Performance Appraisal

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Definition Performance Appraisal? Meaning.

A Performance Appraisal is a method and a process to identify, observe, measure, evaluate and develop individual employee performance, providing employee feedback, and (indirectly) to improve the effectiveness of the organization as a whole. An appraisal normally consists out of the assessment by a qualified person of the performance and of a discussion of the development and training needs of an employee. It is important to realize there are two sides to any appraisal:

1. Judgment (Historic). Actual performance is compared against performance targets and feedback (both positive and negative) is given. This may or may not include the determination of a pay increase. Generally, including pay in the Appraisal has the major disadvantages that honest and open communication becomes almost impossible, and the judgment part of the Appraisal becomes too dominant.

2. Development (Future-oriented). The needs of the employee are evaluated in terms of the training requirement to improve skills and knowledge in line with future performance objectives and the direction the employee wants to grow. Furthermore Employee Objectives (SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic/Relevant, Time-related) are agreed. Compare: Career Management.

Any Performance Appraisal should be:

3. Documented.

4. Delivered in a face-to-face meeting.

Any Appraisal should be well prepared for by both the manager and the employee. Although normally the line manager of the employee is best positioned to be the appraiser, in some organizations it can be a special Personnel Manager. The advantage can be that this specialized person has more experience, special skills and knowledge on doing employee reviews. An issue is that the Personnel Manager must be aware of how the employee is functioning in his work environment. This can be supported by Peer-Appraisals and/or by 360-Degree Feedback.

Steps in a Performance Appraisal. Process

Typically a an appraisal of performance is comprised of three main steps:

1. Definition of the expected duties and the job standards. By line manager, together with employee.
2. Conduct of the performance appraisal, comparing the actual performance of the employee with the performance standard that were previously defined.
3. Feedback and follow-up: line manager provides feedback to the employee and plans are made for future development.

Forum Forum about Performance Appraisals. Start a new topic Share your knowledge or ask a question   Avoid Routine Annual Performance Appraisals Performance appraisals in my opinion should not be allowed to become a routine annual exercise, but should be used to improve the performances of all levels of staff. They should be carried out in an ... 49   4 comments Wrong Use of Employee Appraisals My personal view regarding appraisals is that it has become a penalty tool to fight personnel vendettas and not for the purpose it was designed for. In most cases they are done haphazardly, discourag... 26   1 comments Obsession with Quantifying Human Performance In his book Tyranny of Metrics (2018), Jerry Muller describes the damage our obsession with metrics is causing. Today, a lot of organizations of all kinds are ruled by the belief that the path to succ... 20   42 comments How to React When You are Undervalued? How can you succeed when your tumultuous efforts are not recognized by your superiors and your performance is rated on personal grudge?... 13   6 comments The Performance-Values Match Matrix (Jack Welch) Have you ever wondered how employee performance can be aligned to core values? Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric (GE) once introduced the Performance-Values Matrix (also referred to as t... 13   12 comments Appraise the Past, Develop for the Future As described in the summary, performance management has a dual role: 1. Feedback on past performance, and achievement of agreed upon goals and measurable performance targets. The appraisal meetin... 12   1 comments 🔥 NEW What to do if NO Annual Appraisal Interview is Scheduled? What if an annual performance appraisal is not being scheduled by your manager? Should you request the annual review yourself? Or is it better to wait patiently, especially if no salary increase ... 12   23 comments How to Identify and Manage Workplace Favoritism Have you ever wondered why a specific employee gets more promotion opportunities than others? Or perhaps you experienced one employee getting constant praise and appreciation while that was not deserv... 9   9 comments Post COVID-19 Performance Evaluations A performance review, also called "performance evaluation" or "performance appraisal", is an appraisal in which typically a supervisor reviews an employee's performance at work. Throughout such review... 7   6 comments Consider the Job Situation in Appraisals It is not only the performance that is to be studied but the situation where the job is being carried out needs to be studied as well! We human are always carried away by our perception. We need ... 7   Decentralized Performance Appraisals In my opinion, performance appraisal should be done at the small units (branches), especially in large corporations. In such organizations, employees are often required to perform many extra tasks whi... 6   1 comments Performance Appraisals versus Student Examinations. A Comparison Appraisals are to employees what examinations are to students. Examinations have undergone several changes and so have appraisals. I try to list some features and hope with this similarity our un... 5   2 comments Cascading the Business Objectives to Performance Appraisals Each year, an organization determines business objectives and these objectives are cascaded into set of action items. Each department, based on its role to the organization sets these objectives into ... 5   How Role Clarity and Employee Performance Management can help with Strategic Focus Leadership teams often face the challenge that the majority of jobs in the business defaults mainly in the first level or other lower levels in the organisation, focusing on the execution of similar, ... 4   2 comments Use of Of Employee Appraisals to Validate the Remuneration System Basically there seem to be two reasons / goals of appraisal systems. 1. To give a feedback to appraisee so that he/she may improve and follow the path desired by appraising authorities 2. To... 4   Optimize on the Strengths of your Employees I studied many aspects from Business Management to Psychology and later moved to a qualification in teaching. I learned over the years that people have different levels of talent and many people don'... 4   Mismatch in Performance Appraisals: Actions from Last Year are Rewarded/Punished This Year It has always been my concern that the traditional way of determining the compensation of an employee is on the basis (almost always) of what he has done in the past (good or bad) and not so much (if ... 4   5 comments Feedback Should be Like a Mirror: Neutral As we can see in various documents on feedback, it is often seen in terms of 'good' or 'bad'. However, feedback is neutral and should be given this way. One can not be upset about the face he/sh... 4   1 comments Bonuses.. what is Fair to All Within Large Corporations What is fair to all in a large corporation when bonus time rolls around, quarterly, and yearly. Should all employees be entitled to a bonus based on their position and time with the company, yearly, a... 4   3 comments

