From the outside, many people assume every aspect of working in the cosmetics industry is glamorous, but even an exciting industry must deal with year-end reviews. It’s time to finish writing them — or finally get started — and schedule time to meet with each member of your cosmetics team individually.

The beauty industry is a very competitive landscape, so your scientists are likely very eager to hear your assessment of their work. However, being critiqued often makes people feel very vulnerable and awkward, so do your best to put them at ease. As the boss, you set the tone for how the meeting goes, so try to make it as relaxed as possible. Use these three guidelines to successfully get through this year’s stack of performance reviews:

1. Stay Organized

When you’re managing a team of employees, it can be difficult to remember their specific accomplishments and shortcomings – especially in an industry where so much scientific data is involved – so prepare for the meeting in advance. Take notes throughout the year, so you know exactly what your employee did well and where they fell short.

2. Put a Time Limit on Them

Performance reviews don’t need to drag on for hours to be effective. Make the discussion short and sweet — an hour tops — to ensure you stay on track. Both you and your employee have other pressing tasks on your agendas, so keep things moving.

3. Deliver Poor Feedback with Respect

Being the boss sometimes means you have to have tough conversations with your team. It’s never fun to tell someone their work isn’t meeting expectations, so make the best of an uncomfortable situation by delivering feedback politely. People get defensive when they feel like they’re being attacked, which will get you nowhere. You’ll get much better results by gently, but firmly, explaining the problem. Remember: To receive respect, you have to give it.

4. Praise the Good

Did one of your chemists go above and beyond this year? Let them know how much you appreciate their hard work. Verbal praise and public recognition go a long way to boost employee morale and to see a repeat in this behavior next year.

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