The Software Engineer's Guidebook

CHAPTER 3

PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

For many professionals at large companies and some startups, performance reviews are a significant and sometimes stressful exercise. They determine bonuses and eligibility for promotion. They’re also that rare time when you’re rated according to a quantitative system.

The good news is there is almost always plenty you can do to achieve better performance review results! However, there’s little you can do at the last minute, which means advance preparation is important. In this chapter, we cover:

1. Start early: gather context and set goals
2. The power of habit
3. Before the performance review
4. The performance review

1. START EARLY: GATHER CONTEXT AND SET GOALS

Every company is different. What’s important ...