Use Employee Reviews to Foster Positive Communication, Growth

Every business VoIP provider knows that communication is the key to any successful organization—but that doesn’t just mean IP-based communication. It also means communication between people. The level of communication between managers and their employees must be strong in order to keep a company functioning healthily. One way to help ensure that lines of communication stay open between workers is through a quality employee review process. This helps employees to get a better sense of where they can focus efforts on improvement, as well as helping the overall team understand expectations so that they can be met effectively.

Business VoIP provider Nextiva recently discussed a number of ways to improve the review process. The first suggestion is to make sure that reviews take place regularly. Whether they are once a year, once every three months, or once a week, these should be worked into the schedule so that both managers can routinely take the temperature of their workforces. Nextiva points out that more frequent and less formal reviews are a great way to keep employees on track of company goals, and they leave less time between reviews so that employees stay motivated.

Another key suggestion is that companies decide upon their goals as a group. One-sided reviews only serve have of those present, and limit the impact of the meeting. Reviews should be a collaborative process in which goals for both parties are discussed and agreed upon. This helps facilitate a sense of team effort.

Criticism is necessary for change, but it must be done constructively when it comes to employee reviews. Pointing out tasks that could be done better should also come with suggestions for how to accomplish it, so that the employee doesn’t come to see reviews as purely a time to get yelled at. These meetings should feel productive for both parties. Managers should ask if there is a reason for sagging productivity, or if there is something that could be changed to make certain tasks more manageable and easier to accomplish successfully. Employees are people, after all—not machines.

The one bit of technological advice Nextiva gives is the use of metrics. Metrics allow a company to measure employee success objectively and can serve as a sort of employee report card.

Making communication easy and accessible is something business VoIP providers strive for every day, and with thoughtfully planned employee reviews, communication can seem easy and accessible within the company as well.