Preparing for Your Performance Review

Your performance review shouldn’t be the first time you’ve thought properly about what you’ve achieved over the last year.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly how many people approach it.

They walk in, rely on their manager remembering everything they’ve done and then try to respond to whatever comes up in the room.

This guide helps you go in properly prepared.

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Get The Guide – £7

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Your manager doesn’t remember everything you’ve done

Even a good manager has other people, projects and priorities competing for their attention.

They may remember your recent work far more clearly than something brilliant you delivered eight months ago.

Preparing isn’t about producing a 14-page defence of your existence. It’s about making sure you can clearly explain what you’ve contributed, where you’ve improved and what you want to happen next.

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What you’ll learn

By the end of the guide, you’ll know how to:

• Build useful evidence of your performance.
• Choose which achievements are actually worth discussing.
• Talk about your contribution confidently without overselling yourself.
• Prepare for difficult or unexpected feedback.
• Respond when you disagree with your manager’s assessment.
• Ask better questions about development and progression.
• Turn vague feedback into specific expectations and actions.

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Make the meeting useful

Performance reviews can become box-ticking exercises very quickly.

This guide helps you use yours as an actual career conversation.

You’ll get preparation exercises, practical questions and suggested wording for difficult moments, so you can leave knowing where you stand and what needs to happen next.

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Written by Lee Harding

I’ve spent 20+ years working in recruitment, Talent Acquisition and leadership, including senior and Director-level roles.

I’ve hired people, managed teams and worked closely with hiring managers and senior leaders. I’ve also been involved in the kinds of pay, hiring and workplace decisions employees don’t normally get to see.

My advice is based on understanding what actually happens when these decisions are being made on the other side of the table.

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Don’t wing it

Spend a little time preparing now so you’re not trying to remember an entire year’s contribution while sitting opposite your manager.

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Get The Guide – £7

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This is one of 15 practical guides covering the career problems most of us eventually run into — from pay rises and promotions to difficult managers, career changes, redundancy and starting a new job.

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