Writing employee evaluations is not a responsibility to be taken lightly. What you write may very well be used in reference to decisions about advancements, pay raises, contract extensions, or whether or not an individual is to be terminated from his or her position.

The task is easier if you have a prescribed outline or format to follow or a form to be filled in, as opposed to having to write it out as a narrative. In any case, before you begin, you must have complete data in reference to the employee, including times and places of details that are to be included in your report.

If you need to write your own thoughts, as opposed to merely checking off boxes or filling in a form, remember to write as factually as possible. Do not write, for instance, “he is frequently late for meetings,” if he has been late three times in two years. You would be better off writing, “he has been late for meetings on three occasions during the past two years.” Rather than writing “her lunch periods are excessively long,” you might want to write, “on more than a dozen occasions (or whatever number you care to specify), she has taken two hours or longer for lunch.” You might want to indicate the length of time that employees of her rank are expected to take for lunch.

Of course, the same is true of positive comments. Do not write, “He is a great worker.” It would be more professional to write, “He fulfills all of his job-related functions in a superior manner.” You should cite times and dates and other details in reference to instances that are of particular importance, whether they are of a positive or a negative nature.

Remember, the person who is the subject of the evaluation may very well have an opportunity to read what you are writing. You want to be factual, fair, and dispassionate. Do not allow personal feelings to enter into your writing. Not only will a biased evaluation be viewed skeptically by whoever is going to read it, but it will reflect badly on you.

Use your best writing skills. Write complete sentences, unless the format does not allow you to do so. Be careful in terms of spelling, punctuation, and English usage. Use a spell check or other editing function, if at all possible.

If you are filling in a form, you might want to compose your sentences and responses on a separate sheet of paper before you fill in the actual form. If you have only one copy of the form, you might want to photocopy it first. It might be a good idea to fill in the photocopied sheet first, and then, when you are satisfied that you have done a first-rate job, transcribe the same information onto the actual form.

Remember, an evaluation report is a vital document that may very well have a major impact on the job and career of an individual. Make sure it reflects your thoughtful effort and good writing skills.