william scott B.Sc

About Performance Appraisal


Performance appraisal has come a long way but it is a process that is still the subject of heated debate. While some people argue that it is important for an organization, there are others who feel that it might fail to deliver desired results as those participating in it (a supervisor and a subordinate who already know one another well) never reach a point of being completely honest.
Yet professional performance appraisal is necessary because, in its absence, arbitrary tools will be used to measure the performance of an employee. Since humans always try to judge the performance of others, where no proper appraisal systems are in place, the only tools available will be hearsay, rumors and prejudiced opinions.
In a modern performance appraisal, attempts are made to identify the strengths and weaknesses of an employee. By using the facts obtained from an appraisal an organization is able to identify the training needs that are necessary for an individual. In some organizations, performance appraisals are used to measure the productivity, usefulness and competence of an employee. As a result of the appraisal, companies decide which employees are due for promotion and pay raises and, in some situations, the appraisals are used to identify candidates for demotions and even sackings. When all is said and done, appraisal remains a truly emotive subject.
To achieve the best out of employee performance appraisal, it is important that the person carrying out the appraisal is perceived to be honestly interested in the welfare of the subordinate being appraised. For this to happen, the employee needs to see that strengths are identified and complemented. Since weaknesses will also be identified, it should be made clear that the appraisal is identifying them with a view to seeking ways of improving performance. Where doubts exist about this, the result is anger, frustration and even resistance to change, all of which are counter productive.
For the modern enterprise which desires to benefit from employee appraisal, there are many tools available which provide a good way of conducting a useful appraisal. The employee should be graded in ways that show accuracy and not on arbitrary statistics or blanket statements. If, for instance, an employee is graded on a scale of 1 to 10 on various areas, he or she will appreciate that attempts have been made to achieve fairness.
For appraisal to be useful, it should be conducted in a professional and non-confrontational manner. The employee needs to be given adequate notice of the exercise to allow for proper preparation. The employee will also use this time to prepare questions he or she would like to get addressed during the appraisal.
Today, many organizations are taking advantage of performance appraisal software that is readily available. Where tons of documents were used in the past, today you can create performance appraisal forms in just a few minutes. These forms are easy to use and customize to an organization?s specific needs. They come complete with text and images and great security features. With performance appraisal software, appraising employees has become more professional.

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