Performance appraisal of employees is undertaken in most organizations in order to evaluate the inputs of that employee, his/her organizational behavior, and value added to the organization both qualitative and quantitative. Employee performance appraisal indicates how well and how efficiently has a particular employee or a team has performed. Based on this, the employee is graded and given the benefits accordingly.
The system of performance appraisal has always been a part of this society since many years. Most people suggest that it was in the Second World War when performance appraisal was first used to rate soldiers. Since then, performance appraisal system has been used by supervisors to gauge their employees’ performance.
Performance appraisal methods differ from organization to organization. The mechanics of a performance appraisal totally depends on the policies and the regulations that are laid down by the human resource department of that company. In most cases, either the supervisor interviews the employees and prepares a written report or employees are asked to evaluate themselves which is then questioned by the supervisor and the final report is prepared. It has been observed that performance appraisal process is stressful for most employees because every employee wants to prove his best and avoid any kind of criticism. In most performance appraisal meetings, employee sits down with one or more supervisors to discuss about his/her performance, specific issues faced by the employee, questions regarding the work allocated etc. In fact, some organizations have certain parameters or a checklist on which the employee is interviewed and graded. It is after these discussions that the final performance report is prepared.
Performance management which includes performance appraisals is taken care by the HR department in any organization. In smaller companies, in case of an absence of HR department, it is the immediate boss or the supervisor who handles the appraisals for the junior level executives.
One of the key features of any effective or good performance appraisal is good communication. Supervisors or immediate bosses need to communicate with employees to discuss their overall performance. For employees, it is advisable not to complain about other employees or put any other employee down during meetings. An employee must only talk about his performance and how it has helped the organization to achieve its goal. For supervisors or individuals who are doing the appraisal, it is advised not to ignore the employees’ previous performance. Along with other parameters, also check for consistency, efficiency and loyalty while appraising employees who have been in the organization for many years. The main objective of any performance appraisal is to encourage and motivate the employees.
An employee who is being apprised for the first time should go through the company’s performance appraisal form and understand how he or she is being rated and what the different criteria are where he/she needs to perform. Examples serve as the best learning. Performance appraisal examples are available within the organization, on the internet and amongst your friends and family. Ask people about their appraisal experiences and learn from their mistakes. Keep the tips in mind that the senior members of the organization share with you. Performance appraisal only helps you to improve and succeed.