Employee Appraisals - My Thoughts

​I'm pretty ambivalent about employee reviews. From having done them, I know they are time-consuming if you are conscientious. I don't have any experience whatsoever in receiving a review. I know I am not like anyone else (we are all unique after all). Nevertheless I don't get it. If you don't give feedback daily/weekly, how does an annual/semi-annual review make up for it? If you do give feedback daily/weekly, what is an annual/semi-annual review for?
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My suggestion is to give constant feedback to the employee. Then once or twice a year have a de-briefing that centers on an employee's self-appraisal. I think it would be good for both parties to have this discussion. There are no wrong answers. Who should meet with the employee? Anyone who he/she “works for”, but just the one or two immediate to him/her. There is nothing magic going on, just a conversation that should help each party see things more clearly.

Add to or subtract from these questions to suit your needs or comfort level. Send the questions out; schedule meetings; discuss.

EMPLOYEE SELF-APPRAISAL
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS

1. What do I want to do more of in the next year?
2. What do I want to do less of in the next year?
3. What do I want to do that I am not doing now?
4. What needs to be happening at the firm that isn’t happening now?
5. What item(s) should be purchased to improve the firm?
6. What type of person(s) should be added to our team?
7. What can I do to make myself a better team member?
8. What can the firm do to help me be a better team member?
9. What should I do more of to help the firm?
10. What should I do less of to help the firm?
11. What do I expect to accomplish during the coming year?
12. What parts of my current job interest me the most?
13. What parts of my current job interest me the least?
14. In what parts of my current work assignments do I need more experience and training?
15. Do my work assignments generally make good use of my knowledge and experience? If not, what changes would I like to see to make this happen?
16. Does my work require me to grow and keep up to date? If not, What changes would I like to see to make this happen?
17. Are there any additional items related to work and the work environment that I would like to discuss at this time?

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Another take on reviews from a well-known blogger...
Your Soft Skills Inventory
--Seth Godin

Another helpful post from Godin on a similar topic - Rules For Working In A Studio
Seth isn't thinking about architects in particular but this seems very applicable.