Timing evaluations

Is it better to schedule performance reviews during regular office hours or after hours, when I know we won't be interrupted?

Dr. Cecelia Soares

Schedule employee performance reviews when you can ensure that the session will be private, says Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Cecelia Soares, MS, MA. "There shouldn't be animals coming in and out or people interrupting," she says.

Dr. Soares, a veterinarian and marriage and family therapist in Walnut Creek, Calif., also suggests holding the review session at the end of the staff member's shift, if not at the end of the day. "With this approach, an employee who feels upset by his or her evaluation can leave the office without interrupting the workflow," she says.