Performance Appraisals

Performance appraisals are supposed to be a tool used by employees and managers where the parties communicate by sharing ideas, opinions and information; however, the managers are usually put in the position of being the judge of the employee. (www.toolpack.com) Today, a great number of employees are cynical about performance appraisals because the merit increase that is tied to the appraisal is trending downward; therefore employees feel that there isn't any use in putting a great deal of effort into the performance appraisal because there is not much of a reward. This is one of the biggest challenges put forth to managers: getting employees more involved in the performance appraisal process so that they feel like it is as important as the job they do every day.

After doing extensive research on performance appraisals I've found a few areas of improvement that I feel managers should develop in order to make the process more efficient.

Make communication a two-way street - It is vitally important for the employee to feel a part of this process and to buy into the process that not only could lead to a merit increase, but, more importantly, to he/she being a better employee, i.e. more knowledgeable, efficient and prepared to do their daily tasks and more. In order to do this, the manager must give the employee ample time, but with a deadline, to complete his/her part of the appraisal. Then and only then will the manager structure his/her responses to what the employee has reported and then add more if the employee isn't complete enough in his/her notations. It's important to remember that employees need to see this as a growth tool to help them succeed. (www.toolpack.com)

Upward assessments - Most managers do not realize that what they say doesn't always match their actions. "Upward assessments can help managers to keep their words and actions consistent, while showing areas where managers can improve their performance. This can greatly increase their credibility." (www.toolpack.com) Managers use the performance appraisal to give positive and negative feedback once a year; however they don't always follow through throughout the year. We're guilty of not having time to deal with issues as they arise and aren't always as diligent about following through on issues that need attention. During the performance appraisal, managers tend to have a different outlook than during the previous year so how they act in that meeting can be totally different than how they react throughout the year. In order to rectify this, managers need to be more in tune to their own ways of thinking and sharing on a daily basis instead of once a year. A monthly one-on-one meeting with the employee, even if there is not much to discuss will keep the communication lines open and allow the employee to voice issues and ideas. In turn, having the employees fill out upward assessments on the managers can only assist the manager in learning about themselves and understanding how they are seen in the eyes of their employees - an advantage across the board. (www.toolpack.com)

No surprises - Annual performance appraisals should be no surprise to the employee. There should not be any information in that appraisal that has not already been discussed with the employee. Too many times, managers tend to try to come up with information to fill in the appraisal because they aren't as diligent in their record keeping throughout the year and perhaps don't take the process as seriously as they should. The key to the performance appraisal is to be open and honest about what employees have done and not done; not to surprise them with things that they have not heard about. This is a disparaging situation that can cause undue stress to the employee. If it is something that has not been discussed with the employee, then it should not be documented in the appraisal as a negative but perhaps spoken about verbally. This will save the moral of the meeting and will allow it to continue smoothly. (www.rothgerber.com)

Honest ratings - Managers tend to give the same ratings