Northwest Staffing Blog

Most employees dread them. But did you know that most managers dread them, too? That’s right. Annual job performance reviews are an unwelcome activity for all involved. However, there are steps you can take to prepare for your review and help ensure it is as painless as possible.

Step 1: Create a list of achievements.

Write down all the achievements you’d like to discuss during your job performance review. You may have to spend a little time thinking about them if you haven’t kept track of your achievements.

Once you have your list going, consider how your employer benefited from all you accomplished in the past year. For instance, did you increase sales, reduce costs, grow the company’s client base, or help to hold onto an important customer?

Be sure to keep your list concise, though. Don’t just detail the tasks you’ve performed everyday.

Step 2: Take a look at last year’s review.

Chances are, you created a list of short- and long-term goals you wanted to achieve. Ideally, you will have achieved or be working on achieving these goals. If not, though, then what are the reasons? For instance, did your boss assign you a new project or task that took up more time than you anticipated? If so, then be sure to present your case so that your boss doesn’t think you just blew off one or more of your goals for the year.

Step 3: Be prepared if you’re asking for a raise.

When the conversation turns to money, know how much of a raise you will ask for and how much you will settle for. Expect to negotiate and eventually reach a compromise.

To ensure you’re prepared, do a little research ahead of time. Find out what the going salary is for people in similar positions as yours. If you don’t receive the raise you want, find out what you need to do to get it.

What should you do if your review doesn’t go well?

If you feel you received unfair criticism, wait a few days to respond to it. Emotions can get in the way if you react immediately. Then ask yourself this question: Was the criticism really off the mark, or were you just upset about being criticized? If you feel like you were being unfairly criticized, then back up your argument with specific examples. However, if you just don’t like being criticized, then now’s the time to start preparing for next year’s review. Develop a plan for applying your boss’ suggestions and start a file to keep track of your achievements.

Bonus Tip!
If part of the reason your job review didn’t go well is because you’re unhappy at work, then now may be the time for a change. Contact Northwest Staffing. We are the Northwest’s leading employment agency serving Everett, Seattle, and Snohomish County.

From drama queens to pragmatists, there are a whole host of different personalities at work. So how can you effectively manage each to create the most productive team possible? Here’s some information you may want to consider.

The Two Categories of Personalities – Introvert & Extrovert
Generally speaking, most people fall into either one of two personality categories – introvert or extrovert.

An introvert is someone who gets their energy from themselves, rather than from other people. Introverts tend to be a little quieter and more reserved. People that fall into this category are usually more drained by social situations, even if they have good social skills, and need time alone afterwards to re-energize. Introverts are typically detail-oriented and perfectionists. They excel at handling one task at a time, on their own terms, rather than as part of a larger group.

In contrast, an extrovert is energized by social situations. They get bored fast when they’re alone. If given a choice, an extrovert would much rather be surrounded by people. Extroverts tend to be at their best when interacting with others. They are typically assertive and risk takers; oftentimes, they show visible leadership capabilities.

Managing Introverts & Extroverts

While these two personality types seem like polar opposites, they actually complement each other quite nicely – if you manage them properly.

For instance, both personalities react differently to various work situations, such as meetings. An extrovert is typically energized by a meeting, seeing it as a forum for open discussion. An introvert, on the other hand, can become stressed and drained by meetings.

As a manager, you need to meet the needs of both types of personalities. Before a meeting, make sure to hand out a meeting agenda so that the introvert has time to prepare and is more comfortable coming to the table. Extroverts will also feel more energized by the contributions offered by the introverts – and the meeting will be more productive.

Here are some additional tips for managing introverts and extroverts:

• Since extroverts do well in social situations, be sure to put them in a role at your company that includes a lot of interaction.

• Extroverts tend to display a lot of confidence. But, since they’re not the most detail-oriented group of people, they’re not always right.

• Introverts, on the other hand, tend to be perfectionists. As a result, they will take more time to complete projects. Encourage them to not think about every single detail before moving forward with a task.

• Introverts like to perform tasks on their own. So hand off projects to them for which they can take full responsibility.

To be a successful manager, you must take different personalities into account. If you do so, and nurture the strengths of each, you’ll ultimately be able to build a stronger team and improve productivity.