Ah, the dreaded annual appraisals. Does anyone enjoy hearing about their strengths and weaknesses? Thinking about what they would like their journey in the next year to look like?
Appraisals can sometimes feel like a box-ticking exercise, used by executives to ensure everything is progressing as it should within teams. When used correctly, appraisals should instead be a great way for managers to uncover strengths and weaknesses in their teams. Don’t think of it as a way to scrutinize every action taken in the past; it should be a way for you to uncover a path to take forward in the future.
A great way to do this is through self-appraisals. Employee self-evaluation is an essential component of career development and performance reviews. Though they may require a little more buy-in from workers, they can reveal a great deal about a person’s journey and what they wish to achieve through personal and professional growth at their company. These insights help you build a more fulfilling workforce while also boosting productivity across teams.
- What are self-appraisals?
- Benefits of self-evaluation
- What are some of the drawbacks of self-evaluation?
- 25 self-evaluation comment examples
- Shape the career you envision
What are Self-appraisals?
Self-appraisal is a crucial process that allows employees to evaluate their own performance, identify areas for improvement, and set goals for professional development. It is an essential tool for career growth, as it enables individuals to take ownership of their work, reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, and develop a plan to enhance their skills and knowledge.
Self-appraisal comments and self-evaluation examples can help employees prepare for performance reviews, providing valuable insights into their job performance and areas for improvement. By focusing on self-appraisal, employees can improve their communication, problem-solving, and time management skills, ultimately leading to a positive work environment and increased job satisfaction.
How Do Self-appraisals Work?
During an appraisal, an evaluator takes a look at the behavior, actions, and results of individual workers. This can cover a wide range of examples (which we will explore later), to be compiled into an analysis so you can determine how your employees feel and what they think is working or not. A self-appraisal could be a pulse check to understand the general mood and sentiments of staff, or it could be after a major project to reflect on how business and operations were conducted during that project.
The “self” part comes in as it is the employees themselves who act as evaluators. They look at their own behavior, actions, and results to provide judgment on their performance as required. This can reveal some insights that a supervisor might miss, especially if it is a leadership member who is part of a completely different department altogether.
Benefits of Self-evaluation
When performance review season rolls around, there are many paths you can take. Incorporating self-evaluations provides one crucially important factor that all the other options do not have: the perspective and feedback of employees. Your employees are in the trenches of daily operations and have firsthand experience and insight into what hinders productivity, what helps, and how the company values fit into it all.
Self-assessment plays a crucial role in providing valuable insights and feedback, helping employees evaluate their skills, competencies, and areas for improvement.
Let’s take a deeper look at the benefits of self-assessments:
Taking responsibility
Self-appraisal comments focus on how an employee feels about their own performance. It requires each person to take responsibility for their work and present it to the people who care about the results and what it took to get there. This is a rare opportunity for employees to be candid about their specific contributions to a team’s success and a chance to share context about shortcomings with higher-ups.
Nurturing relationships
We only get to know one another better at work when we talk to each other. There are a thousand and one ways to hold a conversation, about a million different potential topics. Promoting self-appraisals gives everyone the chance to voice their opinions. In louder offices, some employees may not usually get a chance to speak up, but their appraisal allows them to be heard.
Opening two-way conversations
For the employee and manager to get the most out of a self-appraisal, it should be a two-way conversation that adapts to the communication style of both parties. It’s not a time for employees to list all their grievances, nor should managers hijack the conversation. Make self-appraisals an exchange between the employee and director.
Developing careers
Professional development is most effective when the employee is the one who can dictate how their career progresses. Though managers can help formalize a development path, ultimately it should be the employees who know their strengths and weaknesses. This allows workers to set their own future and decide where they want to develop their talents in the future.
What are Some of the Drawbacks of Self-evaluation?
There will be some drawbacks in asking an employee to undertake their own performance review. While this is a good exercise that you should hope your workers dive into, be on the lookout for some of the following behaviors.
The self-evaluation process plays a crucial role in identifying potential pitfalls and challenges, helping individuals reflect on their performance, identify strengths and weaknesses, and set goals for improvement.
