FINALS-LABMAN

PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS ➢ Provide documentation for promotion,

- The word “appraisal” is derived from the compensation, and termination
Latin word appratiare, to set a price or decisions
value. ➢ Promote recruitment and retention
- also known as a merit review, performance ➢ Protect the organization from
evaluation, interview, or rating, is a discrimination lawsuits
planned, periodic management activity to ➢ Provide an opportunity to share
evaluate an employee’s on-the-job departmental and organizational visions
behavior, competency, work skill ➢ Encourage teams to improve the way
improvement, need for training, progress their organization operates
toward completing goals, and salary and ➢ Some managers and employees dislike and
promotion. even dread performance appraisals. They go
- It is a key human resource function that is through the motions, albeit halfheartedly,
closely integrated not only with because senior management requires them to
compensation and training but also career participate in a formal appraisal process.
planning. Unfortunately, they do not realize the potential
❖ Disadvantages of performance appraisals: benefits that can be derived from performance
➢ Destroy initiative appraisals, nor have they developed the skills
➢ Encourage competitiveness necessary to conduct or participate in a
➢ Produce stress productive performance appraisal process.
➢ Require large financial investment
Who is responsible for developing a
➢ Consume significant time for managers
performance appraisal program?
with many employees
❖ Advantages of performance appraisals: - Upper management

➢ Foster good communication - Supervisors/managers (chief executive

➢ Provide constructive feedback officer, managers)

➢ Clarify job requirements - Human resources staff

➢ Provide an opportunity to refine job - Staff employees (strong performers &

skills employees who welcome new

➢ Define performance expectations opportunities)

➢ Promote behavioral modification

➢ Identify educational needs

FINALS-LABMAN PIEDRAVERDE, H. M.
FINALS-LABMAN
❖ There are several reasons why staff INFORMAL APPRAISAL
employees are included in the planning - are useful for monitoring behavior
process of developing the performance modification, recognizing
appraisals. accomplishments, identifying stumbling
- They are acquainted of all the task inside blocks in achieving set goals, giving
the organization that make up the job. support where applicable, and fostering
- The inputs of the staff employees are ongoing communication between formal
valued. appraisals.
- Performed before the formal appraisal to
Who should perform the appraisal?
ensure that the formal appraisal does not
• APPRAISER come as a surprise to employees.
- Direct observer of work performance in ❖ Benefits of informal performance appraisals:
order to give a credible appraisal. ➢ Provide an opportunity to monitor
- Sincerity and Honesty (the keys to a behavioral modifications
successful performance appraisal) ➢ Allow for timely recognition of
- He or she should have a firm foundation in accomplishments
what needs to be accomplished to get the ➢ Identify stumbling blocks to achieving
job done successfully. goals
- Some managers will ask for input from ➢ Provide ongoing support
other individuals who interact with the ➢ Foster good communication
employee being evaluated to ensure an
OTHER TYPES OF APPRAISALS:
unbiased appraisal.
SELF-APPRAISAL
APPRAISAL TYPES:
- distributed approximately two weeks prior
FORMAL APPRAISAL to a formal appraisal and are not meant to
- occurs at least annually on a specific date take the place of a manager’s appraisal.
and time, such as the anniversary of the - provides an opportunity for employees to
employee’s hire date. reflect on their own performance and
- can also be given at a set time of the year achievements.
identified by the human resources - also promotes a two-way conversation
department for larger groups of employees regarding the need for additional training
within an organization. and development
- give a different perspective of an
employee’s performance and possibly a

FINALS-LABMAN PIEDRAVERDE, H. M.
FINALS-LABMAN
better understanding of the potential program are required to successfully
obstacles that may impede performance. implement this technique.
PEER-TO-PEER APPRAISAL - The evaluation is often performed
- require trust among employees working anonymously and invites open,
together. Coworkers are asked to evaluate constructive in-depth feedback from all
each other. levels, i.e., peers, subordinates,
- This approach may engender fears among supervisors, customers, and self. Raters
staff members, some without foundation, are frequently asked to complete a series
that need to be addressed. of open-ended questions.
- One team of employees may be asked to - Solicited evaluations with rater identity
evaluate another team, rather than removed may be given to the employee
appraising individual coworkers. being appraised, or they may be
- A comprehensive training program on how summarized to obtain an overall feedback
to give feedback is required to successfully appraisal. This type of evaluation is used
implement this type of appraisal. for developmental purposes, not for salary
- The technique may be risky when conflict adjustments.
exists among employees, thus preventing
PREAPRRAISAL PREPARATION:
an objective evaluation. Conversely, if you
are working with an experienced and ❖ APPRAISER

