Maximizing Performance Appraisal System Acceptance

Performance appraisal is an important issue in human resource management and has a significant effect in the performance of an organisation. It is the system of evaluating the performance of employees regarding the accomplishment of their responsibilities and determining their potential to grow and develop. Bias in the evaluation process can affect the accuracy and appropriateness of the performance appraisal. Bias is a serious issue because it affects the ability to make appropriate decisions about the promotion of employees. A performance appraisal system that works to the disadvantage of members of a group can also pose legal issues.

Development of a performance appraisal system that is effective in a human service organization is of benefit for the organization and the employees. For a performance appraisal system to be effective, the system has to be strategic, designed to fit the specific needs of the organization, non-discriminatory, non-bias, with correct implementation and administration. Many different components, must to be incorporated to make this type of system beneficial for all who use it, and all who are evaluated by the system.

The measurement of employee’s performance is only internal. A good performance appraisal should have multiple raters, both internal and external.

The performance appraisals process is flawed in many ways. Lack of preparation, time, training, and professionalism are a few examples of how the system is flawed. The individual completing the application often has many tasks that supersedes taking the appropriate time necessary to accurately keep notations of an employee's performance throughout the year. The lack of time leads to an employee receiving a performance review on the most recent accounts of his or her job performance instead of his or her performance throughout the entire year. Lack of professionalism can also hurt the appraisal process. An employee should be rated by his or her job duties instead of the personal opinion or feelings the manager or supervisor completing the form. All

Now, when determining the criteria that the evaluation form should contain, the components will vary as deemed appropriate based on the purpose of the appraisal; however, there are a few components that are pertinent. Ensuring that employees are treated fairly is not only a legal obligation, but an ethical one also. As a member of the administrative staff, I am involved heavily in decision making and the monitoring of processes and procedures. According to a 2000 article by Mueller & Wynn, the egoistic, equity-based distributive justice value is the justice value that has received the most attention in justice theory and research, and it is the form of justice most often the concern in the modern

In this paper I will be describing effective performance appraisals and how they can increase employee performance. I will provide examples of strategic advantages in the performance appraisals process and also give examples of potential unfairness in the employee appraisal system.

Performance appraisal is an evaluation and grading exercise undertaken in organizations to achieve several objectives such as employee motivation, identification of training needs, rewards and remuneration, employee development through feedback etc. [Fig. 1]. All methods for performance appraisal have several advantages and disadvantages based on location of the firm, socio-economic environment, vision and mission of the firm, organizational structure and other factors. Organizations in different industrial sectors may have different focus areas of work and different values and thus, expectations from employees vary across sectors.

shown marked improvement or progress. Lack of personal performance growth would result in consequences for the employee including a probationary period or dismissal. Personal conflicts between manager and employee should not be reflected in the appraisal process. Manager accountability would be reflected by the performance of the employee; hence, an ineffective manager could as easily be discovered through the process as an ineffective employee could be. The process would actually be a system of checks and balances. Ideally, this would promote team players and identify any weak links. The goal of performance appraisals is utilizing the employee’s performance and their behavior or attitude. With correct implementation, the attitude and behavior will not be the issue or focus of the manager. “For any performance improvement to take place, both parties must agree that improvement is necessary, that a plan for improving performance has been jointly formulated, and that periodic progress improvement sessions will take place, as needed. Thus, improvements in employee performance and attitudes can truly be enhanced.” (Peggy Anderson, 1998)

I give employees a chance to bring their opinions and points to the table, providing them

The annual performance review seems ineffective, a waste of time, or it becomes demotivating for employees and thus counterproductive. Employee appraisal is a method of measuring and evaluating employee job performance. The employee evaluation consists of regular reviews at different intervals every six months or yearly reviews. The evaluations are a pre-determined set of criteria centered on organizational goals. A manager conducts performance evaluations and discusses the employee’s strengths, weaknesses, employee behaviors, productivity. A performance appraisal is essential for refinement, maintaining, or increasing job performance. These reports give the employee insight to where improvement is needed, and it provides an opportunity for development.

On the other hand, poor performance, or mediocre performance may lead to negative appraisals and consequences, including job termination or withholding of bonuses, awards, and promotions. Performance appraisals are a systemic means of ensuring quality of work performance, and thus achieving the strategic objectives and advancing the goals of the organization. These performance appraisals, in order to be effective, must be applied in a uniform, objective, fair and consistent manner over time. In addition, the expectations of the performance appraisal must be clearly understood and agreed upon by the supervisor and the employee. Objectivity and fairness in the appraisal system build trust in the organization as well as high morale among employees.

A sound Appraisal System should be fair and beneficial to both the individual employee and the organization. It should be linked with other subsystems of personnel management.

Another aspect realized in the readings is the value of explaining to employees why a process intervention is warranted and to also understand why employees react the way they do to a change process initiative. Also, from an ethical point of view, employee participation should be a voluntary act based on their willingness to participate. The wellbeing of the human element is most likely to have a positive effect on the organization.

The very bare existence of any organization is profit maximization through a series of inputs maneuvered by a mixture of mechanical and human activity. Though businesses evaluate their machine via depreciation, human evaluation remains their only challenge. To face this challenge, Human resources managers and business leaders put together a system called: Employee Performance Appraisal which sets to evaluate employees on a yearly basis. This process often causes tension between employees and employers because it fails to do away with biases and prejudices. So, it is hardly ever that an employee receives a fair performance evaluation. Many kinds of bias can show up during the performance appraisal process. The most common ones occur when managers or appraisers compare two employees’ performance against each other while using only one form for each department, a process that discourages smart and strong employees from seeking higher ranks within. Some argue that lack of systemic evaluation and financial resources is to blame. The intent of this paper is to address the various kind of bias and show they affect negatively both the organization and its employees. In addition, valuable time and resources are wasted conducting interviews and meeting that are inefficient. Time that could have been used to enhance productivity and training for employees, is now allocated to either to degrade, demean, demotivate employees. Such behavior is always perceived as bias. Consequently, if

The goals of the organization cannot be fulfilled without the skills or talent of the employees and a direction to apply them. The employees will have goals, actions, and behaviors to bring the company closer to the organization’s vision. Moving forward requires direction so that new and current employees stay on track. Appraising an employee may affect their base pay, promotional status, and retention decisions. The employees who are found to have deficiencies may be identified and corrected when their appraisal is interpreted. This can also reinforce the employees existing strengths. A performance appraisal reviews an employee’s career plans and identify any training needed. Other components related to performance