Best Practices The best, top-rated topics about Performance Appraisals. Here you will find the most valuable ideas and practical suggestions. Checklist of 50+ Common Errors in Performance Appraisals I was asked to make a list of common mistakes by managers in performance appraisals. G.T. Milkovich and J.M. Newman report the following ones (Compensation, 2002): 1. Halo Effect: a favorabl... 84   55 comments How to Give Constructive Feedback? Models and Tips I would like to gather methods and best practices on giving constructive feedback... Perhaps you are using a particular feedback model, or do you have other tips? Thanks!... 51   39 comments How to Achieve Fair Performance Appraisals? It's important that a fair method / system of feed back must be implemented in every organization. This means the appraiser has to verify and communicate the PURPOSE of the feed back: For wh... 50   2 comments Concerns not Previously Discussed During Performance Reviews I am always worried that there has not been enough upfront review. When my supervisors complete a performance review I also review it prior to sharing it with the employee. I find that when questions ... 39   2 comments How to Deal with Average Performers? Managing Average Performers They did deliver, if only a mediocre, standard performance. So they can not be dismissed on a non-performance basis. They are the majority within most organisatio... 29   39 comments How to Get Employees to Improve? Issues with Feedback As a manager, you are trying to improve the performance of your team members. And so you should. It's quite common to think that giving your employees critical yet constructive feedback on their weakn... 27   13 comments Open Communication? Try Coffee Talks I my view, the main problem with annual performance evaluations is the lack of open honest communication. I have found that having regular open conversations throughout the year is paramount. I t... 27   3 comments Three Types of Performance Appraisals In employee performance management, performance appraisals are an important method to detect the strengths and weaknesses of employees and improve those through the right trainings and practices. ... 25   13 comments Broken Confidentiality of Performance Appraisals Hi, my problem is related to behaviour of my boss, who is a causing trouble, especially between employees, because he is spreading info gathered from one member of the team to the other members of the... 19   4 comments Don't Forget Practical Appraisal Follow-up I came to realise that some appraisals take long to bear any effect. Some data is compiled about the employees but no effort is made to update the employee about the results. Where an employee has don... 18   How to Deal with Poor Performers and Non Performers? How does one manage poor performing employees and how do you deal with someone that comes to work that is not productive at all (being drunk, hangover)? They claim that they work for that matter. ... 17   17 comments Conditions for Successful Performance Appraisals Performance appraisals are a vital action in HR systems. But it will not be a successful program, unless we teach employees to ask the following questions from themselves: What things they want from t... 16   5 comments Outcomes of Performance Appraisals The performance appraisal process in practice seeks to develop the human capital of the organisation. However, an indirect outcome from the process is the possible identification of organisational str... 16   How to Receive Personal Feedback? Tips Even if we know intellectually that feedback from other people has many advantages (like helping us to avoid making certain mistakes again, helping us to develop our talents and ourselves as a person,... 15   1 comments How to Prepare for a Performance Appraisal as Appraiser It is wise to put yourself in the position of the recipient of the appraisal you are about to give to someone else. How would you receive the information if it was directed at you? Some questions... 10   39 comments Tips for Ensuring Performance Appraisals Hold Up in Court One inherent risk in the use of performance evaluations is that they may become the basis for or evidence in workplace discrimination or wrongful termination lawsuits. Based on an analysis of court pr... 10   8 comments Appraisal for Future Job? I am currently studying Project Planning and management . Can a performance appraisal be done to appraise an employee on a job they are not currently holding but are qualified for?... 9   6 comments Avoiding Biases in Performance Appraisals My experience indicates that while an employee is being appraised, there are certain cognitive biases which effect the performance appraisal. Is there any process or method to remove or decrease ... 9   5 comments Disparaging Appraisal Terms I recently heard the following terms referring to some office workers: they are "do nothings" and "non-performing investments".... 5   3 comments

