Article
10 min read
Actionable Self-Assessment Tips for Employees Writing Performance Reviews
Global HR
Worker experience
Author
Lorelei Trisca
Published
August 30, 2024
Last Update
November 25, 2024
Table of Contents
Reflect on your achievements
Be honest and objective
Use specific examples
Align with company goals
Focus on role-specific competencies
Focus on outcomes
Focus on career development
Identify areas for improvement and suggest how to address them
Common mistakes to avoid when completing a self-assessment
Automate performance reviews with Deel Engage
Key takeaways
- The self-assessment process is a valuable opportunity to reflect on accomplishments and how they align with the goals set during the last performance review cycle.
- A self-assessment requires balancing strengths with an honest evaluation of areas for improvement. This balanced approach shows self-awareness and a proactive attitude toward personal and professional growth.
- Providing specific examples and focusing on the outcomes of your initiatives are crucial for self-assessments. Concrete examples illustrate the direct impact of your work and help make your achievements and contributions more tangible.
Self-assessment and proactive reflection are critical for continuous improvement and career development.
As part of your employee self-assessment, it’s essential to reflect on your achievements and areas for improvement to demonstrate your value and commitment to growth.
Follow these actionable self-assessment tips when writing your next performance review.
Reflect on your achievements
Reflecting on your achievements is a crucial first step in assessing your job performance because it highlights the value you’ve added to the organization.
Identify significant accomplishments from the review period and consider how these achievements have aligned with the goals set during the last employee performance review cycle. Focusing on these accomplishments will demonstrate your dedication and hard work and provide a clear narrative of your progress and growth.
Start by listing specific accomplishments that contributed to your team’s objectives. These could include completing a major project ahead of schedule, improving a process that increased efficiency, or successfully leading a team through a challenging period.
For example, if one of your goals from the previous review cycle was to improve customer satisfaction, you could mention a project where you implemented a new feedback system that resulted in a 20% increase in positive customer reviews. Be specific about your role in these achievements and how they contributed to the overall success of your team.
Relating your accomplishments to the goals set during the last review cycle is essential. It demonstrates progress and your ability to prioritize under pressure. Reflect on how each achievement aligns with the objectives you worked toward. Did you meet or exceed your targets? How did your actions support the broader goals of your team or the company?
For example, suppose your goal was to improve communication between team members. In that case, you might detail a project where you helped implement a new communication tool or SOP that made conversations more seamless.
By reflecting on your achievements and clearly connecting them to your goals, you demonstrate the value you’ve added to the organization and your commitment to constantly growing and evolving.
Performance Management
Be honest and objective
Your employee self-evaluation is an opportunity to reflect honestly on your strengths and weaknesses, demonstrating self-awareness and a commitment to growth. Start by highlighting key strengths that have contributed to your team’s success.
For instance, if you excel at project management, mention how your organizational skills ensured you completed projects on time and within budget. Use specific examples to show how your strengths align with the goals set in the last review cycle.
Equally important is acknowledging areas where you can improve to show a proactive approach to personal development.
For example, if time management is challenging, mention instances where better prioritization could have enhanced your performance. Showcase this challenge as a learning opportunity and outline the steps you plan to take to improve, such as adopting new productivity tools or seeking mentorship.
Balancing strengths and areas for improvement shows you as a reflective employee. It prepares you for constructive discussions during your performance review. This approach helps set a clear path for continuous improvement and career development.
Use specific examples
When writing a self-assessment, using specific examples is crucial for illustrating your points and proving your achievements.
For example, rather than simply stating that you improved team productivity, provide a specific situation: “I implemented a new project management tool that streamlined our workflow, reducing project completion times by 15% over the last quarter.” This example clearly shows the direct impact of your actions and provides measurable results that align with your team’s goals.
Similarly, if you’re discussing a strength, like leadership, cite a specific scenario: “During a critical project deadline, I organized daily stand-up meetings to keep the team aligned and motivated, which resulted in the project being delivered two weeks ahead of schedule.”
By providing specific examples like the above ones, you can clearly articulate your successes and areas for improvement, making your self-assessment a powerful tool for career development and continuous growth.
Do you need additional inspiration?
Check out our self-evaluation examples and 360 feedback examples.
