Check-in vs. performance review

If you’re worried about a colleague, your approach  shouldn’t feel like you’re addressing job performance issues

Checking in on someone’s wellbeing should never be confused with a work performance conversation.

Perhaps you’ve noticed a colleague who’s demonstrated a sudden change in attitude to their job or towards their colleagues in the office. Seeking to understand their state of mind should always be conducted with care and consideration.

Approaching it like a work-performance conversation risks undermining any good intentions you had and could lead to misunderstandings that erode trust.

So, let’s differentiate the two types of conversation.

When you’re seeking to find out about a colleague’s wellbeing, you must:

• Create a safe space for the individual to share how they are feeling. 

• Identify any challenges they might be facing. 

• Connect them with support if needed.

Use open-ended questions

You’re prioritising the human connection over work-related issues, such as evaluations about whether they’ve hit their number, met their KPIs, or attended to specific requests that you or the agency have made of them. 

Your conversation should centre on the individual’s emotional, mental and sometimes physical wellbeing. 

Questions should be open-ended and aim to understand their general state of mind. 

You might ask, “How are you doing in general lately?” Or, “I’ve noticed you seem a bit more withdrawn than usual, and you mentioned the other day you feel exhausted all the time. I thought I’d check in”. 

In these conversations, watch for signs that your colleague might be struggling either with their work or in their private life. 

Hints can include lack of sleep, altered eating patterns, expressions of loneliness or loss of motivation. 

Depending what is shared, you might suggest they visit a doctor to discuss issues such as sleep and diet. Or, you might encourage the use of your organisation’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Privacy is critical

You might say, “I’m always here if you ever want to chat, but is there someone else you’d rather talk to?” 

If your organisation doesn’t have an EAP, we can help. The Rise Initiative offers real estate professionals access to three sessions with a counsellor from Assure. The sessions are free. This has been made possible by Domain.

All your colleague would do is ring 1800 808 374, and say they’re using the Real Care Employee Assistance program from Domain.

Finally, confidentiality is a critical part of the interaction – more so than with a performance review. You should only share your conversation with permission. It’s not acceptable to report what has been said to your boss, or HR, without it. Assume colleagues do not want this type of information shared unless they say so expressly.

There should be one exception – talk or hint of suicidal tendencies. If you encounter this situation, report it immediately so the appropriate assistance can be given.

Differences between a health check-in and work review

Feature	Health Check-in	Work Conversation
Primary Purpose	Wellbeing, support, connection, identifying challenges	Review performance, provide feedback, set goals, address issues
Focus	Emotional and mental state, overall wellbeing	Job responsibilities, tasks, goals, achievements, behaviours
Questions Asked	Open-ended about feelings and general state	Specific about tasks, projects, achievements, challenges
Supporter Role	Primarily listener, empathetic, offers support	Evaluator, coach, provides feedback and direction
Desired Outcome	Employee feels heard, supported, and connected to help	Improved performance, clear expectations, alignment with goals
Frequency	Can be informal and, as needed, proactive or reactive	Often scheduled at regular intervals (e.g., quarterly, annually)
Documentation	Typically informal and not formally documented	Often formally documented as part of performance management