Ninety percent of companies do annual reviews, according to the Society for Human Resource Management, despite the fact that at least 60 percent of workers — including managers — dislike the review process. Many organizations compound the problem by having their evaluations at the tail-end of the year, when workers are feeling their least productive and focused. Of course, if your company does things this way, it’s unlikely that you’ll talk them out of it, no matter how solid your arguments are for change. The best you can do, as a worker, is to prepare.
(Photo Credit: Death to the Stock Photo)
1. Keep track of your wins.
Ideally, you’ll have done this all year, but if you haven’t, now’s a good time to go over your work and remember your greatest successes. In Time, career coach Pamela Weinberg advises picking out three things you’ve done over the past year and writing them up to share during your evaluation.
“Having these accomplishments on paper will help you to be able to better articulate your strengths when you get a review, or bonus,” she says.
2. Remember your losses.
Don’t volunteer your weakest moments during your evaluation, but be prepared to explain how you controlled the damage from any less-than-stellar decisions or even incidents that were beyond your control, but became your problem by default. The goal here is not to make excuses, but to show how you handled the toughest parts of your job while saving the company from exposure or loss.
Think of this part of your review prep as you would gearing up for a job interview, and prepare to demonstrate your grace under pressure and ability to make quick saves.
3. Review the market.
If you’re asking for a raise or promotion, make sure you know what the market will bear in terms of salary and benefit. PayScale’s Salary Survey allows you to determine salary ranges for your job title, industry, education and skills level, and geographic location. Go into the conversation armed with information, and you’ll be more likely to walk out with the job title or salary number you want.
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