Archives for "Self-appraisal & 360-degree Peer Reviews"

Do you often feel that you have to take on every job offered to you? If so then this could be something that you need to work on. Expect employers to try and give you more work than any one person could handle. Sometimes they just are not thinking about what you are already doing. They are only human and forget what projects you have already taken on.

If you stop and think about it, it is hard enough for you to keep track of what you have taken on. Try remembering everything else that your family is supposed to be doing as well. Employers are the same way, they remember what they need to get done, but cannot remember what every person working under them is doing.  If you feel the need to take on everything they ask of you, you may end up not being able to do all of it. If you do get it all done you are so stressed out that you are not working at your best level. If you are rushing to get work done because you took on too many projects, you are probably not giving any of them the time they need to be done in a high quality manner.

Your employer is going to see low quality as a failing on your part. Most employers would much rather have a few high quality jobs done than a lot of low quality ones. The next time you are approached about taking on another project, stop and think about what you already have to get done. If you are already overloaded tell your employer that. If necessary list off the projects you are already working on. Remember employers can forget just like other people.

It can be hard to tell your employer no and some may react badly. However, they will also react badly if you take on more than you can complete, or turn in low quality work. Perhaps they could also use a 360 review. This is one of the things that PlusRated can offer. This is an anonymous review by co-workers, friends, family and employer or employees.

Another mindset that can cause you problems at work would be refusing to give up on a project or ask for help with one. From time to time we all need a little help. Some projects just end up taking way to long or too many resources to try and complete them. Knowing when to let go of a project is an important job skill. Some people never learn this basic skill. They become like a bull dog, they take on a job and will not let go no matter how bad it gets.

Knowing when to ask for help can be just as important as knowing when to let go of a project. These would be two good mindsets to ask people on PlusRated to rate you on.

Self appraisal can be difficult. We see ourselves and our accomplishments in a different light than others may. What we see as a big improvement or accomplishment may not have the same value to them. There are some basic questions that you can ask yourself when you are trying to do a self appraisal.

What did I accomplish during this appraisal period?

This could be something like completing a project ahead of time, or just completing it at all. It may be that you spotted a problem with a project and notified a supervisor of it. It could be a personal goal that you set for yourself, like hitting a certain production number, or a specific quality standard in your work.

What abilities does my job require?

Try to look at your job objectively. Are there specific abilities that are required to do it? These could be physical abilities like being quick with your hands, detail oriented, or being quality conscious. They could also include things that are more personality related, like being outgoing, being calm and polite to customers, or refusing to gossip.

How well did I fulfill these abilities?

Be honest here, this is one of the harder questions to answer. Did you really perform your job to the best of your abilities? Were there days or times when you could have done a better job? It is often hard to be completely honest with ourselves; we want to think that we did our best all the time.

Did I add any value to my department or team?

This can be difficult as well, what is considered valuable? Adding value could be as simple as having perfect attendance so that your team was not shorthanded. It could be that you spotted a problem with a process or procedure and suggested a better way to do it. It could be that you complimented someone who was having a bad day and made it easier for them to get their job done. Teamwork can be a complicated balancing act.

Some of the most valuable employees are not the ones that get the most done. They are the ones that help the team as a whole to function smoothly. Whether this means lending a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on, it helps the team complete the project in less time and with better quality.

Once you have completed this list of questions and have the answers you gave written down, ask your friends and employer to answer the same questions. PlusRated is a good location to do this. Compare the answers you get back and see if others are seeing your contributions as you are. If not, then consider ways to improve your performance or abilities. All responses on PlusRated are anonymous so there is no chance of emotional issues resulting and you receive honest answers to your question. People are more likely to give their honest opinions when they are responding anonymously.

Sometimes the obstacles that hold you back from promotion have nothing at all to do with you personally. There could be issues with the training program where you work. There may not be a training program where you work. It could also be that your supervisor is so busy running the company that they do not realize that there are problems. You have to remember that supervisors are only people; they can make mistakes and forget things just like the rest of us.

Think about the answer to the following questions and see if there are obstacles that have nothing to do with you personally.

Do I need more experience or training in any aspect of my current job?

Does the company where you are employed at offer training? Have you taken advantage of all opportunities to receive more training? Do you have all the skills necessary to perform your job effectively? If you have answered no to any of these questions the problem could be explained.

Is there anything that the organization or my supervisor does that hinders my effectiveness?

Do you get passed over for new job opportunities or training? Have you spoken to your supervisor and told them that you are interested in learning new jobs? Does the company you work for offer employees the first chance at new positions? Do they offer on the job training or offer to schedule around classes that you need to take?

How could my supervisor help me do a better job?

Does your supervisor do quarterly evaluations on job performance? Has your supervisor offered to let you train for a new job opening in the company? Have they suggested skills that could help you get promoted? Have you asked them if there are skills you could learn to increase your chances of promotion?

