Write a paper describing how effective performance appraisals can increase employee performance.
This paper should include sections on the strategic advantages of performance appraisals,
Potential forms of bias within the appraisal system,
As well as how performance appraisals can contribute to the achievement of strategic objectives.
“How effective performance appraisals can increase employee performance”
“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
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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. Potential Forms of Bias Within the Appraisal System
There is a potential for bias with the appraisal system if the expectations of the appraisal are not understood or communicated clearly by the supervisor and the employee. In addition, if the appraisal system is not used in a fair, consistent manner, from year to year, or from employee to employee, this will lead to resentment between employees, low morale and decreased performance. All employees must be treated fairly and equally in the appraisal process. Supervisors must use a uniform appraisal system and apply it consistently over time.
Any favoritism shown toward any employee or unfair treatment of an employee during the
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.
Looking at the developments in the work organisations and consideration of whether the appraisal is fair and accurate as outlined under orthodox critique, I am of the view that, to the large extent it offers a means to overcome the traditional limitations of appraisal, due to the following reasons.
An effective performance appraisal system supports our desire to create a productive, motivated, accountable, reliable, creative, dedicated, and happy workforce.
Formal employee appraisals provide a strong reinforcement of the corporate aims and values. It gives managers an opportunity to show employees how their individual roles contribute to the company goals and give feedback to the impact that the employee has on those goals. It also provides management with a solid forum for
A performance appraisal is one of the most important factors in any organization and can be one of the greatest tools used to record employee production. Every organization has to have goals and objectives established and the employee has to be involved in this process. By conducting performance appraisal will improve productivity and also the morale of the 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.
159). The evaluation process provides employees the opportunity to give a self-appraisal. Through these appraisals, an employee could justify a salary increase. It is also the time to discuss future plans, goals, aspirations, and career growth. Together with Laura, an employee would decide on goals and objectives for the next review period (Southwell, 2015, Unit 4). In the article “A Discourse Analytical Perspective on the Professionalization of the Performance Appraisal Interview,” the authors discuss how performance appraisal interviews between managers and their employees can resemble a therapy or counseling session (Van De Mieroop & Vrolix, 2014, p. 160). “Performance appraisal, in general, and performance appraisal interviews, in particular, were once rather basic communication processes, but nowadays institutions and organizations increasingly invest resources in them and this results in a growing professionalization of this genre” (Van De Mieroop & Vrolix, 2014, p.
The employee should reflect on his/her career goals. However, as most HR professionals know all too well, supervisors lack in preparing and conducting performance appraisals, especially in a timely manner, often merely from a lack of understanding of the critical nature of the performance appraisal process (Tourish & Robson 2006).
The reality is that most appraisal systems in organizations today are very procedural and bureaucratic in nature and involve a lot of tedious form filling which typically takes more time than the conversations themselves. As pointed out by the late management guru and author, Peter Drucker, both managers and employees dislike the process. Managers loathe it because of the mounds of paperwork and the fact that they are set up in a way that requires managers to spend a lot of time criticizing others. Employees generally dislike the process because they know their manager is compelled to criticize them to justify any pay increase which is average or below average and because most
Effective performance appraisals for developing and sustaining a high- performance appraisal system are based upon two key tenets. The first tenet suggests that if appraisal processes operate as a system. The second tenet is that individual manager’s play a pivotal role in achieving effective appraisals and that they need the right tools and support to be effective.
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)
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 appraisal process if made clear and transparent can help a lot to avert low morale in employees. Fair, trustworthy, and transparent processes for performances management and resource allocation help to meet people’s drive to defend.
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When it comes to employee’s performance evaluations or appraisals, there is also the contrast to positive commentary. On the opposite side of positive commentary of an appraisal, there are also times were a supervisor will have to give an employee negative feedback. Appraisals that include feedback that is a negative reflection on an employee or their performance, can be important when