Performance Appraisal Overview

Use performance reviews properly in order to motivate employees

Is there always a bit of dread that comes before performance appraisal time at the office? Not only can this stress out the employee in question, but it can also hurt company morale.

To remedy this, you need to learn to make performance appraisals into a learning experience and a chance to hear the concerns of your employees. It's not really a matter of changing your entire policy, just how you go about implementing it. Consider:

1. Using performance appraisal software to ensure everyone is treated the same;

2. Asking for feedback during each employee performance review;

3. Consulting with performance appraisal services to become familiar with changes to current methods.

 

Evaluate employee performance appraisal software

If you spend hours trying to put together each performance appraisal, appraisal software will be your new best friend. It can streamline the process to save you some leg work and it ensures that each employee gets treated the same.
Try: Use a program such as ManagerAssistant or SuccessFactors to create reviews using templates. You can customize them to your company so they look authentic, but the preset categories make it easier to be objective. These programs also help you insert the proper legal language to protect your company.

Define everyone's role in the employee appraisal system

If you have everyone who works with an employee submit an employee performance review, the individual could feel ambushed. Instead, get the opinions of key supervisors and coworkers and compile them all into one document that comes from the immediate supervisor. Have the employee complete a self review before the meeting so the supervisor will know if the employee and the company are on the same page.
Try: Read Carnegie Mellon University's tips on avoiding bias in a performance appraisal to take out comments that could be subjective. Then use the information from the American Management Association to compile a list of questions for employees to ask themselves during self review.

Seek outside help with performance appraisal programs

If you're having trouble drafting effective and unbiased performance appraisals, hire a consultant to give your management team a performance appraisal overview. Comprehensive training could make them -- and you -- less apprehensive.
Try: Contact a couple of performance appraisal consultants and get a good idea of their philosophies, services and costs before you hire one. Three you can try for starters are Fox Lawson & Associates, Westminster Associates and Grote Consulting.

 

• Always give constructive feedback during a job performance appraisal. Yes, you should mention areas for improvement, but also take note of what each individual is doing well. Throw in a thank you for extra brownie points.
• If performance reviews are supposed to take place on each employees' anniversary, make sure to schedule them in a timely fashion. A late appraisal can cause an employee to feel slighted, especially if the meeting involves a pay raise.

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