Mid-Year Evaluations, Team Tracker & April's Job Report - Apr 21, 2025

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Happy Easter Monday, HR Pros! 🐇 Eastertime is (almost) over! Now that we’re approaching the middle of the year, it’s time to start prepping for mid-year reviews. We’re here to make sure you’ll be up and at it well ahead of time!

On the agenda: 

⭐ Mid-Year Evaluations: Preparing is everything.

🤩 Team Tracker: To level up productivity and output.

📊 April’s Job Report: National hiring is stabilizing…

THE HR SPOTLIGHT

Navigating Employee Evaluations & Mid-Year Check-Ins

As we approach this year’s midpoint, it's an ideal time for HR professionals to guide leaders through the crucial process of employee evaluation and mid-year reviews. These conversations are more than just a time for providing feedback — they’re pivotal for boosting employee engagement, aligning goals, and identifying opportunities for growth.

Let’s begin:

💪 Preparation is key. Encourage managers to come to the review with a clear understanding of each employee’s progress against their set goals. Ask them to use specific examples to support feedback, ensuring it’s constructive and actionable. A balance of

👂🏻 Listen actively. A mid-year evaluation should be a two-way conversation. Allow time for employees to share their perspective on their conduct, challenges, and any resources they need to succeed. This fosters a sense of collaboration and can uncover potential roadblocks early on.

📏 Align on future goals. A survey by Gartner reveals that forward-looking feedback can boost employee efficiency by up to 13%. Use this time to recalibrate or update objectives based on company priorities and individual development paths. Discuss any learning and development opportunities that can help employees improve and progress.

📬 Deliver feedback with empathy and transparency. This will help create an environment where employees feel valued and supported, and that leaders truly care about their professional development. 

As Jessica Knight, Gartner’s research director, puts it: “Effective feedback looks backward and forward, and is provided on an ongoing basis throughout the year.” With an approach that considers both the PAST and the FUTURE, mid-year evaluations can serve as a powerful tool for continued growth and engagement throughout the year.

Need more tips on conducting a successful mid-year review? Head right this way: How to Conduct an Employee Evaluation >>

MONDAY’S STEAL

Boost Staff Output & Productivity with This Excel Team Tracker

Elevate your team's potential with the Employee Performance Tracker — a useful Excel template to streamline reviews and drive growth.

• 📊 Track Metrics & Goals: Easily monitor progress across individuals and teams.

• 👨🏻‍💼 Designed for HR Pros: Simplify the review process with an intuitive Excel template.

• 📈 Data-Driven Insights: Centralized data for more meaningful, transparent evaluations.

• ⏳ Reduce Lost Time: Automates manual tasks so you can focus on what really matters.

This powerful team tracker is exclusively available to our subscribers.

This community promo ends April 23 — midnight EST.

TREND WATCH

Aura’s Workforce Intelligence Reveals a Fragmented, Sector-Sensitive Market

Aura's April 2025 US job market report, with data through March, reveals a labor landscape shaped by regional inconsistency and shifting sectoral momentum.

While total job postings remained relatively stable at the national level, Aura’s real-time data surfaced surprising state-level trends — with job growth increasingly concentrated in smaller, less traditional markets, and uneven recovery patterns across sectors like healthcare, staffing, and services.

See Aura’s Job Market Report for April 2025 »

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🗳️ HR Leaders Doubt RTO Mandates — A report on the recent Leapsome survey shows how HR leaders really feel about implementing the RTO mandate. [OutsourceAccelerator]

👨‍⚖️ Are Trump’s EOs Really Affecting Employers? — A closer look at Trump’s Executive Orders. Which ones will most likely affect private employers and HR? [HRMorning]

📂 No. 1 Thing on a Resumé, From a Longtime HR Exec — An interview with Angela Beatty (chief leadership and HR officer at Accenture) about her red and green flags when screening candidate resumés. [CNBC]

💰 6M: The Financial Burden of Office Jargon — Businesses could lose millions per year due to miscommunication from office jargon overuse. [HRD America]

HR WISDOM

7 Ways to Track Employee Performance

Struggling to measure employee impact? Unlock the secrets to tracking performance effectively with these proven strategies:

• Set Clear Metrics: Define what success looks like for each role

• Give Regular Feedback: Keep growth on track with timely input

• Align Goals with Business Objectives: Make every effort count.

• Use the Right Tools: Streamline tracking with smart tech solutions.

See 7 Performance Tracking Tips »

BREAKROOM