Going Live with Reviews and Check-ins

When preparing to announce your new performance management process, Reflektive, or your review or check-in cycle to employees, it's important to share why the change and why now. 

Hopefully, you've written down the key outcomes that your organization wants to achieve with the review or check-in cycle during the design and planning phase. 

If not, here are some questions that will be helpful think through:

• How does this review/check-in fit into your Performance Management Strategy?
• Who is asking for this review? (Your leadership team? A manager of a specific department? A department head?)
• What is the purpose or end goal of the review? (Give your employees coaching, progress on their development, promotion, etc.?)
• What does success with this review look like? (ease of use, completion by a certain date, etc.)
• How will the review benefit your employees?

Key themes that we typically see include:

• We want employees and managers to have more frequent feedback conversations
• We want employees to know where they stand and where they can grow
• We want managers to have a holistic understanding of how each employee is doing
• We want employees and managers to have alignment on goals
• Our review process is too lengthy, and we want to have a lighter-weight process
• We want to streamline and consolidate the number of tools we're using

The more communication given before the launch of a cycle, the more time employees have to digest that a review or check-in is coming, clarify any confusion, and start preparing for writing assessments and having a conversation.

We recommend the following.

Announcement Timing:

• Employees like to have at least 2-4 weeks or more notice of an upcoming review/check-in cycle. That way, people have time to prepare, especially people who are going on PTO/leave.
• Remember to keep your leadership appraised of your plans ahead of announcement!
• If performance management is a foreign concept to employees, you may want to allocate a longer runway so that you can do additional training and answer questions.

Key Messages:

• Why / Why Now
  • Share background and some of the key themes around why your company is investing in this new process and this new tool now.
• What
  • What are key objectives of this process? 
  • What are the benefits for the employee/teams/company?
  • What is the process to achieve those objectives in the short and long-term?
  • What tool are we using to accomplish these objectives?
• How We Execute
  • Due Dates - be clear about what is due, by whom? 
    • Self-assessment
    • Manager/peer/direct report assessments
    • Conversations post completion of written assessments
  • Expectations
    • How long should people spend on writing their assessments? On having the conversation? How much should they write?
    • What are some responsibilities for employees? For managers?
  • Training Plan
    • What are some resources that employees can use to learn the product?
    • When are employee or manager training sessions? How many are there?
    • Tip: If your employees and managers are not practiced at having feedback conversations, it's highly advisable to conduct feedback training and provide your people with guidance!
  • Share an FAQ with so that your employees know you're listening and responding to their questions (sample below)

Communication Channels:

• Leadership Meeting
  
  • We highly encourage you to socialize the review/check-in process, your communication plan, and the benefits of the program with your leadership team to get their buy-in
  • You'll want to do this at least 1-2 weeks prior to announcing so that you have time to incorporate their feedback
• All Hands Meeting
  • Share key components from the Announcement Content section above to increase transparency and awareness, emphasize the importance and benefits of your performance management process
  • It's important to have leadership buy-in for your new process, and we highly recommend inviting your executive sponsor to speak about the importance of this initiative
• Coaching Office Hours/Brown Bag Session
  • Answer questions and provide guidance in a casual setting
• Email
  • Share the key messages around process and what to expect from the Announcement Content section above via email
  • Showcase your executive sponsor advocating for the new process/for Reflektive
    Tip: Draft an email for your executive sponsor to send out to the company so that he or she can also help you announce your new process (sample below)
  • Send a follow-up when it's closer to launch time with due dates, expectations, and resources
• Calendar Invite for Key Dates
  • All hands meeting date
  • Any training dates
  • Any brown bag dates
• Other Creative Channels
• Videos (some of our clients get really creative!)
• Posters (Digital or otherwise)
• Intranet
• Slack
• TV Monitor announcement

Oftentimes, change management starts with executive sponsorship, so be sure to involve them early and have their support throughout the announcement of your process and any follow-ups!

See some email templates for announcing Reflektive, a Performance Review, a 360 Review, or a Check-In. We encourage you to personalize the content so that it resonates with your employees! 

• Introducing Reflektive

Subject: [Introducing Reflektive]
From: Your Executive Sponsor
To: All employees
Cc: HR Team
Bcc: Your CSM

Good morning [employees]!

At [Company name], we care about evolving our performance management process to support a culture of transparency and real-time feedback. I’m happy to announce that we are launching Reflektive to support these initiatives! Below are some resources to help you get started, as well as, my expectations for how we should be leveraging Reflektive. 

Why Are We Evolving Performance Management at [Company]?

