Preparing for a performance review can feel daunting, especially when you’re a busy professional who’d rather focus on doing your work than writing about your own accomplishments.
Yet winging it isn’t a viable option.
Performance reviews are pivotal moments in your career. They don’t just open the door to a raise or promotion but also protect you from layoffs in today’s unstable job market.
Continue reading to discover practical tips that will help you effectively prepare for your annual performance review.
7 Tips For Preparing For Your Annual Performance Review
Preparing for your performance review takes time and intention. Here are 7 steps to make the process more effective and less stressful:
1. Understand your company’s review process.
It may sound obvious, but you must understand how your organization conducts performance reviews. Every company has its own criteria for evaluations, bonuses, and promotions, and missing those nuances can be incredibly costly.
This is especially true in tech, as promotions are often based on clearly defined levels, expectations, and calibration processes.
For example, what areas are prioritized, and what might be less important? How does informal feedback fit into the process?
You also want to understand calibration meetings (where managers discuss relative performance across teams), as this will help you position your achievements effectively.
Once you know how the system works, you can tailor your self-review to include the most relevant information and avoid wasting time on unnecessary documentation.
2. Revisit your praise from throughout the year.
Take time to gather the positive feedback you’ve received since your last review.
Did an executive leader, key stakeholder, or important client publicly praise your work? Compile those emails and Slack messages when they happen, so that you can easily reference them at review time.
This is your opportunity to memorialize meaningful feedback in your employee file and build a compelling case for promotion.
Expert tip: Keep a running “fabulousness folder” in your email to make this step easier when your next review cycle rolls around.
And don’t overlook informal verbal praise or shout-outs you’ve received during meetings. You can jot those down with dates and context and include them in your review.
3. Document your accomplishments.
While kind words matter, don’t forget to quantify your impact. Be sure to go beyond your job description and highlight the results you delivered.
You can use these prompts to help guide your reflection:
- How did you make your boss and your boss’s boss look good?
- Where did you go above and beyond?
- What distinguishes you from others at your level (and the level above you)?
- Why would the CEO or shareholders care about your contributions?
- If your organization were conducting a reduction in force (RIF), what would be your argument for keeping your role?
These questions will help you shift your focus from simply listing your responsibilities to articulating your accomplishments and your impact on the business.
I often encourage my clients to use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to frame accomplishments clearly, breaking down the story and painting the full picture.
Whenever possible, attach numbers like revenue growth, cost savings, or customer satisfaction scores to your achievements. If you don’t have numbers, work with what you’ve got.
4. Align with your team and company goals.
Performance reviews aren’t just about what you accomplished; they’re also about how your work contributed to the success of your team and the company.
Take time to connect the dots between your projects and the larger goals of your department or the organization.
Where possible, try to speak your company’s language, referencing key business priorities and strategies.
Explicitly link your work to those objectives. For example, “Led project X, which directly supported our Q2 goal of expanding into new markets.” This shows you’re thinking strategically, not just checking off tasks.
5. Share your goals.
When you write your own performance review, don’t focus solely on the past. Strong performance reviews also articulate your growth goals within the company.
If you want to increase your scope, switch departments, or land a promotion, consider mentioning it in your review.
This helps ensure your manager is aligned and can advocate for professional development funds to support your goals.
Be specific about your goals. Clarify how they align with your team’s and company’s needs and how they’ll add value.
6. Reflect on lessons learned.
Depending on your company’s review structure, you may also want to document lessons learned.
This doesn’t necessarily mean highlighting a failure; instead, you can frame a time when you underperformed as a growth story.
You might mention a piece of feedback you acted on or a stretch project that pushed you outside your comfort zone. Document what you learned and how it helped you grow as a leader.
For example, “After receiving feedback on communication style, I enrolled in an improv course, resulting in more engaging presentations and better team meetings.”
If you received formal feedback, such as from a 360, you can articulate how you responded and the action you took as a result.
[Read: 6 Surprising Benefits Of Executive 360s That Drive ROI]
7. Get a second opinion.
Before hitting “submit” on your review, be sure to have someone you trust review your draft.
It’s natural and polite to undersell your achievements, but your performance review is the time to proudly claim them.
Ask a mentor, sponsor, or executive coach to scrutinize your review and share any additional talents, strengths, and wins you may have overlooked, so your review tells the full story.
You want to ensure you choose someone who knows your work well but will also challenge you to be honest and objective.
How Do You Write About Yourself In A Performance Review?
Writing about yourself in a performance review can feel intimidating, but you can make it easier by focusing on your accomplishments rather than your responsibilities. Highlight your impact on the team, department, and company.
Whenever possible, include metrics to quantify your results, weave in the company’s language, and connect your contributions to the broader team and organizational goals.
How Do I Sell Myself In A Performance Review?
Don’t hold back, as your performance review is your time to shine. Since accomplishments don’t speak for themselves, you have to give them a voice.
Try writing your review as if you were writing it for a friend or loved one. This can help you be more objective and confident, and focus on how you’d pump them up.
Also, don’t reinvent the wheel. Look back at the kind words and positive feedback you received throughout the year. Use them as a starting point from which to showcase your fabulousness.
What Are Good Goals For A Performance Review?
Include goals in your performance review that align with both your personal ambitions and the company’s priorities. This might look like taking on a new project outside your comfort zone, pursuing a certification to deepen your technical knowledge, or working with an executive coach to level up your communication skills.
Consider using the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to craft your goals. Since your goals will be memorialized in your review, you want them to be ambitious yet attainable.
Final Thoughts For A Successful Performance Review
Few professionals enjoy writing their performance review. However, taking time to understand your company’s review process, document your successes, and clearly articulate your accomplishments and goals can be the difference between landing a promotion and being overlooked.
If you’d like to get a professional second set of eyes on your review before you submit it, please feel free to reach out or schedule a consultation. I’m here for you! You’ve got this!
