How to write a self-appraisal for a performance review

16 of February, 2021

If you are reading this, I imagine your manager has just sent you a self-appraisal form to fill in as part of your performance review. And you are wondering what you should write and how. Well, you have come to the right place. In this article we explain how to self-evaluate and how to write a professional self-appraisal.

Take it seriously

Performance appraisal has many benefits and the self-evaluation is a crucial part of the performance review. It is the perfect time to reflect on your recent achievements, see if you reached the goals you had set yourself, and point out what you could improve. Moreover, it keeps the communication alive between you and the manager. And last but not least, it gives you the opportunity to give your own opinion about your performance; you wouldn’t want your supervisors to judge your work  and measure your efficiency without you being given a say in the matter, would you?

Review your job description

If you’re not sure where to start, then it’s a good idea to read your job description again. It entails all the tasks you are responsible for and what the expectations are. Review each task in the description and ask yourself honestly how well you have been completing it and if you have improved since the last performance review.

Review your feedback

Reviewing what your colleagues and supervisors think of your work can help you determine what the expectations are and if you have been meeting them. You can go back to previous assessments or to any time during the last year where you received feedback. This will give credibility to your self-appraisal.

Highlight your accomplishments

On of the perks of being asked to do a self-evaluation is that you are given the perfect opportunity to remind your managers of your accomplishments. So take this opportunity to highlight your achievements within specific projects and make sure to emphasise the positive impact it had on the business. To do this in the most effective way, you can use the STAR method. State the Situation you were in, the Task you had to complete, the Actions you took and finally the Results you got.

Be honest and show your willingness to improve

Beside stating your achievements, your self-appraisal should also point out to whatever weakness you may have. Be honest about any shortcomings that might have arisen during the last year and identify the areas to improve. But while it is important to own up to any weak point, do not do it in a self-deprecating tone. Describe what you learned from your failures and how those experiences will help you perform better in the future. You should then set clear and realistic goals that prove your motivation to improve but also your understanding of what the company needs from you.

Use analytics

Including measurable data in your self-appraisal will immediately give it more weight. Indeed, numbers and statistics will show that you took this assignment seriously and that you took the time to do give a self-evaluation of good quality. You can use it to illustrate your past accomplishments. There are also a good way to justify the goals you are setting for the future. Sesame’s employee panel allows you the record the time spent on different tasks, creating data that you can include in your self-appraisal.

Adopt a professional tone

Sure, you should primarily focus on the content of your self-evaluation, but form is also important. Your manager is much more likely to take your self-appraisal seriously if you write it in an adequate tone.