Evaluating Performance

An appraisal is one of the most commonly used methods of formal assessment and is used to evaluate and assess the performance of an employee against agreed targets and objectives, with the aim of improving employee performance. Where an employee has been able to achieve their targets, the appraisal can be used to recognise successes. This often helps to increase an employee’s confidence and motivation and can lead to better organisational performance. Many organisations will use the outcomes of an appraisal to identify potential candidates for promotions or even an increase in pay. At the same time, an appraisal meeting may include discussions on underperformance, identifying why this has occurred and how this can be avoided in the future.

Performance appraisal is a method which is increasingly used to evaluate employees to determine the degree to which they are performing effectively and encourage them to direct their energies towards organizational performance. Although the appraisal is being practiced, there are criticisms made against the system which generally arise from within the Orthodox and radical management frame work.

The processes demonstrates a commitment to people within the business by showing them that they are valued members of the company and their success is important to the entire organization.

It helps the company ensure that each and every employee’s objectives are still on track with your company’s goals. These evaluations can also improve employee engagement, most employees would like to know how well they are doing at their jobs. Overall, these evaluations are helpful to both you and the company in improving where both you and the company are lacking. Though, it may be tedious, please understand that these performance evaluations are necessary for all employees.

The purpose of a performance appraisal is to be used to improve employee performance. It should be used as a guide for recognizing outstanding behavior that is in line with departmental policies and work objectives, but should also be used as a tool for feedback to improve observed employee deficiencies. Performance appraisals should never be a surprise when it is presented to the employee. It is important for subordinates to understand what they are being evaluated on and what it takes to be successful.

Performance evaluations are important parts of all employees and managers tools to ensure positive actions are rewarded while negative actions can be evaluated and fixed to decrease problems in the future. Performance evaluations benefit supervisors and employees by identifying how to bring out the employees best attributes for the company (Hamlett, nd.). Evaluations provide a look at how a worker is doing compared to earlier reviews of their skill, knowledge, initiative and participation in the company’s vision (Hamlett, nd.). Introducing performance review evaluations is important to most organization for the success of their organization and the advancement of its employees. Performance evaluations provide a way for managers and supervisors to manage the performance of an organization and the people who make of the human resources of the organization (McCarroll, nd.). When implementing a new system it is important to understand the process must be realistic, challenging, yet attainable for performance expectations and standards to be successful for employees and the organization (McCarroll, nd.). Balanced scorecards are utilized in performance evaluations to essentially provide a way for organizations to align their strategic plans with day to day operations (Balanced Scorecard Institute, 2015). Balanced scorecards look at traditional financial measures, which are past events and long-term investments like

Performance assessments are ingrained in many businesses and used as a way to determine pay for performance. This evaluation format according to Daniel’s is because there is not a better option available and that they are often well defined ad thus should not be used. Furthermore, all sources agree that conducting a performance assessment has negative emotional associations with staff. During a performance assessment, staff often received good and bad news. When money is directly tied to this association, staff often skimming over the good news and listening only to the bad as it indicates their potential pay raise or not.

After reading the article Time to Scrap Performance Appraisals? I was able to see the bigger picture of how effective the performance evaluation process actually is. I do agree with the article that we should step away from the traditional performance ratings. If we are seeing a more positive trend, then why not change the performance appraisal process for the better. With so many problems with the process I agree with companies wanting to let the process go. Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to experience the performance evaluation process, but I did go through an experience like it.

Although Performance Management evolved from performance appraisals few decades ago, most literature still intensely focuses on performance appraisals when addressing performance management.

The performance review process often gets ignored in today’s agile operating environments where people change jobs quickly and employees often care more about their industry and peer reputations than they do about company rankings. Many companies have replaced the formal performance review with greater managerial input in daily operations, social media and customer reviews and informal check-ins. However, a formal appraisal still generates many critical benefits such as determining salary raises, promotional opportunities and candidates for more advanced training and succession planning.

Performance Management Within the Workplace The basis of the mainstream of performance appraisals within the modern workplace is one person (a manager or executive) rating one more, an intrinsically individual process. There are distinction such as 360 degree appraisals that include the judgment of others such as clientele and peers/colleagues in the process but it is the action of one person transitory judgment upon another that is subjective in nature and the root cause of many of the problems encountered in the research associated with performance appraisals. Performance appraisals are of importance to the organisation, as they often provide the only measure of an individual's contribution and

Performance reviews are designed to both evaluate general performance and measure progress around specific goals. Both negative and positive aspects are incorporated in these reviews as they should serve as a point of reference to both look back in evaluation and ahead in anticipation. Pulling back from daily demands in order to assess and review employee performance allows managers to focus their attention on specific departments and clarify what is high priority to their company. Performance reviews also act as an opportunity to acknowledge working staff and identify professional development which will further support the staff members’ career growth. Reviews are seen as a powerful tool that can be tied to a company’s overall success;

“Performance appraisals can enhance employee performance as well as advance the mission and goals of an organization. There are many advantages of performance appraisals if they are applied fairly, consistently and objectively. Performance appraisals not applied fairly can be counterproductive and even destructive to

In a typical and effective process of performance management, as demonstrated in Figure 2.1, performance appraisal is not the only but a vital element because it is the activity which evaluate the outcome of the work, recognize the achievement and weaknesses and give employees and managers a straightforward result on these(Armstrong, 2009, Hutchinson, 2013). From a modern perspective, performance appraisal covers more areas not only on what have been achieved but also on the attitude and contribution of the operator (Hutchinson, 2013), which enhance the functions of identifying training needs.

o Performance evaluations are formal review processes designed to encourage the informal day-to-day practice of performance management, while providing a framework in support of merit pay adjustments, promotion and employment decisions. Evaluating staff performance and helping employees develop their skills are important duties associated with performance management. Performance management begins with supervisors and employees collaboratively setting goals and standards, clearly communicating performance expectations and evaluating the results during the performance evaluation process.