The value of self-evaluation
IT IS APPRAISAL time and you are eager to know whether you will get that coveted promotion, or qualify for the much-needed increment. But, when you think of the appraisal process, doubts do creep into your mind about the veracity of the practice.
We all know how appraisals are done. You (the best person to know about your job), your boss and some other unknown persons evaluate your performance and decide whether your year was successful and if you deserve that raise or promotion. These methods may sometimes be hackneyed. Face the facts; companies follow a standard review practice to decide on increments, promotions and streamlining the departments. The evaluation formats and criteria are very general; it is rarely about you as an individual. So, you are but forced to take an objective view of the whole thing just as everybody else.
Well, how about doing a self-evaluation? All you require is a win-win attitude along with the tools needed to do a self-assessment. If you do a periodicevaluation of yourself, you will realise how much hard work you have put in. You need not depend on the company or more specifically a HR person to validate your position. A self-evaluation will help you understand how far you are justified in putting forth your claim.
Doing a self-assessment has its own advantages. It helps you clarify your accomplishments on the job, keep track of your growth and also provide details for your future résumé. You can present your self-evaluation report before the scheduled or a sudden review or when asking for a raise or promotion. Being armed with facts puts you at an advantage in such situations. A self-evaluation report helps you keep track of your performance, especially if you are working alone on a temporary job or have an unresponsive manager. Moreover, it helps you develop a positive attitude towards your job.
So, how do you go about this process of self-assessment? First, base your evaluation on the criteria of your job expectations. For this, review your job description and list the four to five important areas that your job covers; like productivity, quality, customer service and also areas like special contributions. The next step would be to create a table or grid that breaks your key work areas into chunks. After this is done, make it a habit to fill the table with examples on a regular basis.
Self-assessment also requires a regular summing up of your accomplishments on the job. Summaries may be done at the end of a quarter. Try to quantify the projects you have handled, add points like any additional projects you have taken up and any extra work you have accomplished. Write briefly about your contribution if you are working in a team; write about some of the goals you want to work for and what you want to go for in the future. Describe how your achievements have helped you evolve from the original job description. You can include a variation of this quarterly report in your annual review. If the annual review is a big thing in your company, be sure to ask for regular feedback from your manager. This will give you an all-round view of your performance and help you make adjustments in your report.
In your report, you may need to include samples of your work and description of the projects you have handled. Such information will allow you to recreate the work, if necessary, and also highlight your achievements. You should be consistent in keeping samples and also document other extras like kudos letters or e-mails in praise of your achievements. Draft summaries of a few difficult situations you have handled, like dealing with an angry client, or handling a last-minute project or some new idea of yours that was implemented. Also, highlight any training programme that you have undergone and explain how it improves your career.
When making a sale, you highlight the benefits of the product and not the features. And, companies do appraisals on the same lines. If you do not have somebody updating regularly on your actual contribution to the job, the appraisal will be done on certain broad criteria defined by the HR department.
A self-evaluation report will keep you armed with appropriate factual information of what you have accomplished, contributed and learnt on the job. Such a complete picture will give you an edge over others during appraisals and provide the necessary backup when asking for a raise or promotion.
A self-assessment will help you benchmark yourself for the current job and future opportunities. It will also help you assess how fair your company is in appraisals.
HEMA GOPALAKRISHNAN
faqs@cnkonline.com
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