Expert Tips Advanced insights about Performance Appraisals. Here you will find professional advices by experts. 3 Suggested Changes to Improve the Performance Review Process Improving Performance Appraisal Process, Improving Performance Reviews, Best Practices Performance reviews are used in organizations to find out who to hire or to promote and to improve employees’ performanc... The Focus of Improving Appraisal Systems Improving Performance Appraisal Process, Improving Performance Reviews, Improving Appraisal Systems, Best Practices Research on improvements in performance appraisals often reveals that touch initiatives often emphasize increasing the a... Fairness of Managers and Leaders: are Fair Leaders More Effective? Management, Leadership, HR, Performance Appraisals In many studies the relationship between fairness and effective leadership is studied. Managers and leaders are often re...

Information Sources Various sources of information regarding Performance Appraisals. Here you will find powerpoints, videos, news, etc. to use in your own lectures and workshops. How to Give Successful Feedback to Employees Giving Feedback, Conducting a Performance Review, Performance Appraisal This presentation can be used as a guidance for giving feedback to your employees. The presentation includes the followi... Effective Employee Performance Appraisals: Purposes, Characteristics, Sources and Methods Performance Appraisal Concise but good presentation about Performance Appraisals. The presentation includes the following sections: - Purpose... Employee Performance Management and Performance Appraisals (In depth) Performance Appraisals, Performance Management, Employee Performance In depth presentation about Performance Management and Performance Appraisal. The presentation clearly explains both con... 10 Common Mistakes in Giving People Feedback Performance Feedback, Performance Appraisal, Giving Feedback, Feedback to Employees Giving proper feedback to other people is important, but hard. In this micro-learning video 10 common mistakes are expla... The Role of Supervisor | Skills of Supervisors Skills of a Supervisor, Supervisor Role, Supervisor Behavior This presentation elaborates on the skills that supervisors need in order to be successful in their business/organizatio... You Cause Poor Employee Performance Employee Appraisal, Performance Appraisal, Performance Review, Employee Performance Following recent forum discussions on preparing performance appraisals as a manager, in this video Patrick Schwertfeger ... The High Performance Development Model Employee Performance Management, Employee Development, Career Management Presentation about the High Performance Development Model. The presentation contains a brief description of many employe... Multitasking and Ways to Avoid It Multitasking Behavior, Peeformance Management This presentation is about Multitasking. It includes some interesting multitasking experiments and ends with seven solut... Bullying: Workplace Performance and Preventive Strategies Organizational Management, Strategy This presentation is about bullying in the workplace, its impacts and management strategies that can help to address bul... DCOM Model Organization Dashboard Evaluate Organization Capability in DCOM Table presents factors by which to determine if an organization is capable (and to what degree) in utilizing DCOM. The e... DCOM Roadmap at 3 Levels Applying the DCOM Approach Checklists describing typical attention points for: Direction, Competence, Opportunity and Motivation (DCOM) at 3 levels... Guide Toward Coaching your Employees Coaching Employees, Performance Reviews, Giving Effective Feedback Presentation that provides information about the ways to effectively coach employees. The presentation includes the foll... How to Get a Raise. 5 Negotiation Secrets Salary Negotiations, Negotiating a Raise In this video Donald Dell gives advice on how to get a raise. 1. Never make the first offer: listen and learn first 2.... Introduction to Performance Appraisal of Employees Initial Understanding of Performance Appraisal, Start of Workshop In this short video some key elements of Performance Appraisal are defined: 1. Objective: to improve performance. 2. A... Work-Family Conflicts and Work-Life Policies Performance Management, Work-Life Balance, HR, Programs This presentation is about Work-Family Conflicts and Employee Performance. The presentation includes the following secti...

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Compare with: Self-Appraisal  |  Peer-Appraisal  |  Behavioral Observation Scales  |  Competency-based Approach  |  Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales  |  360-Degree Feedback  |  Management by Objectives  |  CSFs and KPIs  |  Result Oriented Management  |  Pre-Employment Screening

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