Human Resource Complications

AIU Online

Human Resource Department Problem Analysis

Individual Project Assignment 1

Dawn Kaiser

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

BUS300-0703B-08

Decision Making

By

Melissa Brunette-Wells

Colorado Springs, Colorado

August 2007

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and analyze the problems within the Human Resource department of "People, people who need people.com" in regards to their employee performance appraisal process. While hoping to use creative resources to uncover the problems, isolate them, and determine possible solutions, as well as, offer innovative and alternative ways to alleviate the potential reoccurrence of the problems. The final step is to evaluate ways to strengthen the Human Resource department as a whole.

Human Resource Department Problem Analysis

The performance appraisal system of any company is an essential element in the developmental course of action in any organization. It is used to strongly simulate the capabilities of an organization by outlining the goals and expectations they are hoping to achieve from their employees. This requires a just and ethical performance appraisal process for the company's well-being. This plays a very significant role in bringing out the best in the companies personnel.

Salary revisions, which follow most performance appraisals, are a good example stimulating tool thus allowing for a fair performance appraisal process to bridge the gap toward reducing the company's turn-over rates. It is because of these issues that performance appraisals are very important and must be done with extreme accuracy and regardless of the situation, done without bias.

Common problems that occur are: completing an appraisal without biasness, discrimination against during the appraisal, getting emotionally involved and losing objectivity and control of the evaluation, not listening reflectively or not pursuing new information or suggestions the employee offers or discusses, succumbing to the halo or central effect on ratings, which is the giving of a favorable overall rating based on one job aspect, as opposed to a rating that fairly takes into account performance in all job areas, and failure to close with a summary that leaves the employee with a clear understanding of where they stand, what they need to do in the future to meet standards, and how and when the supervisor will assist the employee in doing so.

Avoiding Biasness

It is essential in giving employee appraisals that the person conducting the review is being fair and objective at all times. This is of utmost importance and the very integrity of the company and the person performing the appraisal is at risk.

Unfortunately, personal biases, prejudices and personal idiosyncrasies often times come into play during an employee performance appraisal. These sometimes occur on a subconscious level and are unrecognized by the person conducting the appraisal, but can still have a negative effect on the appraisal process and results (Employee Adviser 2007). The best possible solution to avoid a biased employee performance appraisal is to have two to three different members of management or supervisors perform an employee performance appraisal on the same employee. This can be done individually or as a group review process.

Avoiding Discrimination

Discrimination generally means treating someone differently because of a certain personal characteristic and can take the form of many different forms ranging from age, sex, religion, and even race, just to name a few (Employment Discrimination 2007). All members of management must be very careful to ensure that there is no discrimination of any type in any of the employment processes within their company. Employee Appraisals sometimes fall into this category of unfairness.

According to the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) employment decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about the abilities, traits, or performance of individuals of a certain sex, race, age, religion, or ethnic group, or individuals with disabilities is one of the top forms of discrimination used today by employers.

Everyone is capable of discrimination and all of us have committed discrimination at one time or another. It may have been discriminating against how someone dresses, how they fix their hair, how they smell, or any number of things. As the management team it is very important that personal opinions and feelings are not allowed to cloud the employee appraisal process.

Emotional Involvement Clouding Perception

This topic can be a rather touchy topic for some people. When employees develop personal relationships between each other and with members of management, or perhaps they get promoted to management, the bond can create an unfair employee appraisal. Another example is when a member of management becomes involved with an employee and a disagreement occurs between two employees it is very common that the member of management performing the employee appraisal may go into to the meeting with preconceived opinions and ideas about the person they are interviewing. This obviously would cloud the employer's or member of management's judgment regarding the employee's actual performance.

The management team needs to be very aware of any and all personal relationships that may or may not occur between its employees. It is also the ethical responsibility of the person performing the employee appraisal to, if at all possible, recuse themselves of performing any employee performance appraisals where they know or feel that they have any emotional ties that could lead to an unfair appraisal.

Not Listening Objectively

A common problem that occurs in employee appraisal reviews