TM - May 2008 - (Page 51) EVALUATIONS continued from page 25 “Listen to what you’re calling it — an evaluation,” Anthony said. “It’s almost like you’re looking for something wrong, [when] it really [should be about] how we’re helping you develop your career. [For] so many years you would go through this painful process, but I’m not sure anything happened as a result of it. That’s behind us now. We’ve made a turn to where people understand [an employee review] is about their own personal growth, and the goal is to help them get to where they want to go.” Because of the negative connotation associated with the term “evaluation,” O’Sullivan Creel calls its process performance management, and its success relies heavily on presentation. “If you really are evaluating and only sharing with that person the things that they have done wrong, no one is going to come out feeling good,” Anthony said. “I am a ‘carefrontation’ person. If you care about somebody, [then] you need to confront the issues. It’s all about how you talk with that person and how you help them. Instead of being a critic, you look at what have they done well, then, at the same time, what could [they] have done better?” The Employee Perspective Sunny Ricks, the director of marketing at O’Sullivan Creel, said receiving feedback from her employer ranks a 10 in importance, and part of that is the employee evaluation. Before joining the company, Ricks was at the opposite end of the spectrum, where there were no evaluations, and she said it spurred her to change jobs. “Not having evaluations was actually a big part of my frustration with the company and with the job because it was hard to see where you were going and how you were doing,” she said. “I was growing from experience at the job, but I didn’t feel like I was growing as far as taking some of my skills [to the next level].” Ricks said she didn’t realize she needed manager support and guidance until she joined O’Sullivan Creel. “An evaluation’s only as good as what it can make you better at,” she said. “A good [evaluation] is a two-way street. It opens the conversation to look at strengths and weaknesses — then the next steps and where you want to go in the future. I know when I’m doing well [here], and I know when there are some things that I need to work on.” The 20-Somethings A meaningful employee evaluation program is even more important for the Millennials, who look for constant feedback on where they stand, how they’re doing and how they can improve. “These kids have been coddled since they came out of their cradle, and they’ve had special tutors for everything you can possibly imagine — from sports to language,” said D.A. Hayden, partner at Hayden-Wilder, a firm that provides counsel to first-time job applicants. “Now they’re getting into their first job, and there’s no one there to coddle them. It’s like jumping off a bridge and not knowing what’s at the bottom.” But that doesn’t mean managers should go overboard. There’s a happy medium to providing Millennials with the support they need. A structured program may work best because then young employees know when they will be evaluated and what is expected. Further, Hayden said annual reviews are not best for this particular generation of workers because they crave on-the-spot feedback like the “atta boys” they’ve gotten all their lives. If they don’t get instant feedback, they may wonder whether they’re being appreciated. Millennials crave on-the-spot feedback like the “atta boys” they’ve gotten all their lives. If they don’t get it, they may wonder whether they’re being appreciated. “With these young people, there’s nothing wrong with doing quarterly evaluations because that way you can establish benchmarks that you want them to hit,” she said. “[Then] they have that list of things they can check off: I’ve done this, I’ve achieved this, I’m here now [and] I see where I’m going.” The Consequences of a No-Evaluation Policy It seems like all companies should perform employee evaluations, but they don’t. The reason: Today’s business world is moving faster, and the pressures to excel are higher than ever before. Often, Durkin said managers simply forget they need to treat people with dignity, integrity and appreciation. “It’s that they are under so much pressure and intensity. [But] every single day, you have to take a step back and think, ‘What did I do today to help my employees feel good about themselves and feel good about what they’re doing?’” If companies don’t connect on this level, they will likely lose their talent because, without an effective evaluation system in place, talent managers send an unspoken message that employees don’t matter. “It sounds trite to say, but our people really are our greatest asset,” Anthony said. “If you are not meeting with them, coaching them and talking to them about their career, you’re telling them they’re not important. If you are not onboard with something like this, especially with the younger generation, you’re going to really struggle.” May 2008 talent management magazine www.TalentMgt.com 51 http://www.TalentMgt.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of TM - May 2008 Talent Management - May 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Human Performance Leading Edge Learning Connections Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take The Four Pillars of Managing Performance Transform Talent With Deeper Skill Specialization Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning Graybar: Supporting a Long-Term View of Talent Management American Diabetes Association: On a Mission to Improve Employee Health Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? American Systems Employees Earn a Piece of the Pie Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources Full Potential TM - May 2008 TM - May 2008 - (Page Intro) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page Cover1) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page Cover2) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page 1) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page 2) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page 3) TM - May 2008 - Editor's Letter (Page 4) TM - May 2008 - Editor's Letter (Page 5) TM - May 2008 - Contents (Page 6) TM - May 2008 - Contents (Page 7) TM - May 2008 - Contents (Page 8) TM - May 2008 - Contents (Page 9) TM - May 2008 - Human Performance (Page 10) TM - May 2008 - Human Performance (Page 11) TM - May 2008 - Leading Edge (Page 12) TM - May 2008 - Leading Edge (Page 13) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 14) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 15) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 16) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 17) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 18) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 19) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 20) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 21) TM - May 2008 - Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations (Page 22) TM - May 2008 - Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations (Page 23) TM - May 2008 - Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations (Page 24) TM - May 2008 - Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations (Page 25) TM - May 2008 - Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take (Page 26) TM - May 2008 - Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take (Page 27) TM - May 2008 - Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take (Page 28) TM - May 2008 - Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take (Page 29) TM - May 2008 - The Four Pillars of Managing Performance (Page 30) TM - May 2008 - The Four Pillars of Managing Performance (Page 31) TM - May 2008 - The Four Pillars of Managing Performance (Page 32) TM - May 2008 - The Four Pillars of Managing Performance (Page 33) TM - May 2008 - Transform Talent With Deeper Skill Specialization (Page 34) TM - May 2008 - Transform Talent With Deeper Skill Specialization (Page 35) TM - May 2008 - Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning (Page 36) TM - May 2008 - Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning (Page 37) TM - May 2008 - Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning (Page 38) TM - May 2008 - Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning (Page 39) TM - May 2008 - Graybar: Supporting a Long-Term View of Talent Management (Page 40) TM - May 2008 - Graybar: Supporting a Long-Term View of Talent Management (Page 41) TM - May 2008 - American Diabetes Association: On a Mission to Improve Employee Health (Page 42) TM - May 2008 - American Diabetes Association: On a Mission to Improve Employee Health (Page 43) TM - May 2008 - Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? (Page 44) TM - May 2008 - Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? (Page 45) TM - May 2008 - Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? (Page 46) TM - May 2008 - Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? (Page 47) TM - May 2008 - American Systems Employees Earn a Piece of the Pie (Page 48) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page 49) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page 50) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page 51) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page 52) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page Cover3) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page Cover4)
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