Performance Appraisal Defined Effective Performance Appraisals Effective Performance Appraisals The process of a. assessing and recording staff performance b. for the purpose of making judgments about staff c. that lead to decisions. Presented by Mary White, M.A., SPHR What Performance Appraisal Is: Communication Tool A review and discussion of an employee's 1. performance of assigned duties and responsibilities 2. based on results obtained by the employee 3. in their job. The appraisal process stimulates better communication between managers and employees PA provides an important feedback mechanism that might otherwise be overlooked Employee Morale Employees want and need accurate information on how they are doing and what they need to do to improve PA are a tool for overtly recognizing and supporting each individual's contribution to the organization Productivity PA can lead to a more competent work force by providing a formal means of identifying, discussing, and addressing competency gaps Helps identify obstacles to top performance Allows for feedback to be combined with goal setting Management has opportunity to specify what actions employees need to take Success Seminar Series (c) 2008 1
Legalities Documentation, documentation, documentation! How else can you defend nonperformance or poor performance terminations? Accurate, valid appraisals can help an organization defend itself Invalid appraisals put the organization at risk Problems With PA: Management Perspective Often resist PA process (passively or actively) Often view it as wasted paperwork Don t view it as a priority Don't believe in it, so don't like defending it May not be comfortable giving feedback (positive and/or negative) Discomfort from avoiding dealing with performance shortfalls as they occur Fear of emotional aspects Problems With PA: Employee Perspective Employees tend to take their cues from management Employees view as a one time per year thing to endure. Employees feel that few constructive actions or significant improvements result from PA Employees are often less certain about where they stand after PA Employees often are not receptive to feedback Process of PA The success of PA depends on a) the supervisor's willingness to complete a constructive and objective assessment during this performance appraisal b) the employee's willingness to respond to constructive criticism and to work with the supervisor to overcome performance barriers The PA process must satisfy and address the needs of all involved parties: Employee Manager Organization Before completing the appraisal, familiarize yourself with all aspects of the process Start with an understanding of duties and requirements of employee s present job Clarify job description and responsibilities before completing the appraisal form Make sure you thoroughly understand the duties and requirements of the position held by the employee Consider your evaluation in terms of the employee's present duties, not in terms of the duties of a higher or lower classification Success Seminar Series (c) 2008 2
Strive for Objectivity Know that will be somewhat subjective because human judgment is involved Stay job centered, keep personality out of it Eliminate favoritism, feelings of personal prejudice Each employee is entitled to a thoughtful and careful appraisal Consider each factor independently. Do not assume that excellence in one factor implies excellence in all factors Do not assume that poor performance in one factor implies poor performance in each factor Base your appraisal on observed performance during the rating period, not on what is expected in the future Evaluate overall performance throughout the entire rating period Don t focus just on significant events; consider in context Don t focus just on recent events Keep a tickler file throughout the year Consider various aspects of the employee's performance that you want to discuss with the employee The appraisal should reflect your fair judgment of an employee's work performance Diagnose employee strengths and weaknesses Make suggestions for improvement as warranted : The actual face-to-face appraisal meeting is vital to the appraisal process Make sure you have time for the interview and that you consider it a priority Allow for more time than you anticipate Make sure you are uninterrupted for the whole of the interview Suggestions to create an appropriate tone: Ask questions and listen Be open-minded Discuss strengths Make criticism constructive. When you point out a weakness, offer suggestions for improvement. Keep the focus of the interview on the future. Discuss carrying good performance forward. Talk about actions to be taken to avoid past problems. Review performance objectives and performance standards Clearly communicate management's employee performance expectations Verify employee understanding of expectations Provide feedback to employee Provide feedback to the employee about job performance in light of management's objectives Success Seminar Series (c) 2008 3
Give employees answers to: What am I expected to do? How well am I doing? What are my strengths and weaknesses? How can I do a better job? How can I contribute more? Identify training needs Determine what kinds of training might help the employee improve performance on the current job Clarify employee development interests and needs with retention and promotion in mind Coach the employee on how to achieve job objectives/requirements Make helpful suggestions Give adequate instructions Ask what you can do in support of recommended/agreed upon changes Follow up with confirmation of the agreements made Set action plan in place ASAP : Ongoing Communication: Review progress toward objectives through ongoing feedback and periodic discussions PA provides a scheduled opportunity to communicate individually with employees These discussions should not be restricted to a formal review Frequent communication is essential to good management and helps maintain good performance throughout the year Remember the nature of a process PA is ongoing! Work towards an honest, open relationship with two-way feedback being a constant. Encourage ownership Support employees in the learning they derive from their mistakes Provide ongoing, day-to-day feedback to your employees about their performance Go out of your way to discover good things your employees are doing Praise positive effort and achievements Provide constructive criticism regarding areas in need of improvement Remember importance of immediacy! Success Seminar Series (c) 2008 4
Leadership As manager, you set the tone If employees pick up any negativity from you, they are not likely to respect the process If employees sense commitment to the process from you, they will value the process Mary Gormandy White, M.A., SPHR Mary Gormandy White is co-founder of Mobile Technical Institute and MTI (www.mobiletechwebsite.com), a full-service training and consulting firm based in Mobile, AL that works with clients throughout the U.S. Mary oversees MTI's corporate training and continuing education division and also provides corporate training, one-on-one training and human resource management consulting services to clients throughout the U.S. MTI also provides database development, website development, email marketing and social media services. Mary is also the author of 101 Successful PR Campaign Tips and 101 Human Resource Management Tips in the LifeTips book series and is a Senior Group Editor and Social Networking Specialist for www.lovetoknow.com. mgwhite@mtimail.com 251-478-6848 Books by Mary Gormandy White 101 Human Resource Management Tips (2009, LifeTips.com, ISBN 9781602750524) 101 Successful PR Campaign Tips (2008, LifeTips.com, ISBN 978-1602750371) Available from Amazon.com & BarnesandNoble.com Success Seminar Series (c) 2008 5