4 Strategies for Meaningful Performance Appraisals
For any company wanting its employees to grow, develop and adapt, supplying them with quality, meaningful feedback is an absolutely essential requirement. Not only do employees need honest performance feedback to continue improving in their current position, they actually want it.
As an HR manager, you will not need to perform the actual employee evaluations. To be truly constructive, these need to be performed by the employee’s supervisor or manager, who oversees his or her work on a regular basis and can offer valuable insights.
However, as part of HR, you can design and implement the formal employee appraisal programs. Here are some top strategies for ensuring your appraisal program is the most effective it can be.
1. Pick a Starting Point
Consider whether you want to develop or update your organization’s performance appraisal program internally or use outside consultants to assist with the process. There are positives to both as you will ultimately know your workplace better than a consultant, but someone from the outside may also be able to offer up valuable perspectives that would not have been considered otherwise.
2. Align with Organizational Goals
Using tools, such as performance reviews, that are aligned with the organization’s goals and draw upon current best practices will ultimately move your organization towards its desired goals. In addition, HR can help provide managers with the support and skills they need to actively promote organizational goals.
3. Effectively Engage
If structured properly, these organizational appraisal processes can increase engagement across all levels and departments. Effective performance management supports employee engagement, and in turn, an engaged workforce is positively correlated to both company financial performance and decreased employee turnover.
4. Be Practical
Practical systems and processes, including training, can greatly reduce the potential for litigation and legal fees. Legal and settlement costs of a mishandled employee termination can easily reach $50,000 to $200,000+ per incident.
For more tips on building a meaningful appraisal program, check out The Overture Group’s whitepaper “How an Effective HR leader Can Help Drive Results.”