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You have worked hard, met your deadlines, and tried to become a reliable member of the team. Then a performance-review invitation appears on your calendar.

And you find yourself wondering if your manager thinks you’re doing well? What should you ask? Should you defend my performance or just listen? For many newcomers, the first review can feel like an exam with unclear rules.

In most Canadian workplaces, a performance review is meant to be a two-way conversation. Your manager will share feedback and expectations, but you should also be ready to talk about your work, ask questions, and share your career goals.

As Manoj Ananthanarayanan explains in Preparing for Your First Performance Review, every organization handles reviews differently. Some use them to set goals, some link them to pay, and others ask employees to fill out forms ahead of time.

So, your first step is to find out what your manager wants you to prepare.

Next, gather specific examples. Look at your job description and find work that shows you have met or even gone beyond your responsibilities. Think about positive feedback, new skills, finished projects, and problems you helped solve. But don’t just get ready to talk about your successes.

A helpful performance review also means thinking honestly about where you struggled, what you want to improve, and what support could help you grow. This makes the meeting a real conversation, not just one-sided feedback.

Finally, be ready to talk about your goals. Your manager can’t support your ambitions if they don’t know about them. Share the skills you want to build, the opportunities you’d like to try, and what success could look like in the next few months.

The WorkSpark worksheet below will help you organize your examples, prepare good questions, clarify your career goals, and pick one action to take after the review.

Download the free performance-review worksheet ⬇️