Performance Expectations: Examples + Feedback Samples - 2024

Published on:
August 11, 2023
Updated on:
October 22, 2024
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Expectations can be defined as the fuel of our ambitions. Having expectations from ourselves and others also gives us purpose and direction. Performance expectations are important because they help us understand our path to success and our responsibilities. 

Without performance expectations, employees might lose direction because achieving success at work requires clear goals and the right mindset. Also, from leadership and initiative to facilitating collaboration and communication, performance expectations play an important role. 

Performance expectations also serve as the foundation for performance evaluations. Because employees are assessed based on how successful they were by referring to these expectations. 

In this article, we provide you with the most common performance expectations while also giving examples of them. So, without further ado, let's dive in and learn what is expected of employees, and let's help them achieve their professional goals.

What are Performance Expectations?

1. Productivity

Productivity as a performance expectation can be described as being able to produce high-quality work within an optimal period.

An employee can be productive if they are skilled and knowledgeable enough but they also need to be good at time management.

2. Communication Skills

To facilitate understanding and enable collaboration in the workplace, effective communication is a must. Therefore, having good communication skills is among the most important performance expectations.

Being able to understand different perspectives, in other words, having empathy, expressing ideas with clarity and avoiding confusion, and paying attention to what others are saying by active listening are all components of effective communication.

For example, when a problem arises at work, managers should actively listen to employees and ask them good questions which will help them solve the problem.

3. Collaboration

Collaboration as a performance expectation entails helping your team members. Effective collaboration includes sharing your knowledge and expertise to communicate with your team members effectively while reaching milestones as a team.

For example, one of your employees might have gained valuable knowledge during troubleshooting. If she shares her experience and knowledge with her colleagues, it will allow her team members to solve a similar but more complicated problem in a brainstorming session.

In other words, her new experience will inspire them to come up with a good solution.

4. Flexibility

Flexibility is an important component of problem solving and it is also one of the essential performance expectations. It entails quick adaptation to change using better strategies.

For example, if an organization is embracing remote work, an HR manager should alter her performance appraisal criteria accordingly to adapt to remote working dynamics.

5. Financial Management

Financial management as a performance expectation, entails optimizing finances by making effective plans for the expenses.

For example, a manager should create a solid plan for expenses according to their priority, then allocate resources by making sure that each expense receives the necessary amount of funding while staying within the budget.

6. Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is one of the essential performance expectations that an employee should meet. Problem-solving can be incorporated individually, but it can also be applied as a team.

For example, in the case of a product malfunction, an employee first needs to understand the root causes of the problem. Then, the employee can communicate with his/her colleagues about the malfunction.

After brainstorming with his/her team members they can collectively and effectively address the issue and provide a solution.

7. Creativity

Creativity at work requires employees to think outside the box and be innovative. It can be displayed in a variety of ways. But for marketers, it can be a relatable social media campaign or useful content that is also original.

8. Proactivity

Proactivity involves taking initiative and doing more than just what is required. A proactive employee can anticipate opportunities as well as challenging events and they are motivated to tackle problems.

For example, an employee can have a great idea for a marketing campaign and create a sample video on their own. However, the employee should still communicate the ideas with team members because being proactive doesn't mean they should avoid teamwork.

9. Punctuality and Attendance

Punctuality and attendance entail being consistently on time and being present unless there is an urgency that needs your attention. Being consistent with your punctuality and attendance indicates that you're committed to your job and you are a reliable employee.

10. Customer Service

Customer service, in the context of job expectation examples, refers to giving timely responses, clear communication, providing solutions, and achieving all of these consistently with each customer.

The language used in customer service should have an appropriate tone as well because you have to be professional yet friendly enough.

11. Transparency

Being transparent at work shows that you're open and honest about your work. It also means that you clearly communicate with your team members.

An example of transparency in the workplace would be, expressing your concerns about a project that you think may fail.

12. Reliability

Reliability within the context of employee expectations examples refers to how often an employee is on time when it comes to performing tasks and delivering results.

For example, if an employee who works in customer service responds to customers timely and is available during work hours it can be said that they are reliable.

13. Emotional Intelligence ( EQ)

EQ which stands for emotional intelligence entails being aware of your emotions while understanding other people's emotions as well. It also involves effectively interacting with others based on this awareness.

When a manager notices that her team member is stressed and approaches her with empathy if she can't meet a deadline, it's an example of displaying emotional intelligence at work.

However, it's important to note that empathy shown by colleagues shouldn't be abused by other employees.

14. Adherence to Rules

Adherence to rules, in other words, compliance, is one of the fundamental performance expectations. In pharmaceutical manufacturing, for example, compliance results in safe and effective medications so, it's of paramount importance.

15. Alignment to Mission and Goals

Alignment to company mission and goals refers to making efforts to achieve common goals without being selfish about one's personal goals. It also means that an employee is contributing to the mission of the company.

For example, as team members in a software company, you need to collectively work toward shared goals in alignment with the mission of your organization.

