Melville-based Adecco Staffing North America releases findings of performance review survey

<p>Only 49 percent of workers believe their managers take performance reviews seriously. Less than half, 44 percent, say they walk away with any constructive feedback. And 47 percent say they would feel better if the review process was a two-way street.</ p><p>These findings were

released last week by Melville-based Adecco Staffing North America. In its 2006 Performance Reviews Survey, Adecco conducted telephone interviews in January with more than 2,000 adults who are employed full time. </p><p>Robert Chanin, director of human resources of The Alcott Group, a professional employer organization in Farmingdale, said he wasn't surprised by the findings. </p><p>People are uncomfortable criticizing others, he said.</p><p>The process can be particularly daunting for small businesses, especially those without a dedicated human resources manager to oversee the process.</p><p>But Chanin said it's imperative that the review process is done correctly to ensure employee goals are in sync with a company's business objectives. </ p><p>Ideally, reviews provide an opportunity for staff and supervisors to work together on devising plans for the employees' continuing development, according to the Society of Human Resource Management, a Virginia-based organization with 200,000 members.</ p><p>Chanin advises owners to prepare for the annual review as early as the interview stage, by communicating the job description so that there's a degree of understanding roles and duties for the employee.</p><p>He recommends implementing a review 90 days after a hire to ensure the fit is right. In a small business, every person is critical, he said. The last thing you want to do is rehabilitate someone whose skills will never be up to par.</p><p>By making the process a two-way street, employees can conduct a self-review, describing where they excelled, what they hope to improve and which challenges they faced during the year, Chanin said. This format helps managers set future goals and better enables employees to thrive.</p><p>Allow enough time for managers and workers to assemble a thoughtful review, and conduct it at a time and place where there are no interruptions, he added.</p><p>Conducted effectively, reviews help managers gauge an employee's productivity and discuss career growth, according to Raymond T. Roe, president of Adecco. Without constructive feedback, they can forget about building a dialogue with workers, and run the risk of losing top talent to other companies. </p><p>When offering constructive feedback, specifics matter. Telling staffers to change their attitude may not garner results, but stating that the phone needs to be answered by the second ring can do the trick, Chanin said.</p><p>Adecco suggests providing regular feedback throughout the year, so employees know what they're doing right and where they need to improve. At review time, they'll know exactly where they stand.</p>