Jul
02
2015
What should and shouldn’t be included in an appraisal?
Appraisal: the all-important annual meeting where you set aside dedicated time to look at employee performance, review how things have gone over the past year and plan for the year ahead. Arguably, it’s the most important meeting you’ll have all year.
Yet many managers fail to prepare properly for this critical milestone, unsure of what to bring up and what to steer clear of.
We’ve put together a useful guide explaining the principles of what an effective appraisal scheme should and shouldn’t be.
Some principles for effective appraisal schemes:
- Appraisals should be conducted at least annually, but this must be supplemented by regular one-to-one meetings throughout the year
- The immediate line manager should do the appraising as s/he is closest to the job holder’s work
- The ‘grandparent’ manager should be involved to monitor action, check consistency of comments and gain upward information as well as acting as a line of appeal to ensure fairness and credibility
- Appraisals should be competence and objective related, and should look forward as well as back
- HR departments should administer the system and collate information. They should not conduct the appraisal interviews except for their own staff
- Participants should have the chance to see what is recorded about them. They will often initiate the written part of the process
- Everyone should be appraised and everyone should have had regular meetings with their manager. Objectives should be appropriate to the job concerned
- All staff should be trained in the appraisal process and all managers should be trained in appraisal interviewing
- The appraisal system should be monitored by senior management against objectives set when introducing the scheme
Appraisal systems should not be:
- Exclusively about pay
- About specific promotion opportunities
- A job interview
- About grievance or disciplinary matters
- An assertion of authority or judgment from on high
- A token procedure, ‘going through the motions’
- Perceived as unfair or unjust
Learn more about appraisal
You can learn more about how to prepare and conduct appraisals with our one-day management course.
Our Appraisal skills course is perfect for managers who need to develop their understanding of the appraisal process. If you want to improve your appraisal interview skills and develop more effective performance management for your team then this is the course for you.
Find prices and dates.
