Performance review: Questions to ask

When you sit with an employee during his or her performance review, it should be a positive experience, not a lecture.

The way to achieve that is through discussion. And productive reviews should be a two-way discussion. Here are questions you can ask to encourage employee participation in the meeting:

1. What do you see as the major responsibilities of your job?

2. Which are the most important? Least? Why?

3. Which tasks take up most of your time?

4. What do you like best about your job? Least?

5. What would you change about it?

6. What accomplishments are you most pleased about?

7. Are there ways we could use your talents more effectively?

8. In what areas do you feel you could do a more effective job?

9. What developmental opportunities would be helpful to you?

10. How can I more effectively manage you and your work?

The “Yelp” question

Ask employees, “If you were to give a review of your job on Yelp, how many stars would you give it and why?” Assure them that their answer will go toward improvement and not punishment.