Contents
Performance Appraisal Basics
The Performance Appraisal Form
The Performance Appraisal Process
1. Plan: Job Goals and Expectations
2. Perform: Work to Meet Goals
3. Evaluate: Assess Performance
4. Discuss: Meet to Review the Performance Appraisal Form
5. Finalize: Complete Appraisal Forms and Implement Changes
Tips for Successful Performance Appraisal Meetings
Performance Appraisals and the Law
How to Establish a Performance Appraisal Process
Performance Appraisal Language
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Previous: 2. Perform: Work to Meet Goals |
Next: 4. Discuss: Meet to Review the Performance Appraisal Form |
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3. Evaluate: Assess Performance
At least one month before the end of the performance period, you should begin the process of filling out the employee’s performance appraisal form. During this step, you should:
- Review goals set at the start of the performance period
- Review documents filed during the performance period
- Complete the performance appraisal form
- Solicit input on the form from peers and supervisors
- Revise the employee’s job description (as necessary)
If the company requires employees to fill out appraisals of their own performance, or of their supervisors’ performance, you should meet with employees to discuss methods and deadlines for completing these forms.
Review the Employee’s Original Goals
In order to complete the performance appraisal form fairly and accurately, you must know whether the employee met his or her original goals. Refer directly to the written record of these goals to avoid being influenced by your impressions as opposed to the facts about the employee’s performance.
Review Documentation
Refer to files you’ve maintained during the performance period to assess the employee’s progress and to remind yourself of areas for improvement that you’d like to address in the appraisal form or at the appraisal meeting.
Complete the Performance Appraisal Form
The specific approach you should take in completing the appraisal form depends on the structure of the form itself (see The Performance Appraisal Form). But the following guidelines apply to all types of performance appraisal forms:
- For each performance appraisal, expect to dedicate one full workday to reviewing documentation, formulating your thoughts about the employee’s performance, and completing the form.
- Complete the form in a private location, ideally away from the office.
- Be very careful about the language you use (see Performance Appraisal Language).
- Try to avoid rater errors (see below).
Rater Errors
Rater errors are mistakes in judgment that occur when supervisors allow extraneous factors to influence their appraisals. Examples of common rater errors include:
- Allowing one’s first impression of the employee to distort the facts of his or her subsequent performance
- Assessing an employee’s performance based on personality rather than on quality of work
- Assuming that physically attractive employees are superior performers
- Generalizing about performance based on one aspect or one incident (called the halo and horns effect)
Solicit Input from Feedback Sources
Share a draft of the appraisal form with peers, supervisors, and other feedback sources to ensure that the appraisal is:
- Clear, fair, and comprehensive
- Not biased or flawed due to rater errors
- Legally defensible—if you have any doubt about the legality of your appraisal’s contents, consult legal counsel (see Performance Appraisals and the Law)
Solicit feedback discreetly and keep the appraisal as confidential as possible. Avoid soliciting feedback from anyone you don’t trust. Consult your company’s legal counsel only if the appraisal contains particularly sensitive comments, such as a recommendation that the employee be fired.
Revise the Employee’s Job Description
In evaluating the employee’s responsibilities and performance, you may find that parts of his or her job description should be revised or deleted. Make these changes immediately upon completing the appraisal form and share the new description with the employee at the appraisal meeting.
| Acknowledgments & Disclaimer |
