Strengthening Employee Growth Through Agile Performance Reviews

Sreekanth Narayan, Principal – Package Implementation SAP, LTIMindtree.

A well-structured performance review process is essential for aligning individual development with organizational success. Throughout my career, I’ve found that setting goals, continuous feedback and career development can help ensure employees thrive while driving business impact.

A Structured Approach To Performance Reviews

To keep employees on track, schedule monthly one-hour review meetings with each team member. Start with a 10-minute personal check-in, then move into a discussion of performance scenarios, areas for improvement, key deliverables and recommendations. This keeps the conversation balanced between professional and personal development.

Don’t rely solely on manager feedback—incorporate peer assessments and cross-project contributions to recognize subject matter expertise and collaborative efforts. Additionally, gather insights from business partners and VPs. By consolidating this feedback into a structured system like PACE (personal achievement through competency evaluation), you can track progress effectively and ensure final evaluations reflect a well-rounded perspective.

Fostering A Culture Of Continuous Learning

Your company’s shift toward agile delivery and employee training will be much more successful if you reinforce it with continuous feedback loops. I recommend gathering insights from leadership and employee surveys to ensure your process is working for both sides.

To create a truly growth-driven culture, link individual development plans to organizational goals and establish clear career pathways. Communicate leadership expectations through town halls and group meetings, and balance top-down initiatives with employee input. When employees feel heard, they are more likely to engage in the process and contribute to its success.

Strengthening Manager-Employee Relationships

As a manager, your feedback can make or break an employee’s confidence. I’ve found that in low-pressure situations, employees tend to meet expectations, but under stress, their efforts often go unnoticed. To prevent this, advocate for employee contributions and help turn challenges into opportunities for growth.

Beyond performance discussions, focus on building trust and mentorship. Supporting employees in both professional and personal matters strengthens relationships and fosters a more engaged workplace. However, inconsistent follow-ups can weaken motivation, so make it a habit to check in regularly outside of formal reviews. Constructive feedback should be timely, specific and actionable to ensure employees feel supported in their development.

Best Practices For An Effective Review Process

Based on my experience, there are two key practices I’ve found to be especially impactful to ensure an effective review process: prioritizing the interaction over the process itself and promoting internal talent development each step of the way. Below are a few suggestions for how this can be approached:

1. Prioritize Interaction Over Process

• Shift the focus of reviews from judgment to growth.

• Separate performance feedback from succession planning.

• Use team meetings to foster trust and open communication.

• Encourage employees to actively seek feedback.

• Hold biweekly one-on-one meetings dedicated to performance discussions.

• Provide monthly public recognition for employees who give or receive meaningful feedback.

• Integrate peer-to-peer assessments into regular evaluations.

2. Promote Internal Talent Development

• Use interim positions to assess employee readiness for promotions.

• Align promotions with performance-based 30- to 90-day assessments.

• Prioritize internal promotions over external hires to boost morale and transparency.

• Offer structured mentorship programs and access to educational resources.

• Develop clear career road maps with measurable milestones.

Final Thoughts

By implementing these strategies, you can build a review process that motivates employees, supports their growth and drives business success. When done right, performance reviews become more than just an evaluation—they become a road map for continuous improvement and career advancement.

Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?