Slower summer months are the perfect time to get the jump on a strong year-end. Yes, really!
While many organizations conduct annual, year-end performance reviews for their employees, mid-year reviews, while less common, can help build great organizational culture.
Mid-year reviews (or a “lighter” version, the “mid-year touch base”) are an important tool for employers, providing supervisors and employees an opportunity to assess and discuss employee performance and progress against goals, proactively discuss any concerns and/or challenges, and collaboratively develop action plans—all before the usually more intensive and salary-related year-end review process.
This post will cover the following questions (handy hyperlinks below so you can skip ahead if you’d like!):
Exciting stuff, right? We agree! So let’s get to it!
What is a Mid-Year Review?
A mid-year review is a process whereby supervisors formally connect with employees toward the end of Q2 (we recommend June) to evaluate goals and assess employee progress on essential functions. Those essential functions should be easily found in each employee’s position description (if you don’t have those, please call or email us ASAP!). During the mid-year review, in addition to assessing performance, supervisors can coach employees and make any necessary performance changes before the official year-end review process, which is typically more in-depth.
Mid-year reviews can be detailed processes similar to year-end reviews, including written self-assessments by employees and formal feedback and evaluation from supervisors. Alternatively, the mid-year review can take the form of a less detailed and sometimes equally effective “mid-year touch base.” Mid-year touch bases are a “review-lite” and provide an opportunity for employees and supervisors to have a more general performance related conversation, discuss the team member’s progress on previously established goals, and provide top level feedback and key focus areas for the months ahead, leading to a strong and simplified entry into the more involved year-end review process.
To keep things simple, we will refer to both as mid-year reviews—but you should know that the structure for this process is flexible and different formats work for different kinds of organizations!
Why Should we Conduct Mid-Year Reviews?
Top line answer: A mid-year review is a great way to be intentional about keeping the annual performance conversation going in a little-to-no pressure way and builds culture in the process. Win-win.
Here’s more:
The year-end review should not be the first or only time employees have an opportunity to formally engage with their supervisors about their performance, nor should it be the first time supervisors proactively convene with employees to discuss concerns or provide meaningful feedback.
In fact, we will go so far as to say that mid-year reviews give annual performance reviews far greater purpose and focus. When an entire year passes between reviews, it is difficult to achieve meaningful, substantive, actionable feedback and results. Instead, year-end reviews are often reduced to formalities in place to simply check the HR box. And the typical inclusion of compensation in the year-end review tends to ratchet up the intensity of that conversation even further.
When mid-year reviews are conducted, less time lapses between reviews, the ongoing conversation about performance remains more fluid, and employees have a reasonable timeframe during which to make progress and report back on their goals. The mid-year review is also an opportunity to note where support and additional resources might be necessary, positioning supervisors and employees for a productive, focused, and intentional year-end conversation.
Additionally, while year-end reviews often focus on past performance, mid-year reviews are a good place to focus on the future and develop action plans for improved performance through the remainder of the year. Perhaps most important of all, teams that engage in more frequent reviews benefit from an improved culture of ongoing dialogue about employee performance, allowing it to remain an open and comfortable topic rather than a foreboding year-end summoning.
What are Some Benefits of Mid-Year Reviews?
Still need convincing? Below are some benefits the mid-year review process offers to employers and team members alike:
Feedback opportunity. Supervisors have an opportunity to give feedback to employees on their performance, including complimenting good work (boosting morale and motivating employees through the end-of-year cycle), and discussing performance challenges and how to rectify them.
Open dialogue. Employees have an opportunity to express issues, concerns, or specific desires for growth and development with their supervisors.
Documentation of performance concerns. Supervisors can proactively document performance issues and that they were discussed with the employee (as these can become especially relevant during the year-end process but should be documented well in advance). In chronic or acute cases, supervisors can introduce a performance improvement plan (PIP) during the mid-year review process, and use the year-end review as a time to assess whether expectations as outlined in the PIP have been met.
