How to Conduct Performance Appraisals
Overcoming the Shortcomings of Staff Appraisal Methods
Oct 12, 2009
The fact is that most people dislike performance appraisals and find them discouraging. Even managers dislike having to conduct staff appraisals. If this is the case, then the point of performance appraisals has been missed and the company may consider other methods of performance management.
According to the book “The Performance Appraisal Question and Answer Book, a Survival Guide for Managers,” 80% of American men believe that they are above average in sports. This statistic filters into other areas of life too. Ask staff members whether they think they are preforming below, on, or above average and most will probably say that they are performing above average.
If asked to give a rating on their performance based on percentage, most would probably say that they give 110%. This is the fundamental reason why most employees find performance appraisals discouraging.
Ratings for Staff Performance:
0 would indicate “not preforming to standard,”
1 means simply “doing your job,” or, as the staff member interprets it “just doing your job and no more.”
2 would mean “Doing more than what's required.” The fact is that many staff members never receive more that a “1.” Getting a “1” rating is similar to being a “C” student in school for someone who wants to be at the top of the class. People hate mediocrity and to be considered mediocre is shameful.
How to Get Staff to Feel Comfortable at Performance Appraisal Time
There a number of easy ways to circumvent the negativity associated with performance appraisals. One way is to add a few positive words into the appraisal form. For example, instead of rating a “1” as “doing your job” the appraisal form could read something more positive like, “Good solid performer” or “Fully successful.”
In this way, employees will be more than happy to be rated as a “1.” The manager can then rightly reserve the “2” rating for those few staff members who really did go way beyond the call of duty or did exceptional work during the year.
Another way is to have the correct understanding of reason behind staff appraisals. Having the correct understanding can help avoid the misery often associated performance appraisal season.
Definition of Staff Appraisal
According to the University or Vienna, staff appraisal is a periodical advisory and support discussion between staff members and management, which also reaches agreements about objectives and the achievement of targets, which are then incorporated in target agreements.
This definition gives the clear indication of the positive participation from both management and staff in the upliftment of both the employee and the company.
If staff and management understand this and treat staff appraisals as positive, helpful and up-building sessions, then the problem of performance appraisals discouragement syndrome will be resolved.
Managers need to follow through with this outlook when it comes to setting key performance areas (KPAs) and key performance indicators.
Companies need to find out how their staff really about performance appraisals and take practical steps to correct any misconceptions as soon as possible. A company may even considering alternate staff appraisal methods. Managing and analyzing staff performance in a high volume call center can be a real challenge, but one that needs to be addressed since the call center agent is often the “face” of the company. If staff are discouraged, it will affect business.
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