The Toolkit for Self-Appraisal Process!

It is that time of year again when employees pull their socks up for the evaluation process and prepare to outline their performance for the entire year.

When it comes to the appraisal process, the self-appraisal process needs no introduction.

It helps working individuals reflect on their performance and identify their achievements, strengths, challenges, and avenues for growth.

But, only those employees who have listed down all their attainments clearly have more recall value in this process.

And, employees who end up self-praising over concrete points do not get anything out of it.

Let’s dig deeper and know more about the self-appraisal process!

What is Self-Appraisal?

An integral part of the performance management process is receiving feedback from bosses and managers.

But, employees do not agree with their feedback all the time. This is when the self-appraisal process comes into the picture.

As the name suggests, it is a simple process where employees examine their own performance and present it to their managers.

Every employer should encourage this process in their company.

It gives a fair opportunity to employees to reflect on their productivity from the past performance cycle.

The process even aids companies to find out the improvements areas of employees effortlessly.

Why is Self-Appraisal Important?

Do you know a good number of employees are still scared of the self-appraisal process?

A study by Regent University stated that employees dislike this process for a host of reasons.

Now, do not start thinking otherwise about the self-appraisal process.

Like a coin has two sides, this process too has several good reasons to be considered.

Take a look at the top five reasons why self-appraisal is a vital process and why employers should prioritize it.

How Can One Write Self-Appraisal?

• Write Down All Your Major Accomplishments
• Connect the Examples to Your KRAs 
• Keep The Professional Tone & Be Crisp
• Analyze Yourself With Fairness

Here’s how you should write your self-appraisal:

• List Down Your Attainments

Most often, hesitation to highlight one’s work and contribution is a common reason why most working individuals fail to put forth their accomplishments in an impressive manner.

While self-evaluating, you must speak about yourself with utmost confidence, dignity, and diplomacy.

To do this, make a list including all your attainments and mention them under appropriate sections.

Do not forget to keep all the information factual.

Say, for instance, rather than writing, “won new clients”, try to write the name of those clients you have gained for the company.

• Spell Out The Examples to KRAs

If you think self-evaluation is about highlighting only your high-performance areas, then you are certainly wrong.

To make the most out of the self-appraisal process, you should link all the details to your key result areas or KRAs.

This will draw all the attention to your overall performance and demonstrate that you take your job responsibilities seriously.

In simpler words, ensure to mention high-performance details in all your job functions.

• Maintain a Professional Tone & Keep it To-the-Point

Even the best working professional can seem seedy with a poorly-drafted self-appraisal.

To avoid such a scenario, do not use casual words or phrases for your appraisal document.

Always try to pick the right words and maintain a professional tone to leave a good impression.

The words you use should turn a mediocre appraisal into an eyebrow-raising document.

Additionally, keep every sentence short as well as crisp. Plus, writing in the first person will add more value to it.

• Examine Yourself Fairly

This is one of the vital things to do.

Instead of getting into a self-praising mode, you should write definite facts.

If your self-evaluation form only includes your self-praise, it will show that you do not acknowledge your low-performance areas.

So, a part of your self-appraisal should also include some of your weaknesses as well as mistakes.

Do not worry, adding such details won’t have a negative impact on your appraisal. On the contrary, it will portray that you have a balanced image of yourself.

Appraisal Letter – Format, Meaning, Writing Tips, and Example

3 Tips For An Effective Self-Appraisal Process

• Create a Checklist
• Refer Your Performance Journal Notes
• Don’t Fill the Form in Haste

Now that you know how to write a self-appraisal, here are three tips for you to ensure an effective self-appraisal process:

• Creating a Checklist is *MUST*

It is important to have a list of areas outlined that you wish your appraisal discussion to include.

With a checklist that you want to discuss with your senior, you will not just be sure of a fruitful appraisal but also have clarity in your mind about your position/career prospects.

For instance, you can create a checklist like Training, Career Growth, On-site opportunities, etc.

• Take Help From Journal Notes

Let’s face it, you can forget even the biggest event that happened in a whole year at the time of performance evaluation.

So, it is suggested to have a journal and document all your attainments in it- from successes, work done, to problems faced throughout the year.

Having such details handy makes sure that no manager’s assessment is biased for a recent event of an employee.

With a journal, you will also find no difficulty filling out your appraisal form.

• Be Prompt But Calm

Most employees normally treat their appraisal form filling as a tiring task and keep it for the last moment.

When the deadline arrives, they fill out their forms in haste and forget to add critical details that could have played a significant role in their discussion.

So, fill out your self-appraisal form in advance and take your own sweet time for the same.

Parting Thoughts

We hope this blog helped you to gain a clear understanding of the self-appraisal process.

So, it is your career- you must leverage the self-appraisal to let the management acknowledge your hard work and acquire fruitful feedback that will give the right direction to your career.

To have both the power and responsibility to ensure your career advancement- diligently filling your appraisal form is core to it. So, all the best!