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Let's be honest, performance evaluations are one of those things most of us have either dreaded giving, getting, or both. But here's the thing: when done right, they're actually powerful tools for setting expectations, building trust, and helping employees grow. The problem is, it's pretty easy to fall into habits that make the whole process less effective (or even counterproductive).
Working in Nevada's local public sector, these reviews matter even more. Whether your employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) or not, evaluation missteps can create real headaches. For non-union employees, poorly done reviews can hurt morale, damage trust, and even create legal issues. For unionized employees, evaluation mistakes might lead to grievances or arbitration and nobody wants that.
So, let's dive into the most common mistakes we see and how you can avoid them.
Six Common Mistakes That Can Derail Your Reviews
1. Withholding Feedback Until Annual Reviews
What Goes Wrong: Nobody likes surprises in their performance review, but that's exactly what happens when you save all your feedback for the annual discussion. This approach can lead to disengaged employees, higher turnover, and broken trust. Plus, if you have unionized employees, they may have the right to respond to evaluations. Springing concerns on them during the evaluation meeting isn't fair or effective.
What Works Better: Make feedback a regular practice with regular check-ins that you document while addressing performance or behavior issues as soon as practicable after they happen. This way, your annual review becomes a helpful summary rather than a shock to the system. Your employees will appreciate the ongoing dialogue, and you'll both be on the same page.
2. Using Vague, Non-Behavioral Language
What Goes Wrong: Comments like "does a great job" or "needs improvement" might seem harmless, but they're actually pretty useless. They don't tell the employee what specifically they're doing well or what needs to change. Worse yet, vague language can look subjective if someone challenges the review later, and some CBAs may require you to back up ratings with specific examples.
What Works Better: Get specific about what you observed. Instead of saying "Joe is responsive to citizens," try "Joe consistently resolves public inquiries within our 48-hour standard and maintains a 95% customer satisfaction rating." Now that's feedback someone can actually use!
3. Rating Everyone Uniformly
What Goes Wrong: We get it. Giving someone a lower rating feels uncomfortable. But when everyone gets the same high marks just to avoid tough conversations, you're actually creating bigger problems. Your performance system loses credibility, you might end up with unfair pay situations, and it becomes really hard to justify disciplinary action later if needed.
What Works Better: Use the full range of your rating scale and base your ratings on real, documented evidence. Different performance levels deserve different ratings. That's not mean, that's fair and accurate.
4. Succumbing to Recency Bias
What Goes Wrong: It's human nature to remember recent events more clearly but letting that one big success (or failure) from last month overshadow the whole year isn't a true representation of the entire rating period. Employees can tell when a review feels lopsided, and they might think you're playing favorites or being political. It’s also important to note that CBAs often give employees the right to challenge ratings that don't reflect their full performance period.
What Works Better: Keep notes throughout the year. Both what went well and areas for improvement. A simple log of notable events will help you give a balanced view of the entire review period.
Pro tip: Self-evaluations are gold for this. Employees often remember accomplishments you might have missed or forgotten about.
5. Overlooking Soft Skills and Competencies
What Goes Wrong: Sure, getting the job done matters, but how someone does their job matters too. If you only focus on the technical stuff while ignoring things like communication, teamwork, and customer service, you're missing a big piece of the puzzle. These "soft skills" can make or break public perception and team dynamics.
What Works Better: Look at both the "what" and the "how" of performance. Include things like:
- How they communicate with the public and coworkers
- Whether they're a team player
- If they're reliable and take ownership
- How they handle change and solve problems
- Their commitment to public service
- How they handle feedback
Pro tip: Use POOL/PACT HR’s sample performance evaluation; it is competency-based ensuring soft skills are encompassed in the annual review.
6. Failing to Establish Forward-Looking Goals
What Goes Wrong: If your evaluation only looks backward at what already happened, you're missing a huge opportunity. Goals give people something to work toward and help create accountability. Some CBAs even require that you set goals collaboratively with employees or give them advance notice of what you expect.
What Works Better: Set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-based) for the next review period and check in on them regularly throughout the year.
Pro tip: Think beyond just this year too. What are their long-term goals? Where do they want their career to go? Help them connect the dots between what they're doing now and their bigger aspirations or show them how they can build on their current role to get there.
A Few More Tips to Make Reviews Actually Useful
Don't Wing It – Prepare and Personalize
Nobody wants to read a copy-and-paste review that could apply to anyone. Take the time to:
- Write specific examples that are unique to each employee
- Review their job description and previous evaluations
- Include their self-evaluation if you have one
- Give yourself enough time to do it right (no last-minute rush jobs!)
Keep Good Records
Your documentation should be:
- Based on what you actually observed, not assumptions
- Tied to specific examples and dates
- Consistent with your performance standards
- Professional enough to stand up to scrutiny
The Bottom Line
Performance reviews don't have to be painful for anyone involved. When you avoid these common pitfalls, reviews become what they're supposed to be: valuable conversations about growth, recognition, and future success.
Getting this right means you'll have:
- Happier, more engaged employees
- Fewer workplace disputes and grievances
- Better employee retention
- A stronger team overall
Remember, these aren't just administrative boxes to check. They're your chance to really connect with your employees, acknowledge their contributions, and help them succeed. And when staff succeed, the whole organization benefits.
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