What do you do if employee progress is difficult to measure and track during evaluations?

1 Set SMART goals

One way to make employee progress more measurable and trackable is to set SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. SMART goals help you and your employees define what success looks like, how to measure it, and when to achieve it. For example, instead of saying "improve your writing skills", a SMART goal would be "write three blog posts per month with an average readability score of 70 or higher by the end of the quarter". SMART goals also help you monitor and review your employees' progress regularly and adjust them as needed.

4 Align expectations and standards

Another tip to evaluate your employees' performance is to align your expectations and standards with them. This means that you should communicate clearly and frequently what you expect from your employees, how you will measure their performance, and what criteria you will use to reward or correct them. You should also ensure that your expectations and standards are consistent, fair, and transparent across your team and organization. For example, you can use a performance appraisal form or a rubric to document your expectations and standards and share them with your employees. You can also involve your employees in setting their own goals and standards, and solicit their feedback on the evaluation process. Aligning expectations and standards can help you avoid confusion, frustration, and conflict in your evaluations.

5 Provide ongoing coaching and support

Another tip to evaluate your employees' performance is to provide them with ongoing coaching and support. This means that you should not wait until the formal evaluation period to give your employees feedback, recognition, or guidance. You should also not limit your feedback to positive or negative comments, but rather provide balanced and constructive feedback that highlights both the areas of improvement and the areas of excellence. You should also encourage your employees to seek feedback from you and others, and to share their challenges and successes with you. You should also offer your employees opportunities to learn, grow, and develop their skills and competencies. Providing ongoing coaching and support can help you build trust and rapport with your employees, and motivate them to perform better.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?