Align with company goals
When writing your self-assessment, it is essential to show how your work has supported the organization’s objectives. Doing so demonstrates your understanding of the company’s goals and your commitment to contributing to its overall success.
First, you must understand the big picture and the key organizational goals. Then, relate them to your specific contributions.
For example, if the company’s goal is to expand market share, mention how your efforts in a marketing campaign led to a 10% increase in new customer acquisition.
Consider how your daily responsibilities and projects fit into broader company strategies.
If one of the goals is to improve operational efficiency, describe how you implemented a new process that reduced workflow bottlenecks and saved the team 15 hours per week.
This aligns your achievements with company goals and highlights your impact on the organization’s overall performance. As a bonus, this puts you in a prime position to negotiate a promotion.
Focus on role-specific competencies
Next, focus on the competencies specific to your role and demonstrate how you have effectively showcased these skills. This helps reinforce your value within the organization. Here’s how you can go about it:
- Identify the key competencies required for your role, such as technical expertise, leadership, problem-solving skills, or communication abilities
- Reflect on how you have demonstrated these competencies in your work
- Come up with concrete situations—for example, if a critical competency for your role is analytical thinking, provide an instance where you used data analysis that led to a strategic decision, resulting in a 20% increase in sales
Suppose your role requires strong leadership. In that case, you might highlight a situation where you successfully led a cross-functional team through a challenging project. Perhaps your team delivered results ahead of schedule and under budget. Mention specific actions you took to guide the team, such as setting clear goals, providing regular feedback, or encouraging collaboration.
By focusing on role-specific competencies in your self-assessment, you clearly show how your skills and actions contribute to your team’s and the organization’s success. This reflection helps to showcase your strengths and reinforces that you’re ready and willing to grow within the company.
Focus on outcomes
When writing your self-assessment, it’s crucial to focus on the outcomes of your actions and initiatives. Highlight the tangible impact of your work to demonstrate your effectiveness and value to the organization. Incorporate specific metrics that prove your achievements to back up your claims.
Start by detailing the outcomes of your key initiatives with a positive attitude.
For example, instead of stating that you “improved team efficiency,” provide concrete evidence: “I implemented a new project management tool that reduced project turnaround time by 30%, enabling the team to handle an additional three projects per quarter.” This example clearly shows the impact of your actions and provides measurable results.
If your role involves sales or client relations, use metrics to underscore your contributions.
For instance, “By refining our sales pitch and leveraging customer feedback, I increased my quarterly sales by 25%, contributing an additional $50,000 in revenue to the company.” Such data points provide a clear and quantifiable view of your performance.
Focusing on outcomes, supported by data and metrics, makes your self-assessment more objective and highlights your contributions’ real impact. This approach strengthens your review and showcases your commitment to achieving meaningful results for the organization.
Focus on career development
In your self-assessment, focus on your career development by mentioning how your achievements from the last review period have brought you closer to your goals. Include both long-term and short-term goals. Also, this is your chance to consider any new paths you want to explore within the company.
Here’s how to go about it:
Start by identifying your short-term goals for the next period.
For example, if you want to enhance your leadership skills, mention how taking on more team lead responsibilities or participating in a leadership training program could help you achieve this.
Reflect on recent achievements, such as successfully leading a project or mentoring a new hire, and explain how these experiences have prepared you for a larger leadership role.
Next, outline your long-term career objectives.
For example, if you aspire to move into a senior management position, describe the skills and experiences you need to develop to reach that goal.
Highlight how your accomplishments over the past review period, such as driving a significant initiative or achieving key performance metrics, have aligned with this broader career path.
Consider whether there are any new areas within the company you’d like to explore—and what the organization has to gain from supporting your evolution.
For instance, if you’re interested in transitioning to a different department, such as marketing or product development, mention how gaining experience in these areas could contribute to the organization’s success.
By clearly articulating your career development goals and reflecting on your progress, you demonstrate a proactive approach to your professional growth and a commitment to advancing within the company.
Identify areas for improvement and suggest how to address them
As previously mentioned, it’s important to mention your areas of improvement, too. This showcases your self-awareness and accountability for your growth.