mature group of employees, the process ➢ Schedule meeting

may be very educational. If the appraisals ➢ Select neutral location

are performed honestly and sincerely, ➢ Prepare/review documentation

employees may gain great insight into ➢ Start on time

their work relationships and performance. ➢ Hold phone calls

If you are using a team approach to ➢ Allow enough time

accomplish institutional goals, you may - Approximately two weeks before the

want to consider a variation of this performance appraisal, appraisers should

concept. schedule the appraisal in a comfortable,

360-DEGREE EVALUATION nonthreatening, neutral location where

- are designed to obtain well-rounded there will be no interruptions. Prepare for

appraisals that tend to be reserved for the meeting by reviewing your

individuals in management-level positions. documentation and the employee’s self-

As with peer-to-peer evaluations, both appraisal and/or list of accomplishments.

trust and a comprehensive training Make the appraisal a priority and start on

FINALS-LABMAN PIEDRAVERDE, H. M.
FINALS-LABMAN
time. It is advisable to sit next to the should be prepared to suggest a solution
employee, rather than across a desk, to to a problem. Goals should be established
encourage open conversation. Refrain from that stretch the employees’ capabilities.
taking phone calls during the interview. Employees should be forthright, positive,
Allow enough time (at least 1 hour) to and honest and provide feedback to their
complete a formal appraisal. managers.
❖ EMPLOYEES - Employees should listen and be open to
➢ Complete self-appraisal suggestions. They should ask for specifics
➢ Review job description, performance and clarification if they believe the
standards, mission statement, goals, appraisal is not reflective of their
and accomplishments performance. When given the opportunity
➢ Relate personal goals with to provide written comments, they should
organizational goals document any specific disagreements on
➢ Prepare list of future goals their performance appraisal form.
➢ Identify obstacles IMPROVEMENT PLAN
➢ Provide feedback - One of the most important points of the
➢ Listen and be open to suggestions appraisal form is to document feedback
➢ Ask for specifics and clarification and improvements.
- Employees should be on time for the - An improvement plan may be added to the
meeting. Self-appraisals should be performance appraisal form to identify
submitted to the manager well in advance ways to help an employee improve or
so that the manager has a chance to attain a higher level of performance.
review the information before the formal Courts tend to rule more favorably when an
appraisal meeting. organization assists poor performers in
- Employees should review their job improving their performance.
description, the standards for the position, - Examples of ways to improve performance
the organizational mission statement, and may include working sideby-side with a
their goals and accomplishments. They more experienced technologist, attending
should connect their goals with the continuing education programs, and
organizational goals. working in another section of the
- Employees should prepare a list of goals laboratory to understand how each section
for the coming year and should discuss any is related to other sections.
obstacles that might impede the
accomplishment of those goals. They

FINALS-LABMAN PIEDRAVERDE, H. M.
FINALS-LABMAN
SALARY ADJUSTMENTS GUIDELINES FOR APPRAISING POOR
- Merit increases usually are the end product PERFORMERS
of formal performance appraisals that - Don’t wait until appraisal time to address
connect levels of performance with varying a poor performer. You should have
levels of salary increase or performance documentation of coaching to address
incentive. problems throughout the year.
- It is better to have separate meetings for - Ensure that the employee has a current
the performance appraisal and salary copy of his or her job description and
increase so that you do not run the risk of performance standards. During the
feeling pressured to start the conversation interview, give examples of poor
by announcing a salary adjustment and performance to support your assessment
then justifying your decision. and the consequences of the behavior. This
STRATEGIES TO REINFORCE APPROPRIATE can best be done by providing
BEHAVIORS documentation of how the employee’s
- According to the law of effect, behaviors work does not meet standards and by
that are followed by positive consequences reviewing previous discussions you may
are more likely to be repeated. Providing have had with the employee regarding the
positive consequences or rewards problem. Prepare a list of specific changes
increases the probability that an you would like him or her to make and the
appropriate behavior will be repeated. time frame in which to correct the
- To be effective, however, positive behavior. Present the information in a
reinforcement should be applied as soon manner that shows confidence in the
as possible following the behavior and employee’s ability to improve.
must be contingent on the desired - Set measurable standards for
behavior. This is one reason why informal improvement and plan together how this
appraisals are crucial to the success of the can be accomplished. It is important that
appraisal process; the employee does not you plan on meeting in the interim to
have to wait a year to learn which review the improvement and assess and
behaviors are appropriate and which are encourage the employee.
inappropriate.

FINALS-LABMAN PIEDRAVERDE, H. M.