Performance Reviews

Performance reviews are a way to evaluate the performance of employees. They are a way to provide feedback, recognize accomplishments, provide guidance on career advancement. Likewise, the review is also a moment for employees to self-reflect, give feedback on the management process and the company as a whole.

During your first year at Operately, you’ll have three formal performance reviews. At the 1 month, 6 month, and 12 month mark. After the first year, you’ll have regular performance reviews on a yearly basis.

1 Month Mark#

At the 1 month mark, you’ll have your first performance review with your manager. The first performance review is a way to evaluate your fitness with the job, your ability to work with others, and your ability to take feedback and adopt to the culture at Operately.

On occassion, despite our best efforts to hire the right people, things don’t work out. If during that time it starts looking like your long-term employment at Operately won’t work out, your manager will let you know early and share feedback on why.

Put in your best effort, make sure to reach out for help when you need it, embrace the feedback you receive, and you’ll do great. To succesfully pass the 1 month mark, you should demonstrate clear signs of performance and fitness for the job.

• Have a set of accomplishments to show. For example, completed tasks, resolved issues, technical specification, design documents, wireframes, bug reports, project plans, documentation, etc. Aim to have 20 or more clear contributions to show.

• Demonstrate the ability to work with others. For example, have a good relationship with your team, have a good relationship with your manager, have a good relationship with other teams, have a good relationship with the company as a whole. Respect each other’s time, be punctual, be respectful, be helpful, be kind, and honest.

• Show that you are gaining mastery of the tools and processes at Operately. For example, have a good understanding of the tools we use, have a good understanding of the processes we follow, ask questions when you don’t know, and show that you are learning. Have a good understanding of the culture at Operately.

On the 1 month mark, you’ll be given your formal mastery level and title. In the next 5 months you’ll be expected to fully grow into your role and mastery level, including the responsibilities and expectations that come with it.

At the end of the performance review, you and your manager will schedule a recurring monthly 1-1 meeting to discuss your progress, and to provide feedback and guidance on your work and career development.

6 Month Mark#

At the 6 month mark, you’ll have your second performance review with your manager. The second performance review is a way to evaluate your progress, and to evaluate the fitness of your role and mastery level. At this point, you should have fully grown into your role and mastery level, and be able to demonstrate clear signs of performance and fitness for the job.

12 Month Mark#

At the 12 month mark, you’ll have your third performance review with your manager, which is also your first formal annual performance review.

By the time you reach the 12 month mark, we expect to be as excited about working with you as we were when we hired you on day one. Likewise, you should feel the same way about having joined the team.

General job performance elements#

1. Quality of work: Work is completed accurately (few or no errors), efficiently and within deadlines with minimal supervision.

2. Attendance & Punctuality: Regularly attends work and is punctual; provides notice of need for absence.

3. Reliability/Dependability: Consistently performs at a high level; manages time and workload effectively to meet responsibilities.

4. Communication Skills: Written and oral communications are clear, organized and effective; listens and comprehends well.

5. Judgment & Decision-Making: Makes thoughtful, well-reasoned decisions; exercises good judgment, resourcefulness and creativity in problem-solving.

6. Initiative & Flexibility: Demonstrates initiative, often seeking out additional responsibility; identifies problems and solutions; thrives on new challenges and adjusts to unexpected changes.

7. Cooperation & Teamwork: Respectful of colleagues when working with others and makes valuable contributions to help the group achieve its goals.

8. Knowledge of Position: Possesses required skills, knowledge, and abilities to competently perform the job.

9. Training & Development: Continually seeks ways to strengthen performance and regularly monitors new developments in field of work.

Performance improvement plan#

If your work performance is not meeting expectations, you may be put on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). We only initiate PIPs if your manager’s concern is correctable in the short term. We do not initiate PIPs for fundamental performance issues that relate to your core job skills.

e.g. Engineers whose technical skills are not at the level they need to be, won’t be put on a performance improvement plan. However, we may start a PIP to help you improve your performance in a coachable skill like communication or project management.