It’s the season for pumpkins, turkey, apple cider, and… self-evaluations! What feelings come to mind when you think of writing a self-evaluation in the workplace? Perhaps the feeling is indifference as you participate in yet another task that piles on top of an ever-growing workload. Or, perhaps the feeling is anxiety as you work through the process of reflection, self-advocacy, and accountability for the first time with this manager and workplace. Whatever feeling comes up for you throughout the process is totally normal – the self-evaluation process can be quite stressful. This article will demystify the self-evaluation process, explain why they are important for our professional growth, and provide tips for writing an effective self-evaluation.
Why are self-evaluations important?
Generally, the self-evaluation process directly ties into the performance review process, and thus are a high-stakes experience for many professionals. Self-evaluations can play a crucial role in fostering self-awareness, personal development, open communication, and accountability within a workplace. Depending on an employee’s organization’s structure and the amount of facetime they might have with their management or leadership, these evaluations can also sometimes be the only touchpoint for evaluation. They are helpful tools for an employee to highlight their achievements and demonstrate their value to their employer. Further, self-evaluations can give you the space to highlight the impact of your achievements or to add context to the challenges of all your work experiences throughout the past year.
How do I write a strong self-evaluation?
A strong self-evaluation begins by reviewing the goals and expectations for your work within the organization and by reflecting on your performance towards these goals and expectations. What did you achieve and what were some challenges and areas of improvement throughout this past evaluation period? Try and recall the specific projects or tasks you completed and any feedback that you received throughout the period. As you reflect on your work, you might discover a tension in potential exaggeration or downplaying of your achievements. It is important to be honest and objective in your self-evaluation – using specific examples and measurable outcomes can help alleviate this tension. When considering past challenges in the workplace, also consider the circumstances and factors that influenced your performance that might have been out of your control. Were there any resource constraints, unexpected changes, or unstable conditions that might have been challenging to navigate? And finally, make sure that you proofread your self-evaluation before you submit! Remember, a good self-evaluation is honest, balanced, and focuses on both achievements and areas for growth. It is a time for you to celebrate your successes and achievements, to showcase your contributions to your team and to demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement. Professional development is an ongoing process and there is always so much to learn about ourselves and how we can improve for the future, whether that is through better goal setting or understanding what kind of support we need to be set up for success.
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