You have done it!  You finally landed your first industry job.  You are working for a studio, doing what you love, but there are corporate culture processes that you don’t really understand, or take advantage of.  Probably one of the most misunderstood and under appreciated processes by new employees are the performance evaluations, or reviews.  What is a performance evaluation?  Why should I want one?  These are all valid questions and I hope to convince you that performance evaluations will make you a better 3D artist.

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What is the purpose of a performance evaluation?

A performance evaluation is a meeting between an employee and usually their direct manager or boss, with the intention of talking about the employees performance over the past evaluation cycle.  Most companies will have a review annually, while others will make them more frequent and others not at all.  The purpose of a performance evaluation is to open dialogue between the employee and their bosses. To be candid, there are also many people who don’t believe in employee performance evaluations.   A good performance evaluation should provide a safe framework for positive feedback.  Let’s break down what each side gets from the process.

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The Company

For a company, performance evaluations are a good method to see if their judgment of how a 3D artist is performing matches with that employee’s idea of their own performance.  This can allow for companies to give an artist more responsibility, or perhaps just further feedback, while also receiving feedback on the company itself.  While the description of what a company gets out of the review may seem little or not very important, it couldn’t be further from the truth.  A studio is only as good as the artists and engineers that it is comprised of, and by having performance evaluations you are increasing the quality as a whole.  With that being said there are many things a company can do to increase the quality of performance evaluations.

The Employee

The open dialogue created allows for the 3D artist to receive feedback both good and bad about their work.  By openly talking about work with a boss, an employee is able to learn what areas they are doing well in, and what areas they are struggling in, and with that information a 3D artist can track their own progress and development as well as receive good direction for their career.

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The biggest mistake most 3D artists make in a performance review is not talking about their own accomplishments.  Many people feel it is not right to brag, or try to boast, and I agree with them, except when it comes to performance reviews.  I am not suggesting embellish or lie about work you have created, but 3D artists need to be less humble or soft spoken about their own work, when it is review time.  Shout it from the 3D displaced mountaintop when its time.  Reminding your bosses of what you have accomplished serves many purposes.  It exemplifies the progress you have made, while also informing them of any work you have done that they were perhaps unaware of.

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This is also a great time to do a self assessment and review of yourself and how much progress you feel you have made.  As a 3D artist, explaining any trouble or problems you had at one time and how they were solved can help companies see you for your full value.  If you helped another artist trouble shoot a problem, let your bosses know.  If you were a key artist on a project then let them know.  Managers can’t keep track of every little thing that each 3D artist accomplishes in a year, so reminding them helps evaluate you more accurately.  So make sure you keep track of what you work throughout the year by saving some progress images into a separate evaluation folder. Just like a sketchbook can help with self assessment this folder will also help to remind you of everything you have done to improve yourself as an artist and to help the project succeed.

Performance evaluations are one of the most powerful tools for improving a 3D artist’s confidence and ability.  If used correctly a 3D artist will gain knowledge of where they are succeeding and where they need to improve their work.  Great project managers understand that a performance evaluation can improve the effectiveness of a team through focused critique as well as praise for work well done.  The evaluation is beneficial for both the employer and the employee.