16. Openness to Feedback and Criticism

Openness to feedback and criticism is among the most important expectations examples and it involves being able to tolerate and learn from constructive opinions from your colleagues.

For example, when a graphic designer is receptive to feedback on her designs from her team members, she is exhibiting openness to feedback.

17. Professionalism

Being professional at work means that you're keeping your appearance tidy and making sure that your behaviors in the workplace are appropriate. For example, if your company has a dress code you need to dress up or down based on the requirements for it.

18. Openness to Career Development

Being open to career development and taking part in activities to improve your skills is one of the important performance expectations. For example, an IT professional who regularly attends workshops and tech conferences demonstrates that they are open to excel in their career.

19. Proficiency in Software

Being able to use software and other tools required to produce high-quality work is one of the important employee expectations. For example, social media personnel should be able to use Canva or Figma to design visuals.

20. Quality and Quantity of Work

An employee should be able to produce high-quality output consistently and frequently. For example, content writers should create engaging and useful content regularly and frequently.

21. Time Management

Time management requires an employee to allocate their time to various tasks effectively by prioritizing tasks according to their urgency and importance. As a result, employees can meet deadlines without any problems.

For example, a project manager who juggles multiple tasks should be good at time management. If they allocate more time to activities that are not urgent, they might not be able to meet the deadlines.

22. Tactfulness

Employees need to be tactful at work because work relationships require you to avoid conflict and offending people. Otherwise, it would be to collaborate with them in the future.

For example, two HR personnel who are disagreeing about how to conduct performance reviews should avoid conflict by being careful with their choice of words.

23. Ethical Behavior

As the name suggests, ethical behavior entails behaving in a morally acceptable way. For example, disclosing the negative traits of a product would be ethical because the consumer has a right to know about the product before making a purchase.

24. Health and Safety

It's important to follow health and safety guidelines because it will create a safe working environment for you and your colleagues.

For example, construction sites are places that should have strict safety regulations. To achieve a safe working environment there should be training and workers should use protective equipment.

25. Goal Achievement

Achieving company goals will contribute to organizational success. A salesperson should exceed monthly sales targets by using their sales techniques and being adaptable to meet changing market conditions.

26. Risk Management

To be great at risk management an employee should be able to identify risks and apply adequate strategies to mitigate them. For example, a cybersecurity analyst should be aware of vulnerabilities in their company's cyber network to protect the company from data breaches.

27. Reporting

Reporting involves creating reports to show the impact of your projects. Good reporting skills allow you to communicate risk factors and your overall performance with your supervisors and colleagues.

For instance, a financial analyst should be able to prepare detailed reports that analyze their company's financial performance by including important metrics in the presentation.

28. People Management

People management entails motivating your employees and effectively managing them to be more productive at work.

For example, it can include appreciating their achievements and providing coaching to allow for professional growth. Because in either instance, the employees will be more motivated at work.

29. Forward Thinking

An employee who possesses forward thinking can anticipate future trends or challenges. For example, a marketer who can conduct market research and determine new trends in technology to create a product roadmap is displaying their forward-thinking ability in the workplace.

30. Soft Skills

Soft skills are skills that are not unique to a specific sector. In other words, they can be employed in any industry. An example of soft skills is good interpersonal skills which are required in a variety of industries.

31. Conflict Management

Conflict management as one of the performance expectations examples, is simply being constructive during disagreements. When there is a conflict between two employees, the team lead should understand the problem and arrange a meeting with the involved parties.

In the meeting there should be a civil discussion with the moderation of the team lead and in the end there should be a resolution.

32. Negotiation

Negotiation skills require communicating to find common ground that creates a win-win situation for both parties involved. A sales representative should be able to take clients' concerns into account when it comes to pricing but they also need to propose a new price without compromising.

33. Analytical Thinking

As one of the employee performance expectations examples, analytical thinking entails breaking down problems into smaller parts to understand their patterns in a way that allows for drawing logical conclusions. A financial analyst should be able to analyze complicated investment decisions by breaking down the information into smaller components. Then they can draw meaningful conclusions.

34. Process

Process is about following protocols and directions associated with instructions. Process includes following a structured framework that functions as a guide to achieving desired results.

For example, an employee who has a manufacturing role needs to follow the production process guidelines to make sure they accurately assemble the products.

35. Customer Relationships

Customer relationships in the context of performance expectations refer to building and maintaining long-term relationships with customers.

For example, to have positive relationships with customers sales associates should collect information about consumer preferences then they should use this information to provide customized recommendations.

