How AI can help with performance reviews
You can use AI for performance reviews to speed up the process, enhance your approach, and ensure that you have a broad understanding of employee performance before you discuss it. Specifically, generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and analytic AI software can help you:
- Write performance reviews: Leveraging AI tools can speed up writing, reduce errors and communication issues and help you create a first draft.
- Analyse employee performance: AI can quickly consider numerous performance metrics and trends, including work speed and accuracy, goal outcomes and attendance. It can return trend information in written or visual formats so you can assess an employee’s performance throughout the year.
- Suggest next steps: A good performance review includes ideas for developing skills or supporting better outcomes. Generative AI can take into account past performance, the requirements for the position and the current performance review to suggest relevant development plans for each employee.
How not to use AI for performance reviews
Performance reviews are inherently people-centric, and your reviews should reflect this. AI can present facts, but it doesn’t consider the humanity behind them, so it’s important to think about employee performance as you work on your reviews.
Generative AI can help you write performance reviews by providing inspiration or a foundation to build on. However, make sure that you do not overly rely on this tool. You can use AI-generated content as a starting point, but consider writing things in your own words to ensure a high-quality, personalised performance review for each employee.
Tips for integrating AI into performance reviews
To get the most out of AI for performance reviews, consider the tips below.
Choose the right tools
Not every AI tool works for every purpose. Just as you might consider all your options when selecting AI recruitment software, consider which tools are best for the performance review process. For example, AI analysis tools can help you gather and review performance data. You can use ChatGPT as a generative AI tool when you need help phrasing content for written reviews.
Think about your prompts
ChatGPT performance review prompts work best when you supply the AI bot with the right instructions and information.
Here’s a poor example of a ChatGPT performance review prompt:
Write a review for Sharon. I would rate her a 4 out of 5 as an employee. She does good work and is always here on time.
Here are three examples of ChatGPT performance review prompts that may return better results due to being specific:
- I need to write a paragraph about Sharon’s strengths as an employee. I’ve copied her performance metrics below, along with the baseline averages for the entire team, so you can see how she compares. I would also like to note that Sharon has exemplary attendance and is kind to everyone in the team. One team member told me that Sharon is the best listener on the team.
- Can you please help me with a section of an employee review? This review is for Sharon, and I need to list some areas she can improve. I’ve included her performance metrics and the team averages below. Sharon is a great employee, and I can’t think of any improvements. Can you use the performance metrics to identify an area with room for growth?
- I’m writing a performance review for Sharon. She has not done well this year and performs at a below-average rate on most of her metrics. I’m copying those metrics below. Could you please write a paragraph for a performance report that provides a helpful critique?
Double-check data
AI can be wrong. It can misunderstand information, include bias inherent in source data or even create what is known as a hallucination, which is data that isn’t even there. For example, a hallucination relevant to a performance review prompt might be ‘Sharon missed 25 days of work this year’ when Sharon only missed five days or the data didn’t include attendance information.
Take time to double-check AI-generated data before including it in a performance review to ensure that it is free of inaccurate information.
Use AI to support you, not replace you
Ultimately, the best use of AI in performance review processes is as a supporting tool. It shouldn’t replace the manager’s or supervisor’s thought process, and the final review still needs elements of personalisation. If you’re incorporating AI evaluation tools into your performance review processes, make sure that you train your leaders to add human oversight to ensure a more positive experience for employees.