Misleading Communication
Some employees can panic when having to talk about themselves. Rather than be honest about their contributions or achievements, they instead decide to talk about what they think their manager wants to hear. This can result in a misleading appraisal that will not actually help them make improvements or identify areas where they could use support.
Exaggeration
Some employees can panic when having to talk about themselves. Rather than be honest about their contributions or achievements, they instead decide to talk about what they think their manager wants to hear. This can result in a misleading appraisal that will not actually help them make improvements or identify areas where they could use support. Ensuring accuracy and honesty in self-appraisals is crucial, and this is where employee performance reviews play a significant role in providing specific and personalized feedback.
Exaggeration
During self-appraisals, some may fall victim to either under- or over-exaggeration of their part to play in projects. While this can lead to misleading results, it is important to highlight it in its own right, as the employee may be unaware that they are doing so. They need to have a clear idea of exactly what they bring to the table if they are to present a fair picture of their achievements and areas in which to grow. Accurate self-assessment is crucial for evaluating employee performance, ensuring that contributions and achievements are properly recognized, and areas for improvement are identified.
Ego
When someone has a self-inflated view of their own contributions and position in a company, this is reflected in their self-appraisals. If someone has an ego, they may demonstrate some of the behaviors listed above, and it may be difficult to get them to understand that they are not delivering the stellar performance they think they are. Addressing these self-inflated views is crucial, as they can negatively impact team dynamics and highlight a lack of interpersonal skills.
The Impact of Self-appraisal on Business
Performance Management and Self-appraisal
Performance management and self-appraisal are closely linked, as self-appraisal is an essential component of the performance management process. Self-appraisal enables employees to take ownership of their performance, set goals, and develop a plan to achieve them. It also provides a framework for employees to receive feedback, coaching, and development opportunities, ultimately leading to improved job performance and career growth.
By incorporating self-appraisal into the performance management process, organizations can foster a culture of continuous learning, personal growth, and professional development. This can lead to improved employee engagement, increased job satisfaction, and reduced turnover rates. Effective performance management and self-appraisal can also help organizations to identify and develop future leaders, improve team dynamics, and drive business success.
Leadership Skills and Self-appraisal
Leadership skills are essential for effective self-appraisal, as they enable individuals to take ownership of their performance, inspire and motivate others, and drive team success. Self-appraisal can help leaders develop a deeper understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, identify areas for improvement, and develop strategies to enhance their leadership skills.
By prioritizing self-appraisal, leaders can model a culture of continuous learning, personal growth, and professional development, resulting in improved team performance and business success. Effective leaders can also use self-appraisal to develop a positive attitude, strong communication skills, and a proactive approach to addressing challenges and opportunities. By seeking feedback from team members and stakeholders, leaders can gain valuable insights into their leadership style and develop strategies to improve their effectiveness.
25 Self-evaluation Comment Examples
Personal Strengths
1. I quickly learn and implement new skills, which have significantly helped me to contribute to projects.
2. I set measurable goals for myself with a plan of action to help me achieve them in a reasonable timeframe.
3. I enjoy tackling new tasks, especially challenging ones, and I have had the chance to build on my problem-solving skills through my work over the last year.
4. I take great pride in my work. Meeting my goals motivates me for the future.
5. I provide regular, thoughtful, and constructive feedback to my team when they ask for it.
Personal Weaknesses
1. This project highlighted a weakness in my task management. I have examined where the problems arose, and I am searching for a solution to address them.
2. I find it difficult to find the right words to express my opinions and needs correctly.
3. I struggle with balancing the priorities of multiple tasks and projects.
4. I feel unable to collaborate with or exchange ideas with senior leadership.
5. I have no problems communicating my ideas in writing, but I feel that I need to improve my ability to express my thoughts to an audience.
Collaboration
1. Giving and receiving peer feedback has been motivating and has clearly shown me where I can develop my skills to better aid the team.
