Are You Ready for Your First Evaluation?

It may seem that you're evaluated regularly since you do your job every day and it's usually obvious whether or not you accomplished your assignment and how well you did it. Nevertheless, you will probably receive a yearly evaluation from your supervisor that will go in your personnel file. Here's how you can get yourself ready for that critical event in your professional career.

In anticipation of your evaluation, follow these guidelines:

• Check out your personnel file to see if there are any unexpected notes or memos about your performance. If there are, talk to your supervisor about them. Take your association rep with you to that meeting.

• Make sure you know who your evaluator is and what he/she will be looking for in an evaluation. Talk to your coworkers who have been evaluated by this person.

• Become familiar with the form(s) used in the evaluation.

• Check your contract so that you know what rights you have regarding your evaluation.

• Know when your evaluation will take place.

You will probably be called in for a post-evaluation conference to discuss your evaluation. Here are some tips on how you should conduct yourself during that conference.

• Be prepared to take notes.

• Ask for and expect positive comments.

• Listen attentively.

• Ask questions when you don't understand a point the evaluator has made.

• If the evaluator makes negative comments, make a note of them and try to refocus the discussion, giving your side of the story.

• When you have an opinion, state your case clearly. Provide evidence to support your behavior.

• Stay cool and try not to get emotional.

• If you feel that the conference is leading toward disciplinary action, stop the meeting and request that your association rep be present. Reschedule the meeting for a specific date and time.

• Check to be sure that your evaluation doesn't include statements from second-hand sources. Your evaluation should be based on the evaluator's observations.

• If your evaluator brings up complaints from other sources, find out who made the complaint, when it was made and whether or not it was brought to your attention.

• If the evaluator notes problems, make sure you clearly understand what needs to be done to improve.

• If you are asked to sign the evaluation, remember that your signature only indicates that you have seen the report. It doesn't mean that you necessarily agree with what's in the report. You can write a rebuttal to any negative comments.

• If your evaluation conference hasn't gone well, contact your association rep and/or UniServ director. It's time to include him/her (if you already haven't) in the evaluation process.

• If you are writing a rebuttal to the comments in your evaluation, contact your association rep and/or UniServ director to help you draft it. This written statement will be attached to your evaluation and put in your personnel file.

• Talk to your association rep if you feel there might be grounds for a grievance.

Labor law says that if you do not receive a yearly evaluation, then your performance is assumed to be satisfactory. Sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes it's not. While you won't have to experience a post-evaluation conference, you also won't have anything in your personnel file that shows how good your performance is. Get the advice of your association rep and/or UniServ director about yearly evaluations.

Updated: February 18, 2009 6:51 PM