Here are five steps to address areas for improvement and set achievable targets:
- Identify areas for improvement: Reflect on feedback received, performance challenges faced, and personal observations—for instance, if time management has been an issue, note how missed deadlines or delays have impacted your work
- Provide specific examples: Illustrate the areas for development with concrete examples—for example, “I noticed that I sometimes missed project deadlines, which affected team deliverables.”
- Suggest solutions: Propose actionable steps to address these areas—for example, to improve time management, you could commit to using a new project management tool or try techniques like time blocking. “To address time management challenges, I plan to use a project management app to better prioritize tasks and set clear deadlines. I will also attend a time management workshop to refine my skills.”
- Set achievable targets: Define clear, measurable goals for improvement—for example, “I aim to improve project delivery times by 20% over the next quarter by implementing new scheduling techniques and regularly reviewing progress with the team.”
- Monitor progress and adjust: Regularly track your progress toward these targets, and be prepared to adjust your approach as needed—for example, “I will review my time management progress monthly and discuss new strategies with my mentor if deadlines are still missed.”
By identifying areas for improvement, proposing tangible solutions, and setting achievable goals, you show a proactive approach to personal and professional development. This helps you grow professionally, align with the organization’s goals, and enhance your overall performance.
Common mistakes to avoid when completing a self-assessment
Keep this list in mind when completing your self-assessment to avoid these common pitfalls.
Being overly modest or boastful
Bad example: “I think I did okay this year, but I’m sure others did just as well or better.”
Good example: “I successfully led three major projects that resulted in a 15% increase in efficiency, which directly contributed to meeting our department’s annual goals.”
Bad example: “I’m the best at what I do and made all the difference in the team’s success.”
Good example: “I led the project to implement a new client onboarding process, which improved client satisfaction scores by 20%. My contributions were part of a collaborative effort that included valuable input from team members.”
Using vague language
Bad example: “I worked hard on many tasks and helped the team.”
Good example: “I completed a comprehensive market analysis that identified key trends, leading to a 10% increase in sales. I also organized weekly team meetings to ensure we stayed on track with our project milestones.”
Bad example: “I did my job well and made some improvements.”
Good example: “I streamlined our reporting process by integrating new software, which reduced the time spent on reports from 10 hours to 4 hours per week.”
Ignoring feedback from previous reviews
Bad example: “I haven’t had the chance to address last year’s feedback yet.”
Good example: “In response to last year’s constructive feedback about improving my communication skills, I attended a communication workshop and have since implemented weekly updates to keep the team informed on project progress.”
Failing to mention team contributions
Bad example: “I completed the project independently and achieved great results.”
Good example: “I led a team of five on the project, coordinating tasks and ensuring everyone met their deadlines. Our collective efforts resulted in a successful launch that exceeded performance targets by 20%.”
Avoiding these common mistakes ensures your self-assessment is balanced and clear and acknowledges both your individual contributions and collaborative efforts. This approach enhances the credibility of your review and provides a comprehensive view of your performance.
Automate performance reviews with Deel Engage
Deel Engage ’s performance and feedback module makes it easy for human resources teams to launch and maintain a feedback system that includes upward, downward, peer, and self-evaluation programs. Additionally, the learning module ensures that each team member has the opportunity to grow within the organization.
With Deel Engage, you’ll ensure:
- Streamlined performance management: Manage performance reviews efficiently with the option to include competency assessments, so you can easily evaluate employees against clearly defined criteria and organizational standards
- Continuous feedback mechanisms: Use regular performance check-ins to provide ongoing feedback, allowing employees to address issues and make improvements in real-time rather than waiting for annual reviews
- Aligned goal setting and tracking: Set clear, measurable goals and track progress throughout the year
- Efficient career development planning: Support employee growth by integrating career development planning into the review process—employees can set and track career goals, participate in development training, and explore new opportunities within the organization
Deel Engage simplifies the performance review process and supports continuous growth and development for every team member. In addition, Deel HR, our truly global HRIS solution, is always included for free.
Book a demo to see how our solutions will help you build a high-performance workforce.
About the author
Lorelei Trisca is a content marketing manager passionate about everything AI and the future of work. She is always on the hunt for the latest HR trends, fresh statistics, and academic and real-life best practices. She aims to spread the word about creating better employee experiences and helping others grow in their careers.