- Set the rules.
- Share the tools.
- Encourage debate.
- Act.
Before the talent review
1. Set the rules
Before engaging in the talent review itself, communicate to everyone participating what the purpose of the upcoming conversation is. This is simple. The purpose of the talent review is to calibrate the way all management and leaders assess employee performance and potential. This helps your company avoid subjectivity and bias in performance reviews. And that ultimately creates a fair workplace for everyone, where the best people are positioned to give your business a competitive edge. Next, let your managers know what to expect in the review conversation. What will the time look and feel like? What are the desired outcomes? Which guidelines is each manager expected to follow to ensure a fair, equitable process for all? Remind managers that it’s important to:- Involve multiple voices in each evaluation. No employee should be evaluated by only one person.
- Use data. Rely on goal tracking software and previous performance reviews in order offer less-biased evaluations.
- Be specific. Avoid generalizations by providing specific examples of behaviors that back up their feedback.
2. Share the tools
Great review conversations happen when everyone comes to the table with their homework done. So first, distribute your leadership team’s 9-box to them so that there’s ample time to reflect and form their thoughts before hearing from colleagues. We recommend getting 9-box templates out at least a full week ahead of time. Make sure to give everyone a detailed explanation on how to complete their 9-box in order to promote consistency.Additionally, it’s important to define key terms on the 9-box before managers begin. For example, what does “strong performance” mean in your organization? Here’s where you draw from your company’s mission statement, vision, and values to target specific behaviors and qualities. Standardizing terms is critical for fairness. Finally, require concrete examples of performance and potential. Structure your template to prompt long form answers in support of ratings. No one-word descriptions! These examples will play a significant part of the upcoming talent review conversation.
During the talent review
3. Encourage debate
Who participates in the talent review? Generally, managers evaluate those who report directly to them, ensuring they’ve had ample opportunity to personally experience the attitudes and behaviors of the person they’re evaluating. However, it’s important to seek input from multiple voices for accuracy, objectivity, and fairness. No one should be reviewed by only one person! Are there other managers who have worked with the employee in the recent past, or who have had opportunities to experience their work product? Invite them to participate. Senior executives, who may not have direct contact with all employees, can still help guide conversations about the future of the company or department. Finally, the talent review conversation should include a facilitator — perhaps someone from HR — who will be present at talent reviews across the company. Their presence can go a long way toward standardizing the reviews (and therefore, increasing fairness). Consider investing in training for several HR personnel to learn to lead talent reviews well.What happens during the review itself? The topics addressed in the meeting will all stem from — you guessed it — each manager’s completed 9-box. Each manager should offer their own findings about where they placed each of their team members — and most importantly, why they placed them there — providing plenty of supporting examples for their decisions. Then, other members of the review team contribute by asking questions and offering feedback. When necessary, an HR leader may present relevant data to help make evidence-based decisions. Example facilitator questions: In a successful talent review, the facilitator then asks the group challenging questions, such as:
- Who’s exceeding expectations and seems ready to climb?
- Who is critically important to keep?
- Who’s holding up progress?
- Where do we have talent gaps?
- What are our succession plans?
- Where do we see the company heading?
- Which roles are most critical for the company in the future?
- Which employees are likely to be most strategically important?