Self Evaluations and Self Assessment For Your Appraisal

Have you been wondering what is meant by Employee Self Evaluations? Today, many companies nowadays require their employees to complete self-evaluations for use during the course of the annual performance appraisal process.

Generally, this appraisal is a way for you and your manager to pull together relevant data on your work performance for the year and establish any required improvement actions and goals for the coming year.

If you're honest with yourself, its also a very good way for you take stock of your skills and abilities and to see how you measure up to the best in the market place.

This is a great way of evaluating what you have to offer if you were in a jobs competition so that you keep up to date and can withstand a layoff better than others.

As many of you actually dread the appraisal process let me show you how approaching your appraisal with a constructive attitude is vital to an effective and rewarding result for you. Not just in the actual appraisal interview, but overall in your career; it should be an ongoing part of your personal development.

Try to think of self evaluations as a chance for you to rate your skills and put forward a strong case upon which a salary increase or promotion may depend. It's not always easy to compliment yourself on the work you do, but, it can be a very important time to make sure your boss knows what you've done and how aware you are of your own strengths AND weaknesses.

Please make sure you know what your boss is expecting from you and what specific topics your boss needs you to cover.

Self appraisals or self evaluations are where you, get to give opinions - preferably backed up by accomplishments - about your performance. You need to critically analyse your performance, strengths and weaknesses, accomplishments, problems you have encountered and any training needs you feel you may have.

What To Include In Your Self Evaluations

In order to gather the right information for your self evaluations of your on-the-job performance, I recommend that you include statements about these key areas:

• Your current job responsibilities (use your job description as a reference point);

• Your achievements;

• Your goals for the coming year;

• Areas in which you may improve;

• Training requirements you need for your present job;

• Additional responsibilities you are ready to add to your remit;

• Any problems you have encountered and solutions you have come up with;

• Continuing professional development (CPD);

• Areas of the job you like or dislike.

On this last point about areas of the job you dislike, you should be ready to explain what it is you dislike about your job activities and have some constructive ideas about improving or managing the parts you dislike more effectively.

Don't expect to be allowed to ditch the parts you don't like, but by discussing them openly you may find that your abilities are better recognised and that changes may be brought in that will suit you better.

I also recommend that you add something about the way you are managed. Does the management style get the best from you? Be circumspect in the way you phrase this part so you keep the boss on board and wanting to support you.

Typical Competency Frameworks

What you are trying to achieve is to write something that gives an honest reflection of the work you do for the organisation, how well you have met your objectives and demonstrate your competencies and growth in areas such as leadership, new technology, foreign languages and so on.

Most competency frameworks, which these self evaluations are based on, will include a range of competencies such as:

• Communication Skills

• Interpersonal Skills

• Results Focus

• Working in Teams

• Customer Service

• Adaptability/Flexibility

• Initiative

• Decision Making

• Leadership

• Managing Self

It is a positively good idea to quote actual examples and situations to support your self assessment of performance - the STAR routine of situation, task, action and result, typically used in competence based interviews, is a good basis for you statements.

It is not a good idea to leave your self appraisal until the very last moment. Instead, prepare it a few days before your annual appraisal, leave it for a day or two and then re-read it. Hopefully, these general tips for writing your self evaluations will help you showcase your strengths and help you get promoted or receive the salary increase you deserve.

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