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Employee Performance Appraisals
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It's the time of the year for performance appraisals - this article shows you how to get the most out of employee appraisals.
Most bosses are keenly aware that performance evaluations not only affects the employee's disposable income, it also has impact on her social status and self-esteem. Managers may take one of the two possible courses of action:
Either the "good guy" approach where "Everyone is doing just fine; or conversely, the "bad guy" approach where you "Tell it as it is". However, inflated performance reviews give employees a false sense of security and deprive them of the opportunity to improve. Rewards are based on performance, not good intentions or a great personality.
The following guidelines will help you become more effective at employee performance appraisals:
1. Workplace ethics require people to be judged solely on job performance. Managers must eliminate such things as favoritism, friendship, personality, gender, race or age bias. By adopting a definition of workplace ethics that centers solely on job performance, you can persuade your partners to base their reviews on merit alone for the surest way to provide long-lasting, beneficial results.
2. Strive for consistency. In most companies, managers start each performance review from scratch, rather than evaluating and comparing the current appraisal against the employee's prior performance review. As a result, subsequent appraisals may fail to address previously noted deficiencies. If there is more than one manager conducting the performance appraisals, ensure that all managers use the same yardsticks and performance benchmarks, across the practice.
3. Schedule semi-annual or quarterly reviews, rather than have one single annual evaluation where pay and performance are discussed. This way issues can be addressed by both parties without fear of monetary repercussions, and gives you an opportunity to be be a coach rather than a judge.
4. Try to hold a real discussion so that the party being appraised has a opportunity to participate. Make it a two-way communication by listening without patronising or making assumptions. Explain to the employee that here is a chance for her to openly air workplace problems that have negative impact on her performance. Managers should see the appraisal review as an opportunity to hear from your staff and to find out what is really going on in the backrooms at the staff level.
5. Be specific when raising any performance issues with your employee and give her an opportunity to respond. Give her examples of how to improve. A joint action plan will go a long way to breaching the barrier so that employee can talk about performance difficulties. Any suggestions for improvement should be molded into concise, easily understood, short-term plans of action. Try to stay away from hazy directives such as: "Show more initiative" or "Get more done in less time". It is better to agree on what specifically needs to be done; put in writing the agreed action plan; set a time period for implementation; and schedule a second appraisal to examine the effectiveness of the agreed plan.
6. Focus on employee behavior, not the individual. There is a big difference between needing improvement and being a poor employee. The more global the assault, the more compelled the employee is to deny the issues and to fight back. If a manager focuses on problems rather than the person, the employee can detach himself/herself sufficiently to take remedial action. Although the employee owns and is responsible for the problem, he or she is not the problem.
Remember, hope is the greatest motivator of all. Maybe they didn't do well this time, but the words, "Let's plan to make sure this doesn't happen again" imply that the employee can work toward a brighter future with your practice.
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