2. I look for opportunities to take ownership of new projects where I can.
3. I took ownership of 40% of the new projects allocated to our team in the last quarter. Next quarter, I would like to increase this and take on new leadership responsibilities.
4. I try to make myself as approachable as possible so my team knows I am willing to support them at all times.
5. I encourage everyone to speak up and offer their opinion on a project. Even the most difficult of conversations need to be given space if we are to maintain a positive work environment.
Communication
1. I schedule regular team meetings to ensure everyone has visibility on each other’s progress and blockers.
2. I actively listen to and interpret what others have to say.
3. I promptly respond to emails and other messages sent to me.
4. I am aware that I overly use email as my primary mode of communication. In the next quarter, I intend to diversify my communication methods to better meet the needs of each situation.
5. I strive to handle disagreements with care so that team dynamics are not damaged and everyone’s voices can be heard.
Productivity
1. I’ve consistently met my project deadlines while delivering quality work that exceeds expectations.
2. In high-stress periods, I feel like my productivity slips, leading to a decrease in my well-being. I would be interested in developing tools and techniques to help me manage these situations better.
3. I consider myself to be flexible and adaptable. I enjoy seeking out new and innovative solutions to help me improve myself and the team’s work environment.
4. I actively use my communication skills to keep others informed about advancements in the project. This allows us all to effectively maintain momentum in project development so we can deliver results that exceed expectations and are always on time.
5. Meeting and exceeding my achievement goals helps to motivate me to continue performing to this high standard in the future.
Best Practices for Self-appraisal
Best practices for self-appraisal include setting clear goals and objectives, seeking feedback from colleagues and customers, and developing a plan to enhance skills and knowledge. It is also essential to prioritize self-reflection, actively listen to feedback, and develop a growth mindset.
By using self-appraisal comments and self-evaluation examples, employees can prepare for performance reviews, identify areas for improvement, and develop a plan to achieve their goals. This can be difficult to manage for large-scale organizations! If this is you, try using an Intranet platform like Axero—companies can share self-development resources, distribute surveys, track progress, and keep everything neatly organised and easily linked, all in one place. Who knows? You may enjoy using the platform so much that you go from dreading performance reviews to actually looking forward to them!
Effective self-appraisal can also involve seeking additional training and development opportunities, taking on new challenges, and demonstrating a proactive approach to addressing challenges and opportunities. By following these best practices, employees can improve their job performance, enhance their career prospects, and contribute to the success of their organization. Regular self-appraisal can also help employees to stay focused, motivated, and committed to their goals, leading to a positive work environment and increased job satisfaction.
Shape the Career You Envision
You think you’ve had a bad year. All your team members deliver targets way beyond your reach. Maybe you even privately think your boss hates you. A moment of self-reflection can help you see past the anxieties and potentially find areas where you have shone.
Even if all you can see is a poor job performance that needs improvement, this is still no bad thing! Having a sense of self-awareness is a great and underappreciated trait in the world of business. Continuous learning only works when we are willing to engage with our flaws as much as we do our strengths. Investing in personal development and nurturing career aspirations must be something that we all take the lead on.
A self-appraisal can feel odd. Either we are trying to think of positive feedback for ourselves, or we want to hide performance that maybe we aren’t proud of. However, by being honest and diving into our self-directed performance evaluations, we can discern where we need support and where we can offer our expertise in our workplace. This is one area of career development that you really can make work in your favor!
Intranet Platform for Self-appraisals
According to a 2024 podcast by McKinsey & Co., 77% of employees feel motivated by ongoing development conversations. In other words, the once-a-year performance review just doesn’t cut it. You need to keep communication channels flowing between managers and staff while encouraging independence through self-appraisals—ideally without the overload of a million different apps.
Here’s what Adam Ilowite, CEO of Axero, has to say about it:
An intranet platform enables managers to maintain continuous communication with their teams and supports meaningful self-appraisals that drive actual performance improvement. The result? A more engaged workforce, leading to significant cost savings.
Need a powerful platform that can handle the challenge of high-volume performance tracking? Look no further than Axero, and book a demo today.
