Appraisals are an integral part of any good performance management policy. What often gets forgotten is that when properly organised and given genuine backing from all those involved, they should be a very positive experience.
However, if not handled right, appraisals can be scary, and not just for the person being assessed. Employees who are under pressure to report back on time, managers who have to deliver scores and feedback, and the HR department who have to put together the information gathered - all of them can get the fear!
There are many differing opinions about the best way to make sure the information gathered is relevant and to ensure the correct application of review feedback. Concerns are often raised by staff and management that appraisal feedback would work well in an ideal world, but with many reviews being issued under less than ideal circumstances by people who don’t genuinely believe in the value of giving or gathering feedback, an underlying lack of faith remains. The often unspoken question being, ‘is all the stress really worth it?’
But of course, there is a better way of doing things!
An online system which encourages positive feedback that is easy to collate and truly representative makes the whole process less stressful, less scary, and genuinely beneficial to the functioning of your organisation.
In a fear free HR world…
Performance appraisals give a good overview of how an employee has been working during the past year. Companies can use appraisal feedback as a tool to evaluate an employees pay and/or offer bonuses. Feedback can also be used to assess the suitability of an individual employee for career progression within your company.
Feedback is an important motivational tool for HR, as employees generally work better if they know that they will be rewarded for it, whether that reward comes in the form of salary, recognition or training. Equally appraisals can highlight those employees who are not performing as well as they should be, meaning problems can be addressed in a way that is appropriate, and individual to that staff member. Handled right, even negative feedback can be addressed in a positive and supportive way, as it gives staff the opportunity to openly discuss why and where they are struggling.
Management should use the information gained to focus attention on these individuals and to help them improve. In this way performance appraisals allow managers to give employees space to air concerns, and to show them how much their hard work and effort is appreciated. This in turn helps to ensure they feel motivated to keep improving.
Sounds peachy doesn’t it?
If only it were that simple. In reality, as many HR professionals will no doubt testify, it is often the case that performance appraisals are used in the wrong way or for the wrong reasons.
It is not uncommon for appraisals to be rolled out at the end of the year simply because managers feel they have to ‘squeeze it in’. Employees can consequently fear they are being suddenly and unfairly judged on their recent performance by people who don’t have a representative and informed idea about how they have been working overall.
Not everyone works in the same way and this approach can over-simplify things to the point where employees become demotivated and disengaged. In review meetings, employees then become less likely to be honest about any issues or problems they might be having in case it affects their rating, and without honesty, anonymity and breadth of feedback, the process simply does not work.
Employees can fear being marked down simply because they do not get along well with their line manager. Equally a good relationship could lead to employees becoming complacent because they expect to be graded well. It is worth considering whether a clearer picture may be gained by including others (peers or line managers for example) who work with an employee day to day in the feedback process.
Don’t relax just yet…
It is no use coming to the end of the appraisal process, heaving a sigh of relief and filing the feedback away in a drawer. After all, great feedback is the reason you were doing appraisals in the first place! It sounds simple, but companies doing just that is surprisingly common.
A good appraisal should never be a scary one off judgement. It should facilitate a positive experience that forms the foundation of an on-going process of goal setting and individual targets that encourage improvement and growth.
A much more effective way to achieve a meaningful review is to integrate a 360-appraisal process that provides a thorough and truly representative picture of an individual’s performance and acts as a jumping off point to ensure regular feedback, communication and improvement in performance that continues throughout the year.
This means participants are given clear results that show how they work and highlight their strengths as well as any area in which they are struggling. This enables clear focus and discussion about areas where they should be setting achievable and challenging goals.
If employees feel they are being listened to, rated fairly, and are not merely being judged on a few sporadic achievements or issues, they are much more likely to view the process as something helpful and encouraging that rewards their hard work.
By following these simple steps, both employees and managers will see that appraisals, (rather than beginning with fear and an overload of paperwork and ending in a feeling of demoralisation) can end in reward or acknowledgement of their efforts, as well as giving them the opportunity to express their ideas and opinions and gain positive points from which to go forward and improve in areas where they are experiencing difficulty.
Keep all of this in mind and you are setting out on the right path to running an effective and valuable performance management process that isn’t scary at all!
About the blogger: Natalie Burns works for performance management software company Carbon360 who provide online 360 appraisal and goal setting solutions for companies worldwide. You can contact Natalie at natalie.burns@element78.co.uk and learn more about performance management on the Carbon360 blog or by visiting the website.
Has this inspired you to discuss HR? Leave your comment telling us about your experiences of appraisals.
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