- HRAddict
- Posts
- Mid-year review prep + timetable - May 14, 2025
Mid-year review prep + timetable - May 14, 2025
Also: Gender gap in AI use, pay transparency latest, effective feedback — plus more in your Wednesday briefing.
In partnership with
Hello, HR Gurus 🤓 It’s review season — aka “The Hunger Games: HR Edition.” As we gear up for mid-year evals, let’s make feedback less fearsome and more fruitful. Let the reviews begin!
On today’s agenda:
📅 Mid-year review PREP + timetable
🤖 Gender gap in Gen AI use includes HR leaders…
📣 Pay transparency laws for 2025: the latest
🏆 The manager’s guide to effective feedback
👇 Dive in below…
TODAY’S CULTURE CUE
🏃♀️ Lean into Employee Health & Fitness Month
Organize a 5-minute "Desk Stretch Challenge" — share a quick stretch video or invite a teammate to lead a virtual or in-office session. It's a fun, low-pressure way to get everyone moving and reinforce the importance of daily physical activity at work.
THE HR SPOTLIGHT
Mid-year performance reviews should ignite fires, NOT alarms + timetable
Mid-year reviews are just around the corner — June and July for many organizations. If you haven’t started prepping, it’s time to lay the groundwork for meaningful conversations that don’t incite anxiety and stress. A well-run review shouldn’t blindside an employee. If team members are walking into meetings unsure of where they stand, it signals a gap in feedback and expectation-setting.
According to Gallup, continuous feedback makes team members 2.7x more engaged at work and 3.2x more motivated to do their best. This is why for evaluations to be efficient, it should start long before review season — it’s built through regular 1:1s, goal check-ins, and two-way communication. When feedback is ongoing, reviews become a summary of known conversations — NOT a surprise report card.
Mid-year review PREP (your mini timetable):
🔹 This week: Begin reviewing and individual goals for relevance and progress.
🔹 Next week: Coach managers to gather real-time examples and peer input.
🔹 By early June: Ensure employees know what to expect — and have time to self-reflect.
This approach will not just reduce anxiety, but it will also lead to more focused, constructive reviews — and better outcomes in the second half of the year.
Want to refresh your review process before mid-year hits? Read our practical guide:
🔗 How to conduct an employee appraisal that actually works »
 | WEEKLY GOODY |
TOGETHER WITH MORNING BREW
The gold standard of business news
Morning Brew is transforming the way working professionals consume business news.
They skip the jargon and lengthy stories, and instead serve up the news impacting your life and career with a hint of wit and humor. This way, you’ll actually enjoy reading the news—and the information sticks.
Best part? Morning Brew’s newsletter is completely free. Sign up in just 10 seconds and if you realize that you prefer long, dense, and boring business news—you can always go back to it.
TREND WATCH
Gender gap in Gen AI use includes HR leaders…
HCA - Researchers from the University of Chicago found that women are 20 percentage points less likely to use ChatGPT compared to men in the same occupation. The findings stem from their recent poll of thousands of workers from 11 occupations, including HR professionals, that have been exposed to ChatGPT between November 2023 and January 2024.
“ChatGPT is widespread in the exposed occupations,” the study read. “Half of workers have used it, among whom 72﹪ have used it at work.”
In the HR field, 97﹪ of the respondents said they are aware of ChatGPT. However, 39﹪ of them have not used it. Another 45﹪ said they use it at work, while 13﹪ said they use it, but not for their job. So, What's stopping women from using ChatGPT?
NEWS THAT MATTERS
💰 Pay Transparency Laws: HR’s 2025 Guide - Updated state laws requiring salary disclosures in job postings. [HR Morning]
🧠 Moderna Merges Tech & HR Departments - Moderna redefines roles and streamlines operations. [WSJ]
🧘 Leadership Coaching to Combat Burnout - A strategic tool to reduce employee burnout. [HR News]
👶 Babies at Work: HR's Business Case - On-site childcare boosts retention of working parents, say HR leaders. [HR Dive]
🧘 Mental Health Stigma: HR's Ongoing Challenge - Despite progress, HR must continue their efforts... [HR Executive]
HR WISDOM
The manager’s guide to effective feedback
Giving feedback is like flossing—everyone agrees it’s important, but too few do it well. As a manager, your job isn’t just to pat backs or raise eyebrows—it’s to guide, grow, and sometimes gently course-correct. Yet, a Gallup study reveals only 26﹪ of employees feel they receive feedback that actually helps them improve. Why? Because feedback is emotional, and we’re wired to evade awkward convos. But dodging discomfort doesn’t help anyone level up.
Effective feedback means more than playing referee. It’s about listening, understanding the context, and collaborating on a plan for progress—not just handing down verdicts. When done right, it builds trust and fuels productivity. When done wrong… well, let’s just say ghosting might seem more appealing than the next 1-on-1.
Ready to give feedback that actually lands?
💬 Explore our manager-approved ways to do it right »
| WEEKLY GOODY |
BREAKROOM
SMART READS
🧰 Tools for better Leadership
🙅♂️ Why you should say no to micromanagement
🔑 The key skills for employee relations
📬 Missed Monday’s issue on ‘What HR must do about AI’? Read it here.
Reply