Show Implementing a performance appraisal system in an organisation often involves change and concern. Upsteem.com founder and CEO Karl Laas explains how to initiate a performance appraisal system, how to overcome people’s concerns and how to make it simple, convenient and enjoyable for the whole organisation. Employee performance appraisal and giving feedback are relevant and important. Evaluations received from colleagues and managers may decide whether the employee receives incentive fees, what his/her career opportunities are and in the worst case his/her employment status. Several executives and HR managers have expressed their concerns when implementing performance appraisal systems. This is mostly because the managers fear that implementing the appraisal system will send a signal to the employees that the company is planning redundancies. Managers are also sometimes reluctant to ask for feedback from the company’s partners because it would then seem that the company is incapable of managing their employees. Most of the fears that we have witnessed in our clients can be eliminated and overcome with the help of simple techniques. Below we will find out how and why employees from different levels object to performance appraisal and how to overcome these. Statement: The appraisal system is implemented in order to make employees redundant. Reality: The goal of the appraisal system above all is to help the development of the employees. Statement: The appraisal system is another impractical way for the management to entertain themselves by picking on their employees. Reality:The appraisal system also provides an opportunity to give feedback about the management and managers. Although the management implements the appraisal system it also benefits the employees because it allows them to make proposals to the management about improving the working conditions. Statement: Employees do not gain anything from the appraisal system. Reality: On the contrary, employees receive feedback and evaluation from their colleagues about their work input. It tells them where they can improve themselves. Statement: Even if the appraisal system is implemented, it does not change anything. Reality: The appraisal system does not change anything by itself. But it creates a basis for change. Statement: My clients are not interested in giving feedback about my company’s employees. Reality: On the contrary, if customers have something important to say about your employees, then they are very interested in giving feedback. This is because they also hope that the feedback they give would improve the management of the company. Asking for this kind of feedback from clients is a significant sign of quality. Implementing the appraisal system can be difficult especially when there are people in the company who are sceptical about it or when the management cannot see a clear benefit of the appraisal system. We recommend the following steps for the implementation of the appraisal system in your company:
You should also make sure that all new employees in the company are evaluated. For that you can create trial period appraisal forms in the Upsteem.com system. First of all, this ensures that the new employees embrace the appraisal system quickly, and secondly, it also has a positive effect because during the trial period appraisal, the colleagues of the new employees will also provide feedback and they will also learn how to use the appraisal system. Suffice to say the appraisal system on its own will not bring changes in the company. It provides an opportunity to discover the problems and deal with them. Along with the appraisal system, companies would like to implement certain standards that positions or employees have to comply with (e.g. the grade after the trial period has to be at least 6.8 points). We believe that it is important to make sure that these standards are based on sufficient practice and discussed within the company. Consultants who deal with implementing and using standards can provide the best advice about these issues. How to compile a good appraisal system and good questions?
In conclusion we believe that the development of a good appraisal system depends on the needs of each specific company. If the demands for the appraisal system are not very high and there are about 100 positions that need to be evaluated then every HR manager with some interest can create an appraisal system within a reasonable period. It requires just a few days and concentrating on the task. But if a thorough analysis is necessary then we recommend you also involve professional HR consultants. |