• [Insert your top 3 key themes here!]
• [Ex: Performance is best realized through continuous flow of feedback]
• [Ex: We heard you: you wanted to have bite-sized pieces of feedback throughout the year]
• [Ex: It's difficult to assess your impact with just one annual review]

Reflektive Launch

We recognize that our people need the right tools to enhance the performance process. Therefore, we are transitioning from [name of current platform] to a leading platform called Reflektive.

On [Monday morning] you’ll receive an email from [HR Team] that provides you directions on how to log in. When logging into the website, please use your email to sign in. Please download the Reflektive plugin here. 

Getting Started

[The attached presentation provides information on how to engage with Reflektive.] If you would like to attend training or see a demo, please contact [HR Team] to provide a demo during team meetings, or you can attend an upcoming training.

Expectations

In order for this tool to have a meaningful impact, we all need to do our part! Here is what I’m asking of you:

• Enter your goals into Reflektive. If you don’t have goals in place, please work with your manager.
• If you have development goals that you don’t want to share publicly, you have the option of setting private goals. Your manager will still be able to view them, but others will not.
• Recognize others with real-time feedback. You can do so through the website, or directly through your email plugin once it's installed.
• Use Reflektive for upcoming [Review]. My expectation is that you use your written assessments are a framework for your conversation with your manager/direct report. 

Manager Support

If you are a manager, I’m asking you to do the following:

• Ensure you have your review conversation by [mm/dd]! 
• Be a role model: Ensure you put your own goals in place, and utilize the real-time feedback in the next week.
• Remember to utilize your manager dashboard.

Have a great day, and thanks in advance for your support. If you have questions or feedback on Reflektive, please email [HR Team]. 

[Signature for Executive Sponsor]

• Performance Review Announcement

Subject: [Performance Review launch today!]
From: HR team or Your Executive Sponsor
To: All employees
Cc: Executive Sponsor
Bcc: Your CSM

Good morning [employees]!

Today marks the official launch of our performance process! This afternoon you’ll [receive a kick-off email from Reflektive inviting you to begin]! Please schedule time on your calendar to ensure you can complete your self-assessment and manager reviews by the [mm/dd] deadline!

Completing Your Assessment

In the next [two weeks] we are asking you to:

• Write your self-assessment, which focuses on [impact, goals, values] (due mm/dd)
• Provide feedback about your manager (due mm/dd)
• Provide feedback about your direct report (due mm/dd)

Using Reflektive

Performance reviews will be done in Reflektive. Please login here. We will use Reflektive to send reminders along the way when you still have a task to complete (e.g. submitting your assessment).

Information for Managers

While it’s time to start thinking about the feedback you’ll share in the manager assessment portion of the review, we recommend waiting until self-assessments are submitted so you can incorporate these perspectives in your written assessment.

Timeline

• Self-Review: mm/dd - mm/dd
• Direct Report feedback for manager: mm/dd - mm/dd
• Manager feedback for direct reports: mm/dd - mm/dd
• Review conversations: mm/dd - mm/dd
• Review Closes: mm/dd

Training

We'll be hosting [3] sessions the following weeks during the following times. Please come to learn more about our performance management philosophy and our process. 

• [Monday, 6/15 from 1 - 2 pm]
• [Wednesday, 6/17 from 1 - 2 pm]

Information for New Employees

If you were hired on or after [April 1st], you will not participate in this check-in. Please consider attending training so you have an idea of what to expect for our next cycle. We encourage you to spend time with your manager to ensure you have goals in place.

Action Items:

• Please write your self assessment by mm/dd
• Managers, please wait until your direct report finishes their assessment before you write your manager assessment
• To make sure that both you and your manager are aware of when you will have your performance review conversation, either create a new calendar invite for your conversation or specify which 1x1 will be designated as your conversation time

If you can't make the training and need additional help, please let me know.

Thank you for your participation!

[Signature for HR Team]

• 360 Review Announcement

Subject: [360 Self-Assessments launch today!]
From: HR team or Your Executive Sponsor
To: All employees
Cc: Executive Sponsor
Bcc: Your CSM

Good morning [employees]!

Today marks the official launch of our 360 process! This afternoon you’ll [receive a kick-off email from Reflektive inviting you to begin]! Please schedule time on your calendar to ensure you can complete your self-assessment and peer and manager reviews by the [mm/dd] deadline!

Completing Your Assessment

In the next [two weeks] we are asking you to:

• Select peers (due mm/dd)
• Approve peer reviewers for your team (manager only - due mm/dd)
• Write your self-assessment, which focuses on [impact, goals, values] (due mm/dd)
• Provide feedback to your direct reports and manager (due mm/dd)
• Provide any requested feedback for others (due mm/dd)
• Administer feedback to your team (manager only - due mm/dd)

Using Reflektive

[Year-end reviews] will be done in Reflektive. Please login here. We will use Reflektive to send reminders along the way when you still have a task to complete (e.g. submitting your peer feedback list or your self-assessment).

