Performance appraisals are one of the most important indicators of an employee’s career growth and therefore equally important indicators of the company’s growth. Many companies forget that performance appraisals will help the entire company and not just the concerned employee. And so, many appraisals lack structure & intention making them just another mundane corporate procedure.
Here are some tips that will help you in making performance appraisals that will bring substantial change:
Frequent Appraisals: Don’t wait until the end of the year. Informal appraisals throughout the year before the annual one will help employees evaluate their work and improve themselves as they are working. Waiting until the end of the year will not change anything and is quite unfair. The employee will almost feel attacked and would have wanted to be intimated about her/his work when they could actually do something to change.
Clarity In Setting Expectations: The job description should be articulate in what is expected of the employee. So the performance criteria must resonate the expectations set in the job descriptions and the employee must be made aware of these performance criteria; so that they are ready for the appraisal that is structured based on this criteria.
Leadership is not just about delegating and correcting, rather it is more about mentoring. It is the trust you place on your employees and the confidence you have in their ability. Appraisals should not be an outlet for your disappointment in your employees, it should just be an indicator of their strengths and weaknesses. Address their weakness not in an accusatory tone but in an encouraging & empowering tone; knowing & believing that your employees are capable and will work on making their liabilities assets.
Involve More Perspectives: One supervisor or manager is not enough to make an appraisal. Team members close to the concerned employees, like the team leader or other members will add more perspective to the appraisal. It will make the appraisal less vulnerable to bias or subjectivity of any kind and will give it a more holistic feel.
Relationship Building: Let performance appraisals be more than just Q & A sessions. Let them be about sharing, encouragement & inspiration. Employees are the core of the company and their happiness means a lot. They need to know that you are interested in creating a safe & supportive work environment for them and these appraisals give you an opportunity to honour that interest. Give them suggestions as to how they can leverage their strengths and work on their weaknesses, and how they can live up to expectations. Empower them with some motivation & strength and they will willingly take up challenges and produce great results
