Appraisal Flashcards
whats appraisal
an assessment of an employee’s performance
also known as ‘performance management’
usually a formal meeting between employee and their line manager once a year
employee encouraged to reflect upon achievements, workload and development needs
to agree targets to be achieved in the next year
should be a positive process - any critiscms being constructive not mean
more on appraisal
more populat to be introduced for all levels of the firm
responding to employee needs can help to give a competitive edge over rivals = through increased motivation, productivity and commitment to the job
no legal requirement for a business to have an appraisal system
- can be seen by employees as the firm spying on them
- shows a lack of trust in employees to complete the jobs at task
- important that appraisal is introduced and operated with as much cooperation as possible = without this then it can be thought of by the workforce as irrelevant and a waste of time
benefits of appraisal
to identify an employee’s strength and weaknesses - DEVELOPMENT NEEDS
appraisal can be used to gather infromation for HR planning, and employee development needs can be lined to a programme of training to make an employee more effective
can present opportunities for an employee to discuss his or her expectations for the future
potentials for promotion can be considered
hopes to feel valued by business as a worker and appraisals can make this happen
worload can also be considered - morale and motivation link i.e. too much or too little over the past year
highlight issues effecting efficiency i.e. communication issues, stress etc.
introducing appraisal
shouldnt be introduced just for the sake of its own sake
should be clearly linked to HR issues i.e. training and pay
managers need training to carry out appraisals
- giving praise when its due, making critiscm constructive
can be seen as a waste of time by line managers - picked up by the subordinates
can be linked to an increase in pay/bonus based on the assessment of perfomance
- bias will not contribute towards morale and teamwork
- might not trust the process if they sense favouritism
must be briefed on how the process will operate
what makes appraisal INeffective
Lack of commitment by senior staff
= a proper appraisal system is expensive
= will not get the desired results if its seen as a cost to be kept low down
Inconsistent approach by line managers
= can be treated differently to others by line managers if theyre being too negative
= appraisal linked to reward
Failure to respond to employee concerns and aspirations
= if an employee wants training in a specific area and doesnt get whats promised to them in the appraisal then a lack of confidence in the process or line manager
Not enough time allowed for the appraisal process
= if managers seem to not want to be there or want to be doing something else then workers will see it as a waste of time
Unrealistic targets being set
= employees having unrealistic expectations of what may actually be achieved
= managers telling employees to accept targets they dont want
= need for them to be SMART - no point setting up for fail
what makes appraisal effective
1)
- Senior managers ensure that all managers are commited to the process and that sufficient resources are available
- Consultation with employees through trade unions etc. is done at the earliest opportunity
- Ensuring that employees understand the system and how it’ll affect/benefit them
- Ensuring that line managers are trained in the skills necessary to perform an effective appraisal
the appraisal process
no one single process that will suit all organisations - reference to ACAS would be a useful idea
1) it is usual for the employee to fill out a Q and A relating to targets that were agreed last year - can the comment on the extent to which he/she feels that theyve been met
- then reviewed by line manager
- employee should be offered to give an explanation to why there was a good/bad shift since year before
any inability to meet the target should be offered support to achieve it
a constructive approach focusing upon improvement and development constructively will better improve morale
the appraisal process
2)
likely to be a section for other achievements
also likely to a section for employees to comment upon development needs for the future
aim for employees to have ownership of their targets and career
then all sections are discussed with the line manager and an overall judgement on the employee will then be made
formal written record of the appraisal meeting and any forms completed will be kept - employees also get a copy
self assessment
self refelction on performance
questions need to be specific and focused
- ticksheets
- are they judging themselves against others or upon their previous perfomance?
360 degree appraisal
employee recieving feedback from lots of people
concept that in large businesses, an employee can contribute in a number of different ways
broader picture of the employee’s contribution can be useful hearing things of one person from multiple different teams, projects etc.
feedback from managers, subordinates and peers with some form of self evaluation too - stakeholders and customers can also have input too
useful as it gives an insight into how others view them
can alter behaviour or seek training due to comments
X complicated and time consuming hearing back from everyone and all of them contributing towards it
X not appropriate for all employees
X comments can be made to get back at someone in a negative way
X can be too positive so they come off as a good person to benefit themselves
X focus upon behaviour and not targets or objectives
peer assessment
assessment by work collegues
due to team work, collegues have an idea of what needs to be done and how well someones working in light of what theyre contibuting to the team/project
questions need to be specific for the appraisee and what part theyre playing in the project/team i.e. design
X comments can be made to get back at someone in a negative way
X can be too positive so they can come off as a good person to benefit themselves
HOW WILL THE INFORMATION BE USED AND WILL THE BENEFITS OUTWEIGHT THE COSTS
bullying informal comments mean time off means paying for replacements etc
