June marks the halfway point in the year and serves as a great time to reevaluate our personal and professional goals and objectives, and take a step back and review where we are at, and what we need to do. Many of us start the new year out with a list of “to do” items; with an agenda filled with projects to complete, tasks to accomplish, and objectives to meet.

Many organizations conduct annual performance reviews, either administering all reviews at a set time, or sitting down with employees at the time of their employment anniversaries throughout the year. Mid-year performance reviews are not as common, but implementing an informal assessment can provide your employees with a chance to take a look at what they have accomplished so far in the year, and set new, short-term goals to aid in reaching their annual objectives.

A full year between performance evaluations is a long time. Meeting with your employees on a bi-annual basis has a number of advantages including:

  • Less time lapse between evaluations which translates to fresher memories
  • Ability to more accurately assess performance
  • Early opportunities to provide incentives to top performers
  • A mid-point to focus on both past and future, annual goals
  • A chance to focus on in-person communication in a more thoughtful and informal setting

As with all meetings with your employees, make sure to document the conversation and outline future objectives and expectations. We encourage you to take this mid-year time that is upon us as a chance to reflect with your employees on their progress so far this year, and establish clear goals to propel them forward into the remainder of the year. These informal meetings are a great way to keep morale up and increase productivity, so remember to keep the lines of communication open and routine for optimal results.