'Tis the Season to Ace Your Performance Review

If there's ever been a year to ace the annual performance review, 2008 may be it.

Employers commonly trim their ranks when the economy turns sour, and low-rated workers are typically the first to go, say career experts. What's more, poor performers often receive low merit increases or none at all. To enhance your job security and boost your odds of financial success, start preparing now for your end-of-year review, advises Jill Smart, chief human resources officer at Accenture Ltd., a global professional-services firm. 'By the time you walk into that meeting, there should be no surprises,' she says.

Know what's expected. A month or two before the meeting, review the goals that were set for you in your last performance evaluation. Or, if you're new to your job, ask your supervisor what you'll be measured on, including any unspoken ways of contributing, suggests David B. Peterson, senior vice president at Personnel Decisions International Corp., a leadership-development consulting firm. 'Your particular boss might value things like timeliness and [neatness], which can shade the color of the evaluation,' he says.

Do a self-assessment. Take an objective look at your performance to determine whether you're on track to meet your goals, Ms. Smart says. Get feedback from your colleagues and direct reports as to how you're doing. Should you detect a problem, talk to your boss now about how you might resolve it or if perhaps your goals need to be adjusted because your job has evolved during the year.

Document your successes. Craft a summary of your accomplishments from throughout the year to help refresh your boss's memory. Be sure to include dates and figures that highlight how you helped improve your employer's bottom line. Highlight any work you did on top of your normal responsibilities -- if you stayed late to resolve a crisis or spearheaded a corporate volunteer program, point that out.

Find out how to excel. You should be vigilant all year about asking your boss how you can go above and beyond what's expected. You'll likely need to exceed those expectations to receive the highest possible pay increase and potentially set yourself up for promotion, says Tom McMullen, U.S. rewards practice leader at Hay Group Inc., a human-resources consulting firm. Set up a casual meeting and ask your boss how you can be of greater value to your employer. If your company has had layoffs or cutbacks, ask what you can do to fill the gaps.

Prepare a career wish list. 'Many people think of the performance review just as a backward reflection,' says Dr. Peterson. 'But it's an ideal opportunity to look forward as well.' Think about what you'd like to achieve in advance so you can share this with your boss and get his or her input on how you can be successful. Also, evaluate your job satisfaction, adds Ms. Smart. Would you prefer to do different tasks? Crave greater work-life balance? By considering what might make you happier ahead of time, you can arm yourself with suggestions for the boss to help you meet those goals.

如果说有哪一年需要在年度业绩考评上拿到最好成绩，2008年或许正是时候。



Getty Images/Rubberball人力资源专家说，雇主们在经济形势不佳的时候通常会进行裁员，且往往先从低级别的员工下手。而且，表现不好的员工加薪幅度也很小，甚至根本没有加薪。全球咨询服务公司埃森哲(Accenture Ltd.)人力资源总监斯马特(Jill Smart)建议说，为确保你的工作安全无忧、增加你经济上成功的机会，现在就开始为年底的业绩考评作准备吧。她说，这样，进行年终考评的时候，就应该不会感到意外了。

掌握老板对你的期待。在考评前一两个月，检查一下在你上一次的考评表上列出的各项目标。领导力培训咨询公司Personnel Decisions International Corp.高级副总裁彼得森(David B. Peterson)说，如果你是新员工，问问你的上司衡量你的标准是哪些，包括那些口头没说的表现方式。他说，你的顶头上司可能看重守时、整 之类的事情，这可能会多多少少地影响到考评。

做个自我评估。斯马特说，可以对自己的表现做个客观自评，判断一下你是否有希望实现目标。根据同事的反馈和你得到的直接评价来判断你完成得怎样。如果发现问题，立刻跟老板商议你可以如何解决，或者是随着一年当中工作的进展，你的目标是否应该做调整。

列出成功的地方。对自己全年的成就来个总结，帮助老板更新记忆。记得在总结中注上日期和显示你如何如果帮助公司改善盈利的相关数字。要突出列明你在日常职责之外还做了哪些工作，比如为解决紧急情况加班到很晚，或是带头参加公司的某个自愿参与计划等等，这些都要说明。

找到超出预期表现的途径。整个年度当中你都应向老板询问怎样才能在预期表现之外做得更多。人力资源咨询公司Hay Group美国奖励部门负责人麦克穆伦(Tom McMullen)说，你可能需要表现超出预期才能获得最高的加薪幅度并获得升职。与你的老板定个时间讨论一下你如何能对公司做出更大的贡献。如果公司之前曾有过裁员或精简，问问你可以做些什么来填补空缺。

准备一份职业愿望清单。彼得森说，许多人认为业绩考评只是一份事后的评价，但其实这也是一个规划未来的理想机会。事先考虑一下你希望能达到的目标，这样你可以和老板共同探讨你的想法，以便在如何成功实现目标方面得到老板的建议。另外斯马特还说，评估一下你对工作的满意度。你是否更愿意接受其他任务？你希望更好地保持工作与生活的平衡吗？事先想想什么能让你更快乐，这样你就可以提前准备好建议，以便让老板帮助你实现这些目标。
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