Another year, another chance to talk over with your boss how your role should continue. In theory, this means an increase in pay or responsibility, or a chance to improve a current role. In reality, most PAs and secretaries view appraisals as an needless box-ticking exercise, the results of which are well known in advance.

If you’re looking for firm changes at work, you must approach appraisals proactively. Which is why most staff leave the process with fewer improvements than they’d hoped for.

“Our research shows that 29 per cent of people consider appraisals to be a waste of time,” says Peter Russian of Investors in People. “The problem is that in many companies the annual review is symbolic, rather than a part of regular communication between managers and staff. The two worse-case scenarios are where a manager hasn’t prepared for an appraisal, or when something comes up during the review that is a surprise.” PAs and secretaries are also often guilty of not preparing for appraisals. But this is perhaps understandable when, says Investors in People, 44 per cent of people don’t think their employer tells the truth in appraisals, 23 per cent see the session as a “tick-box” exercise and 19 per cent believe their boss is guilty of Russian’s “worse scenario” — failing to give any thought to the appraisal.

But before you enter the appraisal with low expectations and a negative outlook, there are actions that you can take to make it more likely to work in your favour.

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“Entering the appraisal prepared with ideas, feedback and examples of how you have performed will not only help to impress your boss, but also make for a more constructive discussion, helping support the development of both you and the company,” says Gerry Dowds, director of Pareto Law. “Don’t save up all of your gripes about the company or end up having an argument in an appraisal — ensure you are professional throughout. If you have prepared, look at the good and the bad and how you and the company can improve all areas, whether it is to do with how you work with another colleague or a system that’s causing setbacks.

“Keep it as a two-way discussion that focuses on how things can be changed for the better for you and the company. Appraisals are part of your ongoing development and as such, feedback on your performance will not always be positive, but constructive feedback, supported with examples, should always be acknowledged to ensure you get the most out of the process.”

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