|
|
The
Importance of Having a Performance Appraisal Program, Part II The Employee’s Perspective As part of the performance evaluation, the manager and employee will want to establish a set of future goals the first time they sit down together for a review. These goals, which should always be at the back of the employee’s mind, will be incorporated into the performance appraisal form that will be used for the next review. While the employee fills out this form, he should consider whether the goals were adequately met, and, if so, detail how they were accomplished. For example, if a proofreader has a goal to improve his copyediting skills, he will want to indicate whether training was received, the effect it had on work performed, and whether more training or guidance may be necessary. The performance appraisal form will also require the employee to objectively assess fundamental characteristics of his work, such as quality, productivity, communication skills and work ethic. Some forms require employees to use a number grade to make these assessments. It’s a good idea to include relevant comments that could give managers more insight into the employee’s skill sets. These comments are especially important if the employee has given the same grade for all characteristics. While not necessarily problematic, assigning the same grade to each characteristic does raise the question as to whether the employee is giving much consideration to the performance appraisal form. The employee should also pay close attention to the grade scale when assessing his work. Take for example a standard grade scale of 1 to 7, in which 7 represents outstanding performance and 1 represents unsatisfactory performance. Using this scale, if an employee gives himself a grade of 4, he believes he is performing his job at the level expected for the given position. Finally, employees should not hesitate to list any training needs. Identifying training needs will show the manager or supervisor that employees are evaluating themselves objectively, and training can only serve to enhance the employee’s job performance while contributing to staff development. Employees who provide honest assessments of their work and provide comments to support the grades given will effectively complete the employee’s portion of the performance appraisal form. The Manager’s Perspective Managers should be aware of mindsets that can influence their evaluation of employees. According to James E. Neal Jr., author of the best-seller Effective Phrases for Performance Appraisals, there is a phenomenon in the workplace known as the “halo effect.” The halo effect comes into play when the supervisor rates an employee’s work as either all good or all bad, based only on one single aspect, dimension or experience with that employee. Supervisors also may tend to be too lenient in their evaluations, giving employees inflated ratings rather than true assessments of their performance. Further still, some supervisors may be prone to assigning all employees the same rating, regardless of the differences in their work. Rating employees is only one phase of the performance evaluation process, though. Holding face-to-face reviews with the employee is the most critical element of the appraisal program. Prior to the review, managers and supervisors should prepare by closely examining the employee’s performance appraisal form, thinking about how to offer constructive criticism, anticipating objections or issues raised, and preparing a list of goals that the employee will need to meet. Ideally, the manager and employee will mutually develop and agree to this list of goals. While pointing out areas that need improvement, the manager will also want to highlight the strengths to help motivate the employee to elevate his overall job performance. If the manager’s grade is different from an employee’s grade for a particular characteristic or goal, the manager is strongly recommended to include related comments. Such comments will give the employee a better understanding of the manager’s reasoning for the grade, as well make clear the concerns that the manager has regarding the employee’s performance. One Caveat The performance appraisal program provides valuable feedback and instruction to employees and gives managers and supervisors a useful framework from which to assess their staff’s performance. The performance appraisal program should not, however, be established and only reconsidered once every six months, once a year, or as often as the manager and employee meet for the formal performance appraisal review. Instead, managers and supervisors should continuously evaluate and guide employees so that performance deficiencies do not go unchecked for too long, only to be recognized and discussed at the performance appraisal review. Similarly, as employees conduct their work each week, they should always keep in mind the goals that they are supposed to be meeting and the expectations that their supervisors have of them. Editor’s Note: Last month’s Trusted Professional looked at the significance and considerations of establishing a performance appraisal program. Part II of this series outlines how the employee and manager should consider completing the performance appraisal form. |
Print