ALT-1 What is an Employee Performance Appraisal
Employee performance appraisal is a standard practice within most companies. it is a process that allows an employer to evaluate performances based on his or her employees' professional contribution, quality of work, willingness to work and collaborate with others, initiative, enthusiasm and punctuality, among other factors. An employee performance appraisal allows an employer to compare the quality of work of people within the company by comparing their performance against each other and against their own potential.The relative worth of an employee is evaluated over a certain period of time. New hires are usually given three to six months, or up to a year, to acclimate to a new work environment, break out of their shell, get comfortable and show what their capabilities are. Existing employees are typically evaluated once a year or, as needed, in special cases. More frequent evaluations take place on a case by case basis, especially if an employee exhibits unsatisfactory performance and needs additional performance evaluation follow-ups.Successes and failures of an employee are also evaluated relatively to other employees' performances throughout a period of time. For example, in sales a telling factor that can determine whether an employee is doing an adequate or stellar job is whether or not his or her sales figures can match up to those of his or her peers. In this case, sales numbers are the most important figures, because in many sales positions, salesmen and women spend most of their days outside in the field and away from their supervisors.Performance appraisal is not only an opportunity for an employee to hear from the employer what he or she is lacking and what he or she needs to improve, but it also provides an additional negotiation platform when it comes to discussing salary raises, bonuses and promotion opportunities. An employee should use a performance appraisal process as a channel to discuss obstacles that may be preventing him or her from achieving the goals expected by the company. It is a chance to let out some of the concerns with the way a company might operate its business or treat its employees, though these concerns should never be used as leverage against valid comments and suggestions from the employer.An approach used by many companies in the performance appraisal process is to utilize a numerical system that allows for a quantifiable grading basis for each employee's collective strengths and weaknesses. Managers and supervisors grade by evaluating a number of standardized attributes and apply them to each employee's individual tasks and responsibilities. This approach ensures a more objective evaluation process, instead of relying on judging employees' personality traits. Such an approach eliminates personal biases towards people with personalities that are more compatible with that of the evaluator and judges performances solely on the cut and dry facts and figures.Other types of employee appraisal are: competitive, narrative, and special. Competitive approach often works by ranking each employee on a scale from highest to lowest. Narrative approach is a more loose interpretation of one's performance and is based on a descriptive assessment in the supervisor's own words. Special approach motivates an employee to reach a set level of achievement or improvement. it highlights weaknesses and includes suggestions on how an employee can reach company's given objectives.
Some employers are also starting to use a systemized, electronic performance evaluation process, whereby the software that is used for evaluation streamlines the appraisal process and minimizes possibilities of error on the evaluator's side. The software can help the employer visualize performers versus non-performers and can lead to a more uniform scale of measurement. It can also leave the company's employees happier by ensuring an objective and transparent evaluation process.
