Too often, performance reviews are a waste of time. Yours and everyone else's.

Usually that happens if your annual review is just a formality. You know, the same forms to fill out again, same canned questions and responses year after year. Just change the employee name, sign here and you're good to go.

Performance reviews, when done right, can be one of your best tools for keeping employees engaged, motivated and growing professionally. When that happens, you'll see improvement in morale, productivity and retention.

The key to success is providing feedback in an open, honest conversation about the meaningful aspects of the job.

A great review helps your employees identify growth opportunities and potential areas of improvement without damaging employee-manager relations, but writing a strong review isn't easy. Managers often don't receive enough guidance on what an effective and comprehensive review looks like. 

What to include in an employee performance review

Regardless of industry, most employee reviews include assessment of these skills: 

• Communication
• Collaboration and teamwork