Conducting employee performance appraisals can be a challenging process. And even if you’ve been successful in getting your managers to take the time to do the appraisal, there still could be some bumps in the road with the appraisal meeting itself.
10 Tips for Effective, Legal Performance Appraisals
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At the Employer Resource Institute’s 2006 California Employment Law Update seminar, held October 30-31 at the Claremont Resort and Spa in Berkeley, management consultant Rhoma Young of Rhoma Young & Associates in Oakland explained some of the problem areas employers need to watch out for during the appraisal meeting. By making managers aware of these potentially rough patches, you can help pave the way for a smooth and effective appraisal meeting.
- Failure to structure the meeting and inform the employee of the rationale of the evaluation process
- Rushing through the meeting
- Doing too much of the talking
- Discussing activities instead of results
- Discussing performance in generalities without specifics to support the rating
- Avoiding or underemphasizing discussion of genuine performance problems
- Getting emotionally involved and losing objectivity and control of the interview
- Getting sidetracked or bogged down in details
- Overpraising
- Failure to build on the employee’s strengths in developing solutions to performance problems
- Nervousness and difficulty in putting the employee at ease or establishing rapport
- Failure to involve the employee adequately in the planning and goal/objective-setting process
- Not listening reflectively or not pursuing new information or suggestions the employee offers
- Using too many negatives
- Forgetting that some “facts” may reflect unconscious assumptions or attitudes toward the employee
- Comparing employees instead of making individual assessments in terms of potential
- Succumbing to the halo or central effect on ratings (that is, giving a favorable overall rating based on one job aspect, as opposed to a rating that fairly takes into account performance in all job areas)
- Failure to write down all the key points, goals, objectives, and target dates mutually agreed to
- Failure to close with a summary that leaves the employee with a clear understanding of where they stand, what they need to do in the future to meet standards, and how and when the supervisor will assist the employee in doing so
Additional Resources:
Performance Appraisals in California: How to Use Appraisals Effectively—and Legally—in Your Organization Employer Resource Institute Audio Conference (originally presented on Sept. 27, 2006)
Performance Appraisals: How to Bolster Employee Performance and Decrease Your Risk of Lawsuits, an exclusive Employer Guide from the California Employer Advisor