hen we get to the last quarter of the year, many of us in the hospitality industry prepare for employee evaluations. This is an important part of the business cycle, and the process differs depending on company culture and values. Evaluations help determine merit increases, bonuses, and incentives for employees, as well as future performance to some degree, which in turn has an impact on guest satisfaction and profitability.

To give professional, balanced, and honest feedback is critical not only for employee coaching and development but to the operation’s continued success. Surprises due to ill-prepared or poorly executed reviews can trigger engaged employees to become less committed.

Human resource professionals generally agree that supervisors everywhere need to do a much better job of evaluating their employees. It must begin by identifying what’s wrong with written evaluations and the way many job reviews are handled.

Imagine the following scenario. It is review time at the ABC Resort, and the chef sits down with his manager to go through the process. The resort experienced many successes during the past year, including upgrading the menus and quality, controlling costs, and hiring and training talent. As a result, guest satisfaction is up; costs and employee turnover are down.

The manager tells the chef he is extremely pleased with his performance and cannot think of anything that needs to be improved moving forward. The overall performance result, however, is defined as “meets expectations.” There is no input on what the chef must do to reach an “exceeds expectations” level next time.

There is also a section for employee comments if the chef has any. Lastly, while the chef is signing his review, he is told this is the time to set the coming year’s goals and that he should write them out while he is at it. Surprise number two.

WRITTEN EVALUATIONS
What is wrong with written evaluations? One of the few things supervisors and subordinates agree on regarding written job assessments is that they don’t work. Common complaints include the following:

1. Supervisors and managers rarely receive training on how to write effective evaluations. Somehow, it is assumed anyone worthy of becoming a manager or supervisor has the ability to appraise the work of others accurately and to reflect their assessments in writing. This is one of the business world’s more fallacious assumptions.
2. Analyzing a worker’s overall performance requires skills that must be learned. Likewise, writing clear and concise evaluations is an art that needs to be perfected over time through carefully guided practice. Many supervisors write ineffective evaluations simply because they don’t know how to do it any better.
3. New managers, particularly those promoted into the supervisory ranks, don’t have the experience necessary to judge and compare the performance of a diverse group of workers. To evaluate properly, supervisors need to compare the performances of others with something more than just their own personal work experience. It takes time and exposure to build reliable standards of behavior and productivity.

WHAT WORKS
Here are some tips that have worked well for me in the past when preparing for reviews:

• Have the employee prepare a self-evaluation.
• Schedule the review ahead of time and allot sufficient time.
• Be prepared. Review employee files.
• Lead with a positive.
• Address what is important.
• Eliminate distractions and interruptions. Do not answer the phone or read emails.
• Set the employee at ease.
• Be professional.
• Keep it real.
• Be consistent.
• Make it a two-way conversation.
• Stay focused.
• Be a good listener.
• Don’t be confrontational.
• Review regularly.

Another twist is having multiple evaluations provided by the employee’s supervisor, peers, subordinates, and others. The idea is to generate 360-degree feedback and receive evaluative information from everyone in their circle of influence, not just from a supervisor.

The concept of 360-degree feedback has been used extensively in many places for upper-level management. It is now being extended to the rest of the workforce. The supervisor’s job may become somewhat easier, and employee evaluations may become much more useful and acceptable. When done properly, these evaluations can help build teamwork and heighten motivation. Whether done in the traditional mode or as part of a multiple evaluation, supervisors owe it to their employees and to themselves to make every review as complete, accurate, and fair as possible.

Not many managers enjoy writing employee evaluations, but the best don’t put it off or hurry through it. It always pays to do it right. Well-done performance appraisals can boost the careers of those who receive them and those who write them as well, while also adding to the bottom line.

Chef Peter Gebauer, a HOTEL F&B Observer Blog contributor, is the executive chef at Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee. A native of Germany and always seeking professional challenges and opportunities to immerse himself in new cultures, Chef Gebauer has held positions with the Steigenberger Hotel chain, Hilton International, Royal Viking Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Star Cruise, Gulf Air Hotels, Abu Dhabi Airlines, Palace Resorts, Disney World, and Gaylord Opryland Resort. Contact Chef Gebauer at blog@hotelfandb.com.