Theme: Self-evaluation. Self-assesment

THEME: Self-evaluation. Self-assesment
It may not be clear to those who of us who don’t enjoy talking about ourselves, but there are many benefits of self-evaluation and assessment. Often if you dread your annual performance review, you are not alone. The chances are that your manager is equally unenthusiastic about the meeting. Numerous studies in the last decade have found that managers and employees alike are sick of the annual charade. Companies are under increasing pressure to up their talent management efforts.
The reward-punishment structure of the annual review saps morale. Managers hate conducting them and employees dread them. So, what’s the alternative?
Self-evaluation and more regular discussions are the new meaningful and resourceful way of managing employee reviews. In recent years, many companies have ditched the annual appraisal in favour of more regular continuous feedback. The evolution of self-evaluation has been a big part of this shift. And now self-assessment is proving far more successful in its outcomes than the hated annual review.
The emphasis has shifted from past performance to what employees need to develop and grow. Self-assessment has been integral to this change.
Need further convincing? Here’s the lowdown on the benefits of self-evaluation and assessment.
What is self-evaluation?
Simply put, self-evaluation is the ability to examine yourself to find out how much progress you have made. It requires employees to monitor their own abilities and evaluate strengths and weaknesses. It puts employees largely in charge of their own development.
A self-evaluation means considering questions such as:

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  Where have you excelled?
  
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  What achievements are you most proud of?
  
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  Where do you feel you need more support?
  
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  What goals do you wish you could have accomplished?
  
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  What would help you to accomplish these goals?
  
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  What do you most like about your job?
  
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  What do you most dislike about your job?
  
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  What improvements could be made to make your role easier?
  
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  What components of your job would you like to eliminate and why?
  
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  What career goals to you hope to accomplish in the next three years?
  

These are the kind of questions included in a self-evaluation – ones that prompt thought about performance. The purpose of a self-assessment is to help an individual know the extent of their abilities and to improve upon them. It can be daunting to an employee when they first start self-evaluating, but over time it becomes more natural.
There are many advantages of self-evaluation and assessment to both staff and employers/managers.