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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
It’s unusual for someone to refuse to sign the form and refuse to put any comments in the section earmarked for them. Start by asking why, and explain the purpose for the signature: ‘‘I’m surprised, George, that you are refusing […]
Here are the steps to wrap up a performance appraisal discussion effectively: Briefly summarize the entire conversation (review your core message). Discuss two or three areas of strength to be continued and enhanced. Review the most important area for immediate […]
Ideally, the discussion about compensation and the discussion about performance should be separate talks. If it’s possible, the performance appraisal meeting should focus entirely on the individual’s performance with discussion of compensation reserved until a later time. However, if performance […]
No manager should begin a performance appraisal discussion without a box of tissues handy. Crying is one of the most common ways in which a flight reaction displays itself. An employee’s involuntary crying makes a difficult situation even more challenging. […]
Defensive reactions come in two forms: fight and flight. Fight responses show up as angry rejections of what the appraiser has said or written. The individual may deny the accuracy of the appraiser’s information or blame others for problems and […]
For example, the employee who is silent, or makes excuses, or turns the conversation around so that we are caught up in irrelevancies? Silences, excuses, and irrelevancies are the three most common discussion difficulties that arise in the course of […]
Listen to determine the source of the disagreement. Is it a matter of fact? (You wrote that the employee received a customer satisfaction score of seventy-nine, but the employee says that his score was eighty-three.) Or is it a matter […]
The employee I’m about to review is an unsatisfactory performer and the appraisal tells it like it is. How should I start the meeting? Get right to the point. As soon as the person arrives for the appraisal discussion, say, […]
You can’t. Don’t try. Consider what the goal of a performance appraisal discussion is— and what it’s not. The goal is not to gain agreement. If you gain agreement, that’s fine, but it’s unlikely if the appraiser has evaluated the […]