Expert: My best advice for the appraisal interview
An occupational psychologist offers several tips on how managers may add value to the appraisal interview – for themselves, their employees and the organisation as a whole.
The very best advice
However, you need to be clear about the value you want to achieve from the appraisal interview. Because this is often where HR or senior management end up leaving all the issues they don’t know how to handle elsewhere. Therefore, appraisal interviews may suddenly have to address well-being, retention and strategic ambitions.
"Appraisal interviews are sometimes a bit of a muddle. I've seen examples of questionnaires where as many as 140 questions needed answering," says Trille Frodelund Lykke.
And that's the worst thing you can do, she explains. Instead, her advice is that we do the opposite.
"My best advice for the appraisal interview is not to be overly ambitious. The more we boil it down to something specific and tangible, the more likely we are to succeed," she says.
Systematise the process
As she sees the appraisal interview as a continuous process, she suggests following an annual cycle. The process could, for example, begin by having the managers of a given area get together and discuss strategic objectives and the skills required in future.
Subsequently, each manager may prepare their own analysis for their team.
"You should consider what you think will become important. And then I recommend that you take a funnel-like approach: zoom in and concentrate on one or two specific aspects," explains Trille Frodelund Lykke.
She emphasises that you should not invent issues.
"You have to find something motivating and forward-looking. Sometimes it's about having operational tasks run smoothly, but it could also be about an upcoming merger, relocation, well-being surveys or process improvement," she says.
After that, it is a good idea to involve the employees by bringing up the selected topics at a staff meeting and have them provide input.
And at this stage, it is important to keep in mind that the conversations should not focus on the individual but instead be based on the organisation and strategy.
"It's a conversation about work. And it's about clarifying what the organisation expects from the individual employee, thereby strengthening the possibility that the employee may succeed in meeting expectations. In other words, that Anne-Mette is not granted a coaching certification but receives training in difficult customer conversations, because that's what we need in this workplace," she says.
She emphasises that employees need to be able to see themselves as part of something bigger and feel a sense of connection with their colleagues.
"In my 20 years as an occupational psychologist, I haven't met anyone who didn't want to feel part of a whole and have meaningful tasks. "Meaning is motivational fuel, and the appraisal interview is an excellent hotspot for helping find meaning."
Contact Finansforbundet’s well-being team
Finansforbundet's well-being team is designed to promote well-being in the workplace for both managers and employees. We do this through initiatives directly based on the needs of the individual workplace.
The well-being team for example helps when:
- a workplace wants to work with well-being, thus preventing stress and dissatisfaction
- a department experiences well-being challenges
- cooperative relations are challenged
- you are facing major changes and want to maintain focus on well-being in the process
Six key levers
But how do you ensure an optimum appraisal interview for both parties?
"You need to consider what value you aim to create through the appraisal interview. Many organisations don't know what the point of the appraisal interview is, what outcome they want, and they need to find out," says Trille Frodelund Lykke.
She works with six key levers that she believes form the basis for an effective appraisal process.
First of all, she recommends that managers have a clear strategic purpose and make what she calls the "elevator pitch". In just a few sentences, it should set the framework for the appraisal interview, and it is also a great introduction to the interview itself.
"Otherwise, it turns into the usual: 'So, Anne-Mette, here we are again'.
We need to be clear about what we want," she says and explains that this also paves the way for the next lever on the list.
This is about being aware of the role you have as a manager in the interview.
"You should think through what to focus on and strive for during the appraisal interview. Is my role to ask good, reflective questions that help the other person engage meaningfully and actually make me wiser in the process? Or should I be the one lecturing and listing everything the employee needs to remember?" she asks rhetorically.
You are the host
In addition, according to Trille Frodelund Lykke, managers must make sure to take on the role of host.
"Think about what good hosting is at an interview like that. Where do we physically meet? Across the desk – or do we 'walk and talk'? It’s always worth considering how you invite someone into the conversation," she explains.
During the interview, you also need to make sure that you steer the conversation in the right direction.
"You need to have a purpose and maybe three key questions that you would like answered," says the occupational psychologist.
She also points out that you should ask curious and open-ended questions.
"It's based on the idea that, as a manager, you should keep in mind that you have the privilege of becoming wiser during the interview. So make sure to think about how to avoid a superficial conversation, but ask questions to gain an understanding of what's important to this employee," she recommends.
Trille Frodelund Lykke's six key levers
- Clear strategic purpose – the elevator pitch
- Deliberate emphasis on the role of the manager
- Have the manager take on the role of host
- Steering the conversation
- Curiosity and open-ended questions
- Follow-up
Follow-up is crucial
Last but not least, according to Trille Frodelund Lykke, it is about making sure to follow up. Because follow-up is crucial.
"The interview is often evaluated retrospectively. So while it may have been a great conversation, the evaluation often depends on whether it brought about any results. Therefore, it's better to make a few realistic agreements that we're willing to commit to than an array of elaborate ideas," she says while emphasising that you also need to consider who is responsible for ensuring that the agreements entered into at the appraisal interview result in the development of skills in the organisation.
And according to Trille Frodelund Lykke, managers need to clarify how both employees and the community may take ownership of their part of the responsibility.
"Skills often require that the community is prepared to embrace new ways of doing things. And that's difficult if we haven't agreed in advance how to follow up on the current development," she says.
She notes that many people probably relate to receiving additional training and returning to their department, ready to implement new approaches – only to quickly realise how difficult it is to change the status quo within a system.
"If we have agreed that Anne-Mette should apply a specific approach to the customer contact work, it's important that her close colleagues support her. And when we receive tasks specifically related to this topic, we allocate tasks to provide Anne-Mette with the opportunity to work with it."
Trille Frodelund Lykke suggests making it an item at staff meetings to receive feedback, reflect on and evaluate issues.
"Otherwise, we'll naturally forget about it. Because if the responsibility is too loosely defined, or falls between the cracks, there's a high likelihood that no one will take ownership," she states.