Performance Review Interview Guide | Things Team Leaders Should Check Before, During, and After the Interview

📌 There are three things employees want to know in an interview.

The questions employees have after hearing the evaluation results are mostly similar. If you can answer these three questions, you are half prepared for the interview.

• Why is this the result? By what criteria and what work was reviewed and judged
• What should I do if I don't agree? Method and deadline for filing an objection
• What should I do next? Expectations for the next evaluation and what the company will help with

🗂️ Before the interview: Prepare the evidence to be explained on a single sheet.

If you go into the interview with only the rating sheet, it will be difficult to answer the employee's questions. Please organize the following four points in advance.

If there is insufficient evidence or ambiguous criteria, please check with HR before the interview. We do not use other employees' evaluation results or private lives as a basis for comparison.

🗣️ During the interview: Explain, listen, and answer after verifying what I don't know.

STEP 1. First, explain the results and the rationale.

Instead of using judgmental language like “lack of responsibility,” What was expected from a task and what the results were It refers to.

STEP 2. Listen to the employee's question completely.

It becomes easier to respond if you distinguish whether the employee is trying to correct the facts, disagree with the evaluation criteria, or express concerns about future burdens.

STEP 3. If it is difficult to answer immediately, check and then answer.

Do not promise to change the result on the spot or answer based on speculation. You just need to state exactly when you will verify and let you know.

⏸️ If an employee gets angry or is having a hard time, pause briefly.

When emotions are heightened, explanations are difficult to hear clearly. In such cases, it is better to pause briefly rather than pushing the interview to the end.

• Do this: They suggest taking a short break or schedule to talk again on another day.
• Avoid: Words that take issue with or compare emotions, such as “Why are you so sensitive?” or “It’s a result that everyone else experiences as well.”
• If it looks like help is needed right away: Stop the meeting and follow the company's emergency response procedures with HR.

✅ After the interview: The promised support is recorded with the person in charge and the date.

Nothing changes if it ends with “Let’s do our best going forward.” Please write down the details agreed upon during the meeting as follows.

💬 EAP counseling is an optional service separate from the assessment.

Informing an employee who appears to be struggling about counseling is good support. However, instructing them to seek counseling or checking whether they have received counseling during the next meeting can actually be burdensome.

Since consultation content may involve sensitive information such as health details, team leaders or HR do not request consultation records. Please check the contract details to confirm the actual scope of confidentiality under the company's EAP.

📁 Attached Excel: Use it directly as the Team Leader Preparation Sheet

In Excel Interview Preparation → Conversation Guide → Post-Interview Tasks → Support Guide The sheets are arranged in order, and the usage instructions are written on the first sheet.

• You just need to enter it in the yellow box.
• If the person in charge or the date is missing, a confirmation message appears in the adjacent column.
• Evaluation ratings, employees' emotional states, and whether counseling is used are not significant.

📥 Download Interview Preparation Sheet Excel

❓ FAQ

Q1. What if the employee disagrees with the results during the interview?

Do not attempt to persuade or change the outcome on the spot; instead, explain the company's appeal process and deadline. Forward the questions raised during the interview to HR to schedule a date for a response.

Q2. Do I need to verify whether the service was used after guiding them to the consultation?

We do not verify this. What the company verifies is whether the promised work support has been provided and whether the employee knows how to request a consultation.

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