5 Questions: A Deceptively Simple Performance Evaluation

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Here is a VERY succinct performance evaluation that I’ve used for years. Called 5 Questions, the employee completes it, submits it to the manager, then they discuss and refine it together during the evaluation interview. Here are the questions:

1. What goals did you accomplish since your last evaluation (or hire)?
2. What goals were you unable to accomplish and what hindered you from achieving them?
3. What goals will you set for the next period?
4. What resources do you need from the organization to achieve these goals?
5. Based on YOUR personal satisfaction with your job (workload, environment, pay, challenge, etc.) how would you rate your satisfaction from 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent.) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

You do have to stress that question #5 is not how well they think they’re doing their job, but how satisfied they are with the job.

The great thing about this evaluation is that it’s one piece of paper and not too intimidating. Staff can use phrases or sentences and write as little or as much as they like. If it’s hard to get a conversation going with the employee, ask them “What was your thought process when you assigned your job satisfaction a number __.” Usually that opens the flood gates!

If you use a goal-oriented evaluation like this one, you’ll find that employees will grasp that you are asking for their performance to be beyond the day-to-day tasks, and to focus on learning new skills, teaching others, creative thinking and problem-solving and new solutions for efficiency and productivity.

For help with job performance words and phrases, click here.

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Tags: creative thinking, goals, manager, performance evaluation, problem-solving, satisfaction