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Approaching Appraisals
"The last 12 months have been really tough for me, with 2 employees in my department leaving. Unfortunately these people have never been replaced and it has meant that my skills have been stretched to the limit. As a result, the added workload and pressure has seen my work suffer.
In the next few weeks I have my appraisal and the last year has left me fearful it's not going to be a good one. I think it's about time I got a good pay rise, so I want to prepare well. Does anyone have any advice on how I can approach my appraisal and also how to communicate the strain I am under with my boss?"
Comments
Boy...is this a familiar scenario. When others leave, you are always going to be asked to take up the slack. It's all part of proving what a good egg you are to support the common cause. Only, you never get recognition for it, yet alone compensation. So, this is what you do.
Firstly itemise precisely what your responsibilities are now versus what they were before. Highlight what you've now inherited. Next dig up all your previous appraisals, promotions (if any) and pay increases. It shows your track record to date, which you may have forgotten about. Next compose a new job description from what you would now like to do for the next 12 months until your next appraisal. Highlight all the things that you don't want any more. And only then, when you have all your ducks in a row, go and talk to your Boss before your appraisal and start the process of getting him/her to think about what you can do best to support them and the business. Turn what was originally destined to be an appraisal into a negoatiation about what you now want to do, following the loss of 2 members of staff. You're far better off being in control of this process than being controlled by it. That way, you have the initiative and everything to gain and your Boss, who has traded for FREE on your diligence, has everything to lose. Somehow, that kinda makes them think a little harder about what the impact might be without your support and diligence. You know the expression about grabbing someone by the N-TS and their hearts and minds will soon follow... Give it a go; you might just surprise yourself. You have nothing to prove and everything to gain.
Charlie - August 29, 2006 6:02 PM
Dear Sandy,
To me it looks that your employers are on the overhead cut cycle in order to maximize their profits. Therefore they are squeezing the maximum out of you. This kind of approach is very costly in the long run as it ruins the health of one worker doing three jobs it also effects the productivivty and in the end both the employer and the employee are the losers.
Asad - September 3, 2006 3:01 AM
You have every rights to be worried & concerned about your approaching appraisal. I would suggest you get there prepared.
Draw out what you have achieve since your last appraisal and also what you had set to do. Document its progress and the challenges you have been faced with and the solutions you have found to resolve them. It is always better to try to find solutions to problems rather to find excuses. It could simply be reviewing your duties and time management to be more pro-active. Describe how successful it has or hasn't been. As long as you can show you have tried endesly to do your job to your best abilities. Your boss should be able to recognise that. Most of all, keep positive by giving yourself some praise.
Olivier - September 3, 2006 9:14 AM
Make sure you have precise examples of what you have done to counter and allegations by the appraising manager. Always keep accurate records of your hours of work and examples of the added value you have delivered. If the manager criticises you at any time in the meeting ask them why they have waited until now to make their concerns known and record the answer.
Cliff Barry - September 3, 2006 10:34 AM
Good answer.
Thanks,
I have a similar scenario of which is causing me concern. I was wondering how best to approach it.
Your advice has been helpful
Stephen Delaney - September 3, 2006 6:13 PM
Hi
I think if I were in your shoes I'd be asking myself some questions like:
- is a good payrise achievable given the companies financial situation
- will a good or bad review have much of an effect on my payrise or is this really going to be determined by other factors - like a predetermined average for the company or some external reference like the regional average for a job type
- why haven't staff been replaced? Is business bad? Is mydepartment seen as unimportant ? If this is so then a sizeable payrise would be harder to achieve
- what's the market rate is for the job I'm doing? If you're paid that already you'd be unlikely to get a large increase.
- do I need/want to go on working for a boss/company who cut the work force without seemingly restructuring or reprioritising the work that needs to be done and without noticing people are constantly overstretched.
- do my boss and I have the same understanding of the required quality. Your boss may be quite happy with poorer quality work produced much more quickly, whereas you might be unhappy about the lowered standards.
I suspect if you asked yourself these questions you'd may be see some of the bigger picture and what might be realistically achieved in your current situation
Kay - September 3, 2006 10:05 PM
This question sounds as though you are not in control - change that! Approach the appraisal well prepared. Construct a set of key work objectives that equate to what you are now doing having taken up the additional work load. Then provide evidence of your work in achieving these objectives. Include the measures you have taken to rationalise the work i.e cut out the unecessary. highlight the positive contribution you are making in moving the business forward. Then ... state ( not ask) that a percentage pay raise would seem appropriate to secure your future loyalty to the job. Never be a job beggar. Always come form the positive , not hard done by angle.
elizabeth - September 4, 2006 12:25 PM
The previous comments are absolutely correct. I would arm myself with all the positive outcomes that you have achieved in the current situation, and be absolutley straight with your appraisor. Explain the situation (they should know, but it doesn't do any harm to highlight the pressure you have been under) and ask whether or not the pressure is to be relieved by employing more staff in your section. If not then they must appreciate that you are achieving the output under some duress and that you should be rewarded. Don't let the pressure get to you, and be up front with them.
Have you thought about ways in which you can improve your efficiency in the way that you work? if so, tell them! and don't be shy!
Mike - September 4, 2006 5:19 PM
The comments are all noteworthy. I just add that as two employees left, presumably an exit interview was undertaken to discover their reasons for leaving? For example due to conditions, pay, workload, etc.
Perhaps any information from the exit interviews can also harnessed in the appraisal with your line manager to put forward a sound case for proper resource or some form of remuneration/recognition for yourself.
Be factual and unemotional, I wish you success with your case.
Diane - October 14, 2006 2:06 PM
i have handed in my notice but my boss insists i do my appraisal before i leave in a days time. what is the point of this? do i have to do one?
s w - October 18, 2006 2:05 PM
I had an appraisal as part of pay review, regular HR tasks etc. I prepared, highlighted the reasons I was unhappy in this new role, why my job was no longer the one I liked, why I deserve better pay for taking up the slack of two recently redundant staff, where I wanted to compromise with what I had before this role and what I have now.
The outcome was to be dismissed out of hand, passed over, ignored and some of those obstacles that annoyed me were met with a "Good. I am glad that is the case."
I guess the morale is that no matter your preparation you still can't always get what you want. So perhaps some back up plans, and I guess that no matter how good you are, some bosses simply don't see it.
My back up plan included logging into this website and preparing a CV for the christmas payrise release when it will probably show what my boss thinks of all my recent efforts.
a m - October 18, 2006 4:42 PM
Unfortunately this is standard practice these days. Through a process of natural wastage, head-counts are reduced, workload is increased and employers are always looking to maximise Director bonuses or shareholder dividends at the expense of the guys at the front line.
Personally I'd look to move-on as this kind of behaviour is unacceptable
wayne - October 30, 2006 5:26 PM