Information for Managers

While it’s time to start thinking about the feedback you’ll share in the manager assessment portion of the review, we recommend waiting until self-assessments, and peer and direct report feedback are submitted so you can incorporate these perspectives in your written review.

Here are few things to keep in mind:

• Managers have the opportunity to review and approve which peers are asked to provide feedback - please do this in a timely manner, as the requests for feedback are not sent out until you approve them

Training

We'll be hosting [#] sessions the following weeks during the following times. Please come to learn more about our performance management philosophy and our 360 process. 

• [Monday, 6/15 from 1 - 2 pm]
• [Wednesday, 6/17 from 1 - 2 pm]

Information for New Employees

If you were hired on or after [April 1st], you will not participate in this review. Please consider attending training so you have an idea of what to expect for our next cycle. We encourage you to spend time with your manager to ensure you have goals in place.

Action Items:

• Talk to your manager about who to select as a peer and select them by mm/dd
• Write your self assessment by mm/dd
• To make sure that both you and your manager are aware of when you will have your performance review conversation, either create a new calendar invite for your conversation or specify which 1x1 will be designated as your conversation time

If you can't make the training and need additional help, please let me know.

Thank you for your participation!

[Signature for HR Team]

• Goal Check-In Announcement

Subject: [Q2 Check-In Launch Today!]
From: HR team
To: all employees
Cc: Executive Sponsor
Bcc: Your CSM

Good morning [employees]!

Based on feedback we’ve received from you in the past, and some changes we are making to our overall performance management strategy, we have decided to run a more frequent, yet light-weight Check-In. [Elaborate on why this decision was made and what you hope to achieve.]

Why Are We Doing Goal Check-Ins at [Company]?

• [Insert your top 3 key themes here!]
• [Ex: Ensure employees and managers are aligned on top objectives]
• [Ex: Discuss and assess progress on goals]
• [Ex: Facilitate conversations about feedback and growth]

Using Reflektive

[Q2 Check-In] will be done in Reflektive (login here). We'll use Reflektive to send reminders along the way when you still have a task to complete (e.g. submitting your check-in). 
Important: Please be sure to update your active goals before submitting your check-in. Once you or your manager submits the check-in, your active goals will no longer update in the check-in form!

Information for Managers

While it’s time to start thinking about the feedback you’ll share in the manager assessment portion of the check-in, we recommend waiting until self-assessments are submitted so you can incorporate these perspectives in your written assessment.

Timeline

• Update Goals: mm/dd
• Employee Education on Self-Check-In: mm/dd
• Self-Check-In: mm/dd - mm/dd
• Manager Check-In: mm/dd - mm/dd
• Check-In Conversations: mm/dd - mm/dd
• Check-In Closes: mm/dd

Training

We'll be hosting [3] sessions the following weeks during the following times. Please come to learn more about our performance management philosophy and our check-in process. 

• Goal Setting Education for all employees on ______
• We are adding additional education and/or resources for everyone:
  • mm/dd - Manager training
  • mm/dd - Individual contributor training

Information for New Employees

If you were hired on or after [April 1st], you will not participate in this check-in. Please consider attending training so you have an idea of what to expect for our next cycle. We encourage you to spend time with your manager to ensure you have goals in place.

Action Items:

• Please write your self check-in by mm/dd
• Managers, please wait until your direct report finishes their self check-in before you submit!
• To make sure that both you and your manager are aware of when you will have your check-in conversation, either create a new calendar invite for your check-in or specify which 1X1 will be designated as your check-in

If you can't make the training and need additional help, please let me know.

Thank you for your participation!

[Signature for HR Team]

• Conversations Announcement

Subject: It's time for Check-In Conversations!
From: HR team
To: all employees
Cc: Executive Sponsor
Bcc: Your CSM

Good morning [employees]!

We are now in the final part of our check-in, which is having a check-in conversation. We expect these conversations to start [mm/dd] and are complete by [mm/dd]. 

A check-in conversation typically reviews the following 3 things:

• [Ex: Ensure employees and managers are aligned on top objectives]
• [Ex: Discuss and assess progress on goals]
• [Ex: Facilitate conversations about feedback and growth]

Information for Managers

Prior to your check-in conversation, you may want to ask your employees to email you what type of feedback they'd like to receive more of: Appreciation, Coaching or Evaluation

Reminder: submit your manager check-in after you have the conversation!

Office Hours

To provide support for you in preparing for this conversation, we have set up time for you to sign up for 1:1 office hours.

• Office hours:
  • mm/dd
  • mm/dd

Action Items:

• Employees, please create a new calendar invite for your check-in or specify which 1x1 will be designated as your check-in

Thank you for your participation!

[Signature for HR Team]