If you are a business owner or hiring manager, June is the time to check in with your employees and team to ensure they are on track to meet their goals. Last June I provided some steps with regards to the Mid-Year Check Up.

The picture says it all, don’t assume your team is on track with key accountabilities and goals for the year, its time to check in. Ideally you would be having monthly conversations with your employees about any obstacles or challenges they may be encountering.

I know how much you dread the six month mark so to think you would take a few minutes each month to check in with your people is, to say the least worse than having a tooth pulled. Am I right? It really doesn’t have to be a dreaded conversation or process.

The economy and business environment have been challenging for all sized businesses. Depending on the person’s role, you may need to adjust your expectations of what goals each individual should be focused on.

As in previous years, I have provided a few steps to ensure a smoother performance review process for you and your team.

• Start at the beginning. In the first part of the year, create, update, revisit the job benchmark for each role on your team.  Has the job changed? Do the key accountabilities need to be updated? Key Accountabiliites are the three to five items (goals) you’ll be holding the individual accountable for throughout the year.
• The use of coaching assessments allows you to know where an individuals skill gaps are and will aid you in your discussions throughout the year.
• Monthly brief check in’s with your employees keeps them on track and alerts you to any progress issues sooner than later. Monthly check in’s also allow for on going feedback and coaching of your employee.
• At the six month mark, set a more formal meeting with your employee and ask them to bring a list of their accomplishments to date. Now is the time to determine if goals need to be change, shifted or spread out among the team.
• Provide feedback, offer suggestions and set development plans with the individual regarding daily changes they may be able to make in order to reach their performance goals.
• The mid-year check in is also a great way to start setting expectations with regard to annual salary increases. While you won’t be able to give specifics, consider providing your top performers with additional non-financial rewards. The best way to know who should receive a larger increase is to keep tabs on performance throughout the year.

Help your team finish strong: set a time to check in with them this month.