A performance review can be a stressful experience. There’s a lot of pressure to get things right, give a good impression and articulate everything you’ve done to your boss. However, it doesn’t need to be so worrisome. Instead, it can be a celebration of your effort and recognition to your hard work. With that in mind, here are some helpful tips to help you get the performance review you want, with the results you want.
Make a Plan
You wouldn’t start an engineering project or construction work without some kind of plan, so make sure you do the same for your performance review. If you don’t have a clear idea of what your goal is with steps on how to achieve it, then you are not going to see satisfying results. Instead, if you want a raise then you need to clearly highlight your value and show why you deserve to be rewarded with the extra money. The plan doesn’t need to be granular but having some idea of and a few key points to cover in your performance review will help you feel more confident and like you are heading towards the goal you want. Do some research on your salary to ensure you are not already being under paid. You do this by looking at salary rates of online job boards for similar jobs at your level or speak confidentially with a trusted specialist recruiter in your industry.
Feel Proud of Your Work
Every job, no matter how small, is worthy of recognition. It doesn’t matter if you are the driving force behind a building project or the one who meticulously ticks boxes in a spreadsheet, you should feel proud of your work. This self-recognition will help you seek the recognition you deserve from your boss in your performance review. Often these reviews are conducted at the end of the financial year, so you need to show why that excess in the budget should be put towards increasing your pay or giving you a promotion and the best way to do that is to take pride in your work. The engineering and construction industry is growing throughout Australia, so people with experience and drive are going to rise quickly. If you are confident in your work, then that is the first step towards your boss doing the same.
Relax
It is normal to worry about a performance review but you shouldn’t let the review weigh on you. You might not get that pay rise or promotion this year, but as you gather more experience and develop your skills you are going to be in a much better position in the following year. If you are worried you might not get everything you want, then the little things can make a big difference in the long run. Asking for a large pay rise and only getting a small one, can still be a success. (providing you are not being under paid). The more relaxed you are, the better the performance review will go.