Separated from compensation. The mid-year review process is separated from compensation (unlike the year-end review process), allowing for candid conversation detached from the pressures of compensation questions or concerns.
Simplified year-end review process. Mid-year reviews give employees an opportunity to build on skills or correct problems by the time year-end reviews approach. They also provide more structure to year-end reviews, which flow from the assessments made and feedback offered in the mid-year reviews.
How Should We Conduct Mid-Year Reviews?
Our recommended approach to mid-year reviews is as follows:
Employee Self Assessment: For a formal mid-year review (rather than a touch-base), employees fill out a detailed self-assessment, describing their performance against the essential functions outlined in their position descriptions as well as their progress on the goals they identified at year-end. In the case of a touch-base, employees fill out an assessment that is more brief and less detailed, responding to key questions related to their performance and progress.
Supervisor Feedback: For a formal mid-year review, supervisors respond with a written evaluation of employees, rating them on various aspects of their performance. In the case of a touch base, supervisors typically discuss their feedback in-person and the conversation is documented (the following step).
Meet to Discuss: In either case, employees and supervisors meet, using position descriptions and the employee self-assessments from year-end reviews as a guide for a discussion around year-to-date performance. They share their assessments of employee performance, discussing positive work as well as areas for improvement, and review employee progress on goals (previously established during year-end reviews) as well as opportunities for growth and development. Noteworthy issues and/or discussion points are documented and stored in employee files, and serve as an important focus/discussion point during year-end reviews.
Maintain Documentation. In all cases, the mid-year materials should be available for any intervening position changes and/or performance improvement issues prior to the year-end review process. Observations and/or notes recorded during the mid-year process can serve as ongoing discussion points during the year-end review process.
How Should We Conduct Mid-Year Reviews with Virtual Employees?
Needless to say, many employees are working remotely in light of concerns around the spread of COVID-19. However, mid-year reviews are now more important than ever. Given the current circumstances, a formal review (even if it’s virtual!) will give employees the opportunity to discuss any hindrances to performing their work remotely. Furthermore, employees may feel particularly out of touch while outside of the physical work environment. Supervisors should engage in regular touch bases and 1:1 conversations in addition to mid-year reviews!
Tips for supervisors conducting virtual employee reviews:
(Virtual) Face-to-Face is Best. Conduct the mid-year review via video chat rather than phone. Doing so makes for a more candid conversation as it helps to build comfort and connection between employees and supervisors, and allows supervisors to pick up on nonverbal cues. It also communicates to the employee that these conversations are a priority.
Let Them Go First. Ask employees about their remote working arrangements—what is working well, and what challenges are they facing? Offer support where possible.
Invite Honest Feedback. Request feedback on your own leadership style. Perhaps your communications and expectations are not as clear in a remote environment as they are in-office. Staff may require extra communication and/or support while working remotely and may not feel comfortable voicing it. So invite the conversation!
Be Focused and Friendly. Think about how you can facilitate an open conversation through virtual means—and in that regard, consider these pro tips:
Pro Tip 1: Silence notifications. Diverting your attention may communicate to the employee that you’re not invested in the conversation.
Pro Tip 2: Pay attention to your own body language. Are you hunched over, with folded arms? Are you avoiding eye contact? Negative nonverbal cues can stop an open conversation in its tracks. Keep it friendly and comfortable for everyone with your body language.
Pro Tip 3: Remain compassionate. This is a difficult time for many, and individuals may be distracted during the work day because they have to care for children or family members, they do not have dedicated work spaces at home, their partner has been laid off, or they are otherwise struggling due to personal circumstances. They also may be feeling lonely, anxious, or depressed. Create a space where they are comfortable discussing the challenges they are facing, and practice empathy.
Ready to go!
If you have questions or need help facilitating the mid-year review process, contact us. We love this stuff!
Happy mid-year!