How to fill in a performance appraisal that gets noticed

IT IS probably safe to say that the only people who truly enjoy writing up their own performance appraisals are closet narcissists. For most other people, who are not in the habit of keeping records of their achievements for the year, the yearly appraisal can only be a painful process.

The force is strong, to pen into the "Future Goals" section: "To buy more bags." Or "Travel". Or "Rule the world".

But I doubt that such bravado would win approbation from my bosses. Hence, reality prevails and I dismiss such fripperies and personal wants from the sacred document that is supposed to determine my performance for the year. Or does it?

Admin staff Elizabeth Chen says: "To be honest, I think bosses hardly read the appraisals. You can write 10 pages, but they probably already have an idea whether you get promoted this year... It is all about the networking, not what you put on that piece of paper."

Founder of Food Playground Daniel Tan, for example, has done away with annual appraisals for his 12 staff.

"We stopped a couple of years ago as we didn't find it useful. Our employees prefer real-time feedback rather than waiting for it annually."

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But for large companies, the process is a necessary one.

"Many managers use performance appraisals as supporting documents to justify to the higher-ups why they think the employee has earned the promotion and how he or she is ready for the new role," says Jaya Dass, managing director, Randstad Singapore & Malaysia.

"Writing your achievements in this document formalises your work contributions. It helps employers understand if you have grown professionally and determine if you are ready for more responsibilities."

And even if you feel your superior already has his/her sights on that golden child, it apparently still pays off to work on that list.

Linda Teo, country manager, ManpowerGroup Singapore says that nothing is set in stone until HR announces the news.

"Usually, the boss would shortlist a few potential candidates for promotion. The appraisal would probably be the final opportunity for shortlisted individuals to leave an impression and position themselves as the right person for promotion.

"To stand out, some preparation is required. Prior to it, individuals should review all their past accomplishments, taking note of times when they had exceeded expectations or gone beyond their job scope."

Adrian Choo, chief executive and founder of Career Agility International, says that planning for a promotion is a journey, not an event, which means it is not contingent on the one-off discussion at an appraisal meeting.

"Even though the bosses may already have their selection, the person interviewing you for the appraisal may not be your direct supervisor and may not be aware of your achievements. Hence, it is important to prepare for the meeting by highlighting your achievements and significant projects with quantifiable data and outcomes that have significant impact on the business."

However, when one has worked many years in the same office, in the same role, writing future goals and contributions can become somewhat stultifying.

Ms Dass from Randstad says that people who work in roles that are highly repetitive are more at risk of automation. "It is hence critical that they find new and innovative ways to be more productive at work. For example, someone who processes order sheets can explore ways of using digital tools so that they spend less time processing each order. Employees who are able to demonstrate that they are able to find new ways to work in a more efficient way are more likely to be noticed.

"Another way someone who works in a highly repetitive role can stand out during appraisal is to focus on soft skills. Many employers expect workers to be able to think creatively, have great communication skills and be able to work proactively. As compared to their peers, employees who demonstrate how they use these skills to become better at what they do are more likely to stand out during performance reviews."

All in, Sam Neo, founder of People Mentality Inc, says that it is important to frame your appraisal in a manner that impacts your boss.

"The 'what's in it for me?' has to be clearly articulated to get the boss to take action. If the individual simply complains and positions the issue at his/her level, it will never seem significant enough for the boss to care about.

"Start by understanding what matters to your boss, what keeps your boss awake and what impacts your boss. You will then be able to better position your message and get your boss to proactively reach out to you."

I guess it is back to the drawing board for me - sans the bags.