Making the most of your end of year review

Wearing: skirt c/0 Theory (runs big, size down!)| sweater (similar)| boots (similar and under $90!)

I’ve now had three different jobs since graduating college, and there is one thing consistent across all of them – end of year conversations are always a little awkward! End of year conversations are approaching, and for most of us, it is the one time of year that we are able to assess our professional performance and discuss our goals with those we work with. Unless you are at a firm that has a constant stream of performance (there are some hedge funds that track employee performance in live time – even for people who aren’t traders or portfolio managers!!!), your end of year conversation is your one chance a year to not only hear how the firm thinks of you but to ask for what you need. Below is my advice for key things you don’t want to forget as your review approaches:

Be grateful for feedback. Any feedback at all – negative or positive – can only make you better. Nobody is perfect, and you’d be lucky to be told exactly what you need to do to improve rather than to guess. Remember, it’s a lot harder to deliver negative feedback.
Be gracious, but ask for examples! If there are things you need to work on, make sure you truly understand the feedback. Do not get defensive, but ask for specific examples. This eliminates any emotional statements that are made purely based on how someone feels about you. For example (LOL) if someone says, “you don’t seem like you are passionate about what you’re doing…” it would be very difficult for you to change your colleague’s sentiment. However, if you ask for examples, you could get a sense of WHY it comes off that you’re not passionate about what you’re doing.
Always ask about what you need to do to get promoted, even if it is premature. Setting measurable goals is a key to moving upwards in a company. Even if you were just recently promoted, you should always have your eye on your next move. If the response you get is, you can be up for promotion again in 3 years, I would push back and ask not about time but about production. What metrics do I need to hit? What if I take on added responsibilities?
Do not feel embarrassed to ask about compensation. It is much better to start an open dialogue with your employer surrounding your compensation expectations rather than to be surprised at the end of the year. Employers have the goal of paying employees as little as possible to keep them happy, and a firm will not pay you more unless they “have to”. Although it feels uncomfortable, it is so important to ask when you can expect your next raise, and again, ask for measurable goals to get there. If you start the conversation this year, next year there should be no surprises. I lobe being in a position to say “Last year, you told me if I did x, y and z I would get a raise – and I did it!”
Be honest with yourself around your performance. Don’t beat yourself up if this wasn’t your best year, but stay motivated and positive to do better next year. This is true even if you hate your job. It is so much easier to get a new job as a top performer.
Keep the conversation focused on YOU. Do not use your review as a chance to complain about other people. Assuming everyone watches the Bachelor (If you don’t… I don’t know if we can be friends) – How annoying is it when some of the girls spend their entire one on one time complaining about the other girls! Don’t be that person. If you are having an issue with a specific person, it is absolutely fine to raise this to your manager (in a calm, unemotional, based in facts sort of way) but try not to do it during your review. Your review should be about YOU.
BE CONFIDENT! It’s okay to disagree and express disappointment as long as you can soundly make an argument as to why your reviewer is wrong and as long as you don’t get emotional. I know this is sort of harsh advice, but It’s just business. Sometimes it does get personal, and when it does you have to laugh it off and think that the person across the table is wasting his or her time picking on someone junior to them (pathetic, right?) But you lose a ton of credibility when you cry. Do anything you can to hold it back… and then grab your work wife, call your mom, hop into that bathroom stall right after and let it go!
Even when you get a glowing review, always ask what more you can be doing.
Assess all of your feedback, and plan out your future. Is this a role I can continue to succeed in? Am I tapped out in my upward mobility and opportunities here? Is the work I’m doing valued? If you’re not hearing or getting what you think you deserve, you don’t need to argue with your employer, instead – just recognize that it’s time to look for another job and be patient to find the right time. Finding a new job on average takes 6 – 12 months!