Year end review season is a time of reflection on your performance. It’s also a time to talk with your manager about the areas you’re excelling in, opportunities for growth and what you want to do differently in 2026. Beyond salary increases or a new title, your performance review is a time to consider training and reskilling benefits outside of your paycheck that can pay dividends for your career growth and happiness at work.
5 Expert Tips For Your Year End Review
This is the time of year that many employees are thinking about performance reviews, and that can bring anxiety, frustration and dread because the spotlight is on you. Anxiety can interfere with a good performance review. If you’re trembling at the thought of an upcoming review, the first step is to find tools to help you lower your anxiety.
I have previously written for Forbes.com on how to self-calm before a challenging year end review or job interview. I asked several experts for their tips on how employees can prepare for end-of-year reviews and negotiate better salaries and benefits. My sources came up with five strategies that can arm you with the confidence to meet the challenge.
1. Come with proof of impact.
Macaire Montini, vice president of people & culture at HiBob favors bringing proof of how you impacted the organization and compare it the goals you set. “Most reviews end with goal setting for the next review term, but sometimes, those can be forgotten about a year later if your reviews are annual,” Montini told me.
She encourages you to reflect on your goals from the prior year and come armed with examples of how you’ve met and exceeded those goals. “Was your goal to take on a certain number of new projects? Was it to bring in larger clients?” she asks. “Having examples of how you’ve outperformed those benchmarks will be a good stepping stone so you can show your contribution and make a case for the raise.”
Lana Peters, chief revenue officer and experience officer at Klaar, advocates showing—instead of telling—the value you’ve provided to the company. “Explaining that you’re a great team player or a high performer is only half of the battle,” she points out, “bring examples of goals you’ve exceeded and accomplishments you’re particularly proud of to illustrate your point. The proof is in the pudding, so come with these ready to share if you’re asking for a stronger compensation package.”
2. Advocate for yourself.
“Reviews are a great time for self-reflection where you can focus on where you’ve excelled, where you’ve met expectations and where you have areas for the most improvement,” according to Peters. ”But beyond that, it’s also imperative to understand how to advocate for yourself—something that is always challenging and often, particularly hard for women.”
As an example, Peters says suppose you’re dissatisfied with a pay raise offered to you as part of your review. She submits that you take a beat before saying anything. “Look at what the market rate is for your role, assess what the salary increase percentage is and try to understand how the company got there,” she asserts. “If your organization has been through layoffs and you’ve been offered an increase, pushing for more may not be appropriate.”
On the other hand, Peters notes that if you’re seeing company growth, self-advocacy is important. “Using sites like Glassdoor—and looking at open roles on LinkedIn from others in your industry—can help you gain an understanding of what common pay scales are. Once you have the information in hand, set time to have a follow-up chat where you can make your case.”
3. Reassess your total rewards and compensation.
Montini insists that your review isn’t just about the number on your paycheck. She believes you should use your review to reassess your total rewards and compensation. She agrees you should make sure you’re being paid fairly for your work but adds that, thanks to salary transparency, that’s easy to verify.
She also encourages you to think about other benefits that would make your work life better. If you want to negotiate for more time off, more flexibility to work remotely or new office equipment, she asserts that this could be the time to make that ask.
Peters agrees that it’s important to think beyond just the dollar amount on your paycheck. She urges you to ask if there are other benefits you can ask for in addition to or in lieu of a substantial raise. “Maybe there are classes you want to take that your company can cover the fees for, opportunities for upskilling and learning more about AI or ways to shadow on another team,” she points out, adding that you might want to consider these as part of your negotiation as well.
But she also encourages you to think about other benefits that would make your work life better. If you want to negotiate for more time off, more flexibility to work remotely or new office equipment, this could be the time to make that ask, she asserts.
4. Ask for upskill training with AI.
In preparing for end-of-year reviews, AI bubbles to the top because it’s altering the nature of how we work, causing the average worker and employer to re-think what the nature of work even means anymore. Data shows that most companies expect AI information and processing to reshape business between 2026 and 2030.
Holger Reisinger, Senior vice president at Jabra recommends that you ask for AI training to upskill. He cites a new study predicting that there will be mainstream adoption of voice usage with GenAI by 2028.
He says you can make sure you’re ready for that shift by taking courses that address it directly. “Research skill-building opportunities, present them during your review, and explain how this would not only benefit you personally but also your wider team and organization,” he advises. “Strong employers want to develop their top talent, and managers are often open to finding new ways to do this that they know will resonate with the team.”
5. Request more work flexibility.
Reisinger suggests that you ask for more flexibility at work. “Working in an office environment is powerful for developing rapport among teams and for building bonds and relationships with colleagues,” he states. “However, flexibility in where and when you work can also fuel creativity and help with a strong work-life balance. Advocating for a hybrid work arrangement can help to achieve this as long as the right tools and technology are in place for seamless virtual collaboration.”
A Final Takeaway On Your Year End Review
It’s important to feel confident and productive when you address shortcomings and showcase achievements. Managers usually honor and respect transparency. If you made a significant snafu (all of us make mistakes), own up to it, but speak strategically. In the year end review, make sure to share what you learned from the mistake, how it strengthened you as an employee and what you would do differently in the future.