Here are five practical tips for transitioning from yearly performance reviews to regular check-ins in your organization:
- Adapt Your Existing Model: If you already have a performance review model, consider how you can streamline it to work for more frequent and shorter check-ins. Establish a clear schedule for these meetings.
- Pre-Schedule Check-ins: Encourage managers to schedule all check-ins for the year at once. This ensures they are already on the calendar and reduces the risk of forgetting them.
- Mandate Preparation: Make preparation mandatory (in a positive way). Research shows that when team members prepare and reflect on the topics in advance and add their own important points, the conversation becomes more personalized and leads to a better experience.
- Include Action Items on the Agenda: Add a point on the agenda to document agreed-upon actions and review previously set goals. Although this might seem obvious, our research indicates that this step is often overlooked. Ensuring that conversations lead to concrete actions that are tracked and executed significantly impacts how performance reviews are perceived.
- Ensure Consistency: As previously mentioned, performance reviews are important and significantly affect the employee experience. Make sure all managers conduct the scheduled check-ins according to the agreed structure and address any deviations. This is key to fostering a strong and consistent feedback culture.
Having worked with hundreds of teams on this topic, I know that regular and frequent check-ins outperform annual performance reviews by a wide margin. The greatest benefit comes from shifting check-ins from reactive to proactive. They become a natural part of daily work and help us, as managers, fulfill our most important role: ensuring that team members thrive and perform to their best ability. People want to be heard and seen as individuals, and regular check-ins are a crucial tool for this. Every check-in is an opportunity.