Your Employees deserve honesty …

The performance appraisal is your chance to find out the different causes of worker inefficiency and, at the same time, reward those employees who perform as expected …

The performance appraisal is not a time to discuss rewards or to reprimand!

copyright: 4p business development

Despite its usefulness, the process is fraught with anxiety and difficulty, given the fact that some of the information that needs to be communicated to prospective employees may be negative, or may have adverse consequences, such as having to let go of a worker.

In order to get the best out of your employees and to be open and honest with them, you need to understand the necessity of being frank and open.

All too often, employers find themselves in a difficult situation, and maybe even a legal mess, due to giving an inaccurate appraisal during the performance review process.

 

“It is difficult, but you must be honest!”

 

For example, if the report on an employer’s appraisal states positively with regards to the skills and competencies of a worker who gets fired a few weeks later, this employee may seek legal advice or make a claim because their performance appraisal didn’t match the action taken later by the employer.

At the same time, misrepresenting information during the performance appraisal process is a bad idea, as being lenient towards one worker may be looked upon as normalised by others. This will most likely plant a seed of mistrust within your team.

Here are a few of the factors that you should take into consideration when carrying out a performance appraisal process:

  1. Keep It Simple

    A simple and straightforward approach is always preferred as it allows employees to answer questions easily and give you feedback based on documentable facts to use in your next approval.

  2. Customize The Review Process

    Performance appraisals cannot be the same for each employee as they all have different job descriptions and responsibilities. Ensure to base the evaluation on individual performance, which can be normalized across the board.

  3. Consistency Is Key

    It is very tempting to carry out performance appraisals in the face of a challenging situation in the workplace, such as a resignation or reorganisation that affects the entire team. Knee-jerk reactions do not go down well with employees who will be primed to defend themselves. People thrive on positive motivation and solid consistency from management, so only carry out performance appraisals when absolutely necessary.

  4. Always Be Honest

    Honesty also plays its part regarding being specific as to what behaviours you want to see an employee change. Being vague will not address any issues and drags down the rest of the team. Give your employee a deadline as to when you want to see the changes or improvement, which will help them focus their efforts on changing the issue at hand.

Lastly, honest feedback promotes respect between the team and management. The discomfort factor of a performance appraisal far outweighs the problems that might develop along the way if you skirt around the trust of an employee’s performance.

 

“The performance appraisal process holds the promise of growth and future benefits for everyone involved!”

 

Remember, a performance appraisal is definitely not a time for discussing rewards or a time to reprimand. The whole exercise should be about both the employer and the employee understanding:

  • Where we are now against targets, KPI’s and SOP’s, etc

  • Where the gaps are

  • What support and/or training the employee requires

  • How the employer can assist in getting the work up to standard

  • Agreeing the next steps

Ii may be necessary to arrange more regular performance appraisals in order to assist the employee and to monitor their progress.

Remember that the company’s policies should make it very clear that an appraisal can be called by either the employer or the employee before the scheduled date of the next appraisal.

 

“Like everything else you do in business, there should be policies and processes to appraise an employee’s progress!”

 

Should you require assistance with this or just like to find out more about a robust performance appraisal system, call me on 01280 700405 or click here to ping me an email and let’s see how I can help you.

Until next time …

KATH BONNER-DUNHAM

 

PS:

If you’re looking for a partner to help grow your business, visit www.4pbusinessdevelopment.co.uk to discover how 4P Business Development can help you!