Performance Feedback Examples

You should provide feedback to your employees because it will help them improve their skills, knowledge, and behavior. Below you can find examples of performance feedback including positive and constructive feedback:

Positive Performance Feedback Examples:

  • “Your performance during the presentation was great! You can communicate your ideas clearly and everyone understood your main points in your presentation effortlessly.”
  • “You took the initiative in doing extra work to improve your skills this month and it’s highly appreciated.” 
  • “You can pay attention to detail and catch errors easily.” 
  • “You are supportive of your team members and you prioritize company goals.” 
  • “You are flexible when you need to make adjustments and you can deal with challenges well." 
  • “You can stay calm in stressful situations such as client meetings.” 
  • “You are almost always on time and you don’t miss work without a valid excuse.”
  • “You are a positive person who tackles issues with optimism and this boosts team morale.” 

Constructive Performance Feedback Examples:

  •  “You can work on prioritizing your tasks because I’ve noticed that you missed some deadlines.”
  • “You can give your colleagues more opportunities to share their ideas to allow for collaboration.”
  • “In written communication, it’s important to keep your tone professional so make sure to proofread your emails before sending them.”
  • “You can do better in terms of resolving conflicts because I have noticed that you don’t try to find common ground during disagreements.”
  • “Your risk management skills are satisfactory but you also need to remember to communicate potential risks to your team members.”
  • “You need to inform the stakeholders before making decisions that can be ethically challenging.”
  • “You are very honest and direct but try to be more tactful by adding positive words to your statements because your employees need to stay motivated.”
  • “You can try to have a more consistent pace during presentations to allow your team members to follow the presentation.”

Best Methods To Measure Employee Performance

best way to measure employee performance

You may be wondering how to set up a tracking system for performance. Here is how you measure performance in the best way possible:

  1. Gather and analyze data: To assess how well employees are performing you can utilize self-assessments, peer reviews, sales data, performance data, and evaluations.
  2. Use software: To collect quantitative and qualitative information about employee performance, you can use a performance management software
  3. Give consistent coaching and feedback: To improve your communication, think about using tools like performance reviews or 360-degree feedback.
  4. Implement smart goals: To set goals in important areas, use the SMART goal framework. Think about what training programs might assist staff in acquiring new skills or improving upon existing ones.

Key Performance Metrics

1.Quality of Work

One of the most essential employee performance metrics is the quality of the work. Because an employee can make meaningful contributions to the success of their organization only with quality output. 

Work quality can be assessed in a number of ways when using employee performance measurement metrics, including comprehensiveness, precision, and attention to detail.

2. Productivity

Productivity metrics are measurements that companies use to assess how well employees perform across a range of tasks connected to their larger business goals. These metrics serve to identify areas for improvement and ensure the highest levels of efficiency.

3. Punctuality and Attendance

Many businesses track the punctuality and attendance of their employees. To measure this metric you can pay attention to how many of an employee's scheduled workdays were missed.

You may discover employees who may be having attendance issues or who could need extra support by measuring absenteeism.

You may also measure how frequently was an employee late for work or appointments. Being late can interfere with a team's productivity which can cause frustration and lower morale among employees.

It might look poorly on the manager as well, and this may result in diminished revenue or unhappy clients.

4. Professional Growth

Employees bring fresh perspectives and creative ideas to the workplace as they acquire expertise and knowledge. This promotes a happy workplace and might encourage innovation in the business.

Because of this, one of the most necessary employee performance metrics your company can track is employee growth.

These are the most essential performance metrics, but if you want to learn more about important performance metrics you can read our article: Are You Tracking These 5 Important Employee Performance Metrics? on our blog!

We believe that using software is the most effective way to assess employee performance. Because your performance feedback won't mean anything if your team considers them to be a chore and dislikes participating in them.

Performance Review Software

So, you should use software to measure employee performance in the best way possible. You won't believe how many amazing alternatives are available to users around the world. We compiled a list of the top ones! You can find them here: Top 14 Performance Review Software.

Teamflect

You don't need to search for any other software if you use Microsoft Teams. Because the best performance evaluation software for Microsoft Teams is Teamflect. You can complete loops of performance reviews with Microsoft Word performance review templates without ever leaving Teams.

With Teamflect, you can access a huge customizable performance review template gallery and tons of performance review feedback examples! Teamflect's performance review module integrates perfectly with its Goals, Recognition, Feedback, and other modules, giving reviewers a rounded out view of the employee.

Manage performance inside Microsoft Teams
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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are performance expectations?

Expectations can be defined as the fuel of our ambitions. Having expectations from ourselves and others also gives us purpose and direction. Performance expectations are important because they help us understand our path to success and our responsibilities.

2. What are key performance metrics?

Key performance metrics are quality of work, productivity, punctuality and attendance, and professional growth.

3. What are the best methods to measure employee performance?

Gather and analyze data: To assess how well employees are performing you can utilize self-assessments, peer reviews, sales data, performance data, and evaluations.
Use software: To collect quantitative and qualitative information about employee performance, you can use a performance management software
Give consistent coaching and feedback: To improve your communication, think about using tools like performance reviews or 360-degree feedback.
Implement smart goals: To set goals in important areas, use the SMART goal framework. Think about what training programs might assist staff in acquiring new skills or improving upon existing ones.

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