The Performance Appraisal Form

Most people do a good job—not outstanding, not unacceptable—and therefore get rated in the middle category. But they all hate getting rated there. They see it as being labeled as a ‘‘C’’ student. How do we explain that getting the middle rating is not a bad thing? There are four reasons that people hate getting [...]

Some computer-based performance appraisal systems offer an electronic form with different traits listed: quality of work, quantity of work, attitude, or dependability. The manager clicks on a one to five scale and then the machine generates the text for the appraisal. Are these programs a good idea? No. These programs are a very bad idea. [...]

In most cases, it’s a good idea. One of the most common problems with performance appraisal is grade inflation, where performance appraisal ratings creep up until everyone is rated as exceeding expectations. One way to counteract this problem is by publishing a recommended distribution of appraisal ratings, or requiring managers to conform to a specific [...]

Some objectives are more important than others. And some sections of the form may be more important than others. For example, although most managers would feel that both competencies and objectives are important, it is more important to do a better job at producing results than it is to do a good job in demonstrating [...]

Yes. No matter how many levels there may be in the final overall rating, it’s a good idea to vary the number of levels and the labels or descriptors used for the assessments of different elements within the body of the form. For example, the section of the form that assesses the individual’s performance against [...]

Does it make any difference whether we use words or numbers? No matter how many positions there may be on the rating scale, the positions have to be labeled. There are four alternatives: behavioral frequency, verbal descriptors, comparison-to-standard, and numerical. Figure provides examples of all four alternatives including the various choices available for a five-level [...]

The overwhelming majority of performance appraisal forms provide for either three, four, or five levels of performance. It is rare for an appraisal system to operate on the basis of pass/fail with only two levels of ratings. And there are some appraisal procedures that focus entirely on employee feedback and development with no link to [...]

In most cases, there should be one form for each job family in the organization. The organizational core competencies will be the same on every form, since everyone in the company is held accountable for meeting them. The job family competencies will vary with each of the different job families: managerial/supervisory, clinical, operations, administrative, sales, [...]

Yes. There are several other elements or sections that might be included in the performance appraisal form: Demographic data Instructions for completion Attendance record Development plans and goals Approvals Appraiser summary Employee comments Promotability and potential analysis Signatures Tell Me More Demographic Data. Obviously the form must contain the name of the individual, the name [...]

The last part of the recommended performance appraisal form covers the individual’s major accomplishments over the course of the appraisal period. Shouldn’t the individual’s achievements be described throughout the appraisal form? Yes. For anyone other than a marginal performer, the appraisal should place the emphasis on identifying and reinforcing the strengths the person demonstrated over [...]

Why does an ideal appraisal form have a separate section for goals and projects? A goal or special project is a part of the job that an individual does in addition to meeting the key job responsibilities of her position. There are two elements that make goals different from key job responsibilities. The first is [...]

Start with the job description. Most job descriptions include a summary of the most important duties and responsibilities of the position. If the job description isn’t useful (or if there hasn’t been a job description prepared for the position), then the manager and the individual need to discuss and identify the big rocks of the [...]

Organizational core competencies are those behaviors or attributes that the company expects to see demonstrated by everyone who is employed, regardless of that person’s job or level. Sometimes called cultural competencies, these are the small number of skills, talents, and abilities that senior management has decided are truly core to the successful operation of the [...]

Wouldn’t a dictionary definition work just as well? A definition provides a statement of the meaning of a word, phrase, or term, as in a dictionary entry. Although it may be useful to have a dictionary-like definition of a competency, what is really important is providing a description of what someone who is really good [...]

Several studies have focused on identifying the various competencies that predict success, both in organizational life in general and in specific jobs or job families. My firm, Grote Consulting Corporation, has identified thirty specific competencies, based both on formal research (several of the research studies are described in my book, The Complete Guide to Performance [...]

Yes. While the specific design and construction of the form varies from one organization to another, five elements should appear in every performance appraisal form: 1. Organizational core competencies 2. Job family competencies 3. Key job responsibilities 4. Projects and goals 5. Major achievements Tell Me More 1. Organizational Core Competencies. One of the hallmarks [...]