Supervisors do not always like to be the bearer of bad news. They don’t like having to tell an employee that they are not doing as good a job as they could. This may be part of their job, but that doesn’t mean that they have to like it. Many employees look at a bad evaluation as an insult. This is one of the things that PlusRated can help with. All evaluations are anonymous, this creates less hard feelings. People often pay more attention to what is said when they don’t know who said it. It removes the personal and emotional level from the comments.

Often the evaluations are more honest than the ones you would receive when talking to someone face-to-face. Think about how you would react if one of your co-workers told you that all those jokes you keep telling are irritating. You would be mad. However, if you received that on an anonymous evaluation you might stop and wonder if they were irritating your supervisor as well. No matter how well you do your job, if you are irritating everyone who works with you, you will not be promoted.

There can be many kinds of obstacles that will hold you back during your life. Defining what they are makes it easier to try and overcome them. When it comes to your job sometimes these obstacles are easier to figure out. Sometimes the obstacles that are giving you problems are carried over from your personal life. Here are some questions that may help you to define the obstacles you are facing.

Are there things you are doing that hold you back?

Do you work well in a team? Do you have personal attitudes or traits that make it hard for others to work with you? Are you volunteering to be trained on new jobs when possible? All these things can hold you back and present obstacles to job promotions.

What knowledge, skills, or abilities are you lacking to perform your job?

Are there skills or abilities you could learn to improve your ability to do your job effectively? Does your particular job require some skills that you do not have? Is there a way that you could learn these skills, either on the job or in a classroom?

These are all things to consider when answering this question.

Does your present job make the best use of your capabilities?

Do you have specialized skills that are not being used on your current job? Have you let your supervisor know that you have these skills? Are there positions where you are employed where your skills could be used?

Should you consider finding a new job?

The longer you work for one employer the harder it is to consider looking for another job. Think about this carefully before you decide to do it. If this is something that you decide to do, find a new job before leaving your present one. Most companies will understand if there is a delay because you have to give an employer two weeks’ notice before you leave. They would expect the same if you left their employ.

These questions sound simple until you try to find honest answers to them. Sometimes the obstacles holding you back are not something that you can see. PlusRated can help with that. Ask your friends and co-workers to evaluate you and see if they have noticed things that you missed. Other people see us differently from how we see ourselves. This can be a valuable tool when you are trying to find the obstacles that are holding you back from promotions.

The obstacle holding you back could be a mannerism like the way you speak. Your employer may think that you joke around too much so they don’t take you seriously. You could be very quiet, which can make people think that you don’t like them. There are so many things that can hold us back that have nothing at all to do with the way we perform our jobs. PlusRated helps you to find these things and correct them.

Personal growth is a part of self evaluation if it is done correctly. Once you evaluate yourself and find areas that you need to improve, you are outlining the area of personal growth you want to work on. Keep in mind that it is fine to work on more than one area at a time. Answer the following 5 questions and use them to define whether you have reached the goals you set for yourself.

What have you done to prepare myself for more responsibility?

You may be wondering how you could have prepared yourself for this. One way is to volunteer. Volunteer for overtime why you can. Volunteer to train someone new to the job. Volunteer to help out on projects.

Have you attained new skills this year?

These can be personal skills or work related skills. Maybe you have learned to be a better listener. You may have learned to operate a new machine at work. You could have signed up for a course on writing, or business management.

Have you helped others gain new skills?

Have you helped to train someone new to the team? Did you help a son or daughter learn their math or English? Did you teach your teenage daughter how to waltz? It doesn’t have to be an earth shattering skill, they all add up.

What type of work do you expect to be doing five years from now?

People dread this question when it comes up during an interview. Planning is not a strong point for many people. When they are new to the work force people are more concerned with doing the job they were hired for not planning for the future. Setting yourself a long term goal is a way to measure if you are making progress. You can’t measure your progress if you don’t know where you are trying to get to. Set a realistic goal, one that you can work to achieve.

What have you done to prepare yourself for where you want to be in 5 years?

Create an outline of things that you could do or learn to reach the goal you have set. Don’t over extend yourself; make your steps something that you really can accomplish.

If you are having problems coming up with steps to reach your goal maybe PlusRated could help you. On PlusRated you can ask friend, family, co-workers and employers to offer advice and evaluate your performance. To get ideas for ways to reach your goals maybe ask them to answer a question something like, “What skills do you think I need to learn to earn a promotion?” It is easier to start out with fairly simple questions and work up to more complicated ones like, “What skills do I need to become a candidate for supervisor?”

The great thing about PlusRated is that it is all anonymous. This means that the responses you get will be honest. There may be some from people thinking they are being smart, but those are easy to spot and weed out.