Employee Evaluation Techniques for Setting Goals and Objectives

by Lisa McQuerrey, Demand Media
Evaluate an employee's capabilities before developing professional goals.

Evaluate an employee's capabilities before developing professional goals.

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Before you can help an employee set reasonable goals and objectives, you must first evaluate the employee’s level of experience, work habits and overall ability to complete tasks. A project that might take one employee an afternoon to complete may take another employee a week. Evaluating and understanding the strengths and limitations of employees will help you assist them in setting attainable goals and objectives.

Review and Evaluate Past Behavior

One of the best indicators of how an employee will do at meeting objectives is his record of past performance. Study the employee’s work history and evaluate his professional successes and failures. If he consistently misses deadlines or frequently fails to meet stated goals and objectives, it may be necessary to set short-term goals with singular objectives. If an employee regularly surpasses expectations and is a reliable go-getter, you may ask this person to challenge himself by undertaking long-range, complex goals with multiple objectives.

Determine Competency

Does an employee have the ability to do the tasks set forth in his goals and objectives? Before assigning projects and timelines, evaluate the employee’s ability to fully complete the tasks. For example, if a goal involves the need for a particular level of computer programming experience, evaluate the employee’s knowledge and level of expertise by assessing his hands-on skills. If he is not currently capable of performing at the level necessary for meeting anticipated goals, revise objectives or provide training to bring the employee’s skills in line with the project requirements.

Assess Organizational Skills

Evaluate how an employee goes about organizing his current workload. Are tasks completed in a haphazard manner with no particular agenda, or does he prioritize and create research plans and timetables for each step of a project? Evaluate organizational skills by asking an employee the specific steps he would take in completing a theoretical task. Highly-organized workers can be assigned complex, multi-faceted goals and objectives, while those with poor organizational skills should focus on refining their skill while taking on less complex goals and objectives.

Assess Time Management Skills

Prudent use of time is a critical component of setting goals and objectives. Evaluate an employee’s time management skills by tracking the progress of an existing project from start to finish. Is the employee making efficient use of time, or is he failing to prioritize and multi-task? Understanding how long it takes an employee to complete job-related tasks will help you develop appropriate timelines in developing goals and objectives.

Use Measurable Goals

In all instances of goal setting, use quantifiable figures whenever possible. This approach makes it easier for an employee to understand what you are looking for, and for you to successfully measure the progress toward goals. For example, it is not enough to ask a sales staff to “increase sales this year;” rather, a quantifiable and more effective goal would be, “increase sales by 10 percent during the next 12 months.”

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