How to Respond to a Negative Employee Review

A negative employee review can harm your career and leave you feeling angry and upset. An employee review is an evaluation of your performance, as an employee in your company, by your boss. The contents of your review are available to your manager and other levels of management, who decide whether or not you will move up in the company or receive a pay raise. Although a negative employee review will impact your work life, your response to the review may decrease or increase its weight.

• 1

  Keep yourself under control if you get angry or upset. Reacting in a negative or emotional manner to the review may impact your career even more. Inform your employer of the changes you will make in your job performance. Tell the employer if you believe items on your review are incorrect, but wait until later in the day, or the next day, if you cannot remain calm.

• 2

  Take a walk if you are upset, or do something relaxing after the review, if possible. Do not respond to the review in writing, or with your employer, until you are calm.

• 3

  Write down the positive and negative aspects of your job. Compare the items against each other. If you are not happy with your job or do not intend to remain at, or move up in, the company, the negative review does not carry as much weight.

• 4

  Talk to your manager privately if you are unsure about the contents of the review. Do not accuse the manager of making a mistake, or being out to get you. Ask what you can do to avoid receiving another bad review. Request clarification on any aspects of the review you do not understand to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

• 5

  Complete an employee statement if you are allowed to do so. Some companies allow an employee to respond to a review in writing. The review will not change, but your statement remains with the document, and is available to any person who will see your review. Refrain from negative or accusatory wording on your statement. Include the ways you will improve as an employee.