Assessing Employees' Performance

New managers who are conducting performance appraisals for the first time can be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information accumulated on their employees over the year but is unsure how to use the information to assess performance.  

The first step would be to look at the goals that were set at the beginning of the year. For each goal that was set, use the following questions to guide you: 

1. Has the employee achieved this goal? 
2. Why or why not? 
3. How do I know whether the employee has met this goal? 
4. What are the supporting evidence? 
5. What was the impact on the department or company? 
6. How can the employee do better? 
7. How can I help my employee do better? 
8. How can the company support my employee do better?