Every day I wake up I say to myself, “let’s get this bread”. It’s become my mantra. My daily reminder to hit the ground (and grind) running. Let’s face it, money is a HUGE factor as to why you go to work each day. So the prospect of making more of it is really what makes the chase more enticing.
In order to score that promotion at work, you’ll need to smash your performance review. These can come quarterly, bi-annually or annually. No matter their frequency each is a golden opportunity to acknowledge benchmarks, your successes and to make your case as to why you deserve MORE.
7 easy tips for nailing your work review so you can get the promotion you want!
- Document your goals
Understand what is expected of you in your role. You can do this by reviewing your job description to start.
What were your goals? Did you accomplish them? Maybe you went above and beyond! Were there new responsibilities you’ve taken on since you started, or maybe things within your job that you would like to be spending more time on? All this is gold when it comes to your review for a promotion. The company wants to know the value you’re bringing.
Throughout the year understand what the goals of your role are and put a plan in motion to achieve them.
Pro Tip: Make your personal goals pertaining to your role time-sensitive and measurable. This helps keep you on track, motivated and able to provide real data as to how the goals were met.
- Track your accomplishments
Wins help with raises!
A great way to keep track of your accomplishments throughout your time with a company is to simply track them yourself. Use notes, a google doc, a spreadsheet – whatever works for you!
Be specific when filling out your accomplishment tracker. Add links, or creative files, screenshots – anything that supports your accomplishment should live in this space.
Keep your records up to date and organized so that this step doesn’t become a burden. Adding in a 5 min review reminder to fill it in on your Monday or Friday can be a real game-changer.
- Understand how you add value to the company & Argue your Impact
Once you have #1 + #2 down it’s time to bring out the big guns. Now’s the time to make your point as to why in fact you deserve that raise. To do this you’ll need to understand the value you bring to the company and this goes beyond your formal job description, hitting your goals and overachieving.
First, consider what parts of your role have potential to positively impact your company’s bottom line? Then look back at 2-3 projects you worked on and summarize your impact, the results of the project and any positive feedback you received on them. Edit this summary into a few digestible points for your boss.
When it comes to your “value” at the company, yes it’s your actions, but it’s also your essence. Your day-to-day attitude must also support the company’s mission and objectives in order to be seen as valuable. You need to be a team member that is tough to lose and even more tough to replace.
4. Push for quarterly review
Another helpful tip if you have the option is to ask for a quarterly review. This allows you to:
- Stay on track of your goals to assure your meeting the company’s goals.
- Course-correct if you aren’t meeting them. Assess your success and/or failures, fix what’s not working and keep pushing!
- Get real time feedback and ask for support. Your manager is there for a reason and should be a resource you rely on.
Quarterly reviews also add to your ammo when asking for raises as you have more proof of your successes and can show your growth. Also the more experience you have with them the more prepared and comfortable you will be with them overall.
5. Ask for support
Your manager is there for a reason! There is no dumb questions it’s true. Always ask if you’re unsure or want to clarify something. It’s not a sign of weakness or incompetence, it’s you progressing your skills and knowledge. If possible, lean on a mentor or coach while in your role at a company. Having this resource and relationship can shorten the learning curve you may experience. This is a significant advantage that you may take for granted and wish you had later in your career. Learn all you can – period.
If you’re falling off track with your goals – ask for guidance. Unsure if you’re meeting expectations – ask for feedback. It’s way better to know upfront rather than be surprised at your review. Keeping a constant dialogue open will ultimately benefit you in the long run.
6. Optimize the time you spend working
Find what works for you in your role to help you achieve your goals. Making the most out of your work-day will help you be the best little worker bee in the hive. Maybe it’s showing up to work early to get settled in, having 10 min huddles at the start of the day with your team or working at hours that suit you best for productivity.
Finding what works best for you in order to be the best employee you can is important. I’m a firm believer in working smarter not harder.
The better you work, the more you achieve and the more successes you will have as leverage for that raise. Plus when you’re happy, others will notice and that is infectious in the workplace.
7. Be the change
Feedback can be tough to hear especially if it’s not delivered well or if you hear something you weren’t expecting but it’s important to stay open. Understanding everything is a learning opportunity and an opportunity to grow is key. Rather than being passive when it comes to your career, be engaged.
If you find yourself getting negative feedback on a project or in your review, step back and listen. Never act on impulse or get emotional, simply say “thank you for your feedback”. Process the feedback and instead of being defensive use it as a way to course-correct and get back on track.
Ask your manager: “What isn’t working and what can be done?”
Don’t let the answer be vague either. Always probe with follow-up questions. This should help bring a sense of understanding to the issue, allow you to think of ways to correct it and move on. Not everything is going to be perfect, but it’s in those moments of failure you have the opportunity to do better. Overcoming obstacles, creating new processes and finding solutions to problems all helps bolster your point as to how you were able to meet a goal.
In the past I’ve gone into reviews thinking “my work will speak for itself. They love me, how could they NOT give me a raise?!”. Only to be met with crushing disappointment. It wasn’t until I took command of my career, created a plan and kept track and proof of why I deserve a raise was I successful.
Your professional growth does not just happen only in your performance review. Yes, it’s a great checkpoint and opportunity to measure your progress, but the best way to kill your performance review is to ask for and receive feedback throughout the year. Constantly access yourself to see where you can improve in order to hit your goals. Track those accomplishments and go into your review confident because you have the how and why all figured out.
Do you have any tips or tricks you use for performance reviews? Maybe a fool-proof way to make your boss dish out a fat raise to double your salary? If so please share in the comments below.
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