It’s that time of year again when many shops and dealerships are getting ready to conduct annual performance reviews.
It can be easy for annual reviews to become a “check-the-box” item on the to do list. However, shops and dealerships need to look at these conversations strategically in order to boost shop performance and increase technician retention.
What are the Goals of Performance Reviews?
Every successful performance review starts with establishing clear objectives. Ultimately, there are four primary objectives for every performance review:
- Deliver an accurate evaluation of performance
- Receive feedback from the technician
- Establish goals for the upcoming year
- Create a plan to achieve new goals
With these goals in mind, the next step for a successful performance review is preparation.
How to Prepare for Performance Reviews
First, think about the key areas of evaluation you want to address in performance reviews with your technicians. This could vary by shop/dealership, but you’re probably looking at:
- Technical skills
- Soft skills
- Leadership potential
Here are some questions you can ask yourself for each of these areas to prepare for the performance conversation:
- In what ways is the technician excelling in these areas? It’s always a good idea to start with the positives! Make sure you provide examples and praise to reinforce the actions you want to see more of.
- In what ways is the technician falling short in any of these areas? It’s very important to use examples when providing areas in which you’d like to see improvement. Walk through those examples, explain what action the technician took, and what could have been done to create a better result.
- What are the goals for the upcoming year? Set expectations and goals for the upcoming year. You’ll want to get input from the technician on what these should be to ensure you are aligned, but it’s good to come prepared with what you think is achievable.
- How are you going to help the technician meet their goals and improve any skills gaps? Come prepared with an action plan. This could involve training, mentorship, etc.
- When are you going to touch base next to look at progress? Before you wrap up the performance review, make sure you determine a date and time for you and the technician to meet to discuss progress. This step is essential to ensuring the performance conversation stays top-of-mind and is resulting in actionable outcomes.
Don’t Forget to Help Your Technicians Prepare for Performance Reviews
One last note: In all your preparation, don’t forget to help your technicians prepare for the performance conversation as well! A great way to do this is to provide a worksheet to get them thinking about the questions listed above. Give it to them far enough in advance that they have ample time to review it and gather their thoughts before the performance review.
Want to Learn More? Check Out Our Recorded Roundtable
We recently hosted a roundtable where our panelists discussed:
In this roundtable, we will discuss how managers and technicians can get the most value out of performance reviews. We’ll cover:
- The importance of annual performance reviews (even in shops that value ongoing feedback over annual reviews)
- How managers and technicians can prepare for performance reviews to get the most out of these conversations
- Ways of measuring technician performance and goals
