What is performance appraisal?

Performance appraisal is an important part of performance management. In itself it is not performance management, but it is one of the range of tools that can be used to manage performance. Because it is most usually carried out by line managers rather than HR professionals, it is important that they understand their role in performance management and how performance appraisal contributes to the overall aims of performance management.

The performance appraisal or review is essentially an opportunity for the individual and those concerned with their performance - most usually their line manager - to get together to engage in a dialogue about the individual’s performance, development and the support required from the manager. It should not be a top down process or an opportunity for one person to ask questions and the other to reply. It should be a free flowing conversation in which a range of views are exchanged.

Performance appraisals usually review past behaviour and so provide an opportunity to reflect on past performance. But to be successful they should also be used as a basis for making development and improvement plans and reaching agreement about what should be done in the future.

The performance appraisal is often the central pillar of performance management and a CIPD performance management survey carried out in 2004 found that 65 per cent of organisations used individual annual appraisal, 27 per cent used twice-yearly appraisals and 10 percent used rolling appraisals.

The five key elements of the performance appraisal are:

1. Measurement - assessing performance against agreed targets and objectives.
2. Feedback - providing information to the individual on their performance and progress.
3. Positive reinforcement - emphasising what has been done well and making only constructive criticism about what might be improved.
4. Exchange of views - a frank exchange of views about what has happened, how appraisees can improve their performance, the support they need from their managers to achieve this and their aspirations for their future career.
5. Agreement - jointly coming to an understanding by all parties about what needs to be done to improve performance generally and overcome any issues raised in the course of the discussion.

There is no one right way to conduct an appraisal. Some companies develop an appraisal form with space for appraisers to rate appraisees on aspects of their work such as their contribution to the team, role development, effectiveness, etc. The approach will depend on the nature of the business and the people involved. However as a minimum it is helpful to have a form to collect consistent information on the appraisal. This may be in the form of a free dialogue from appraisers with the opportunity for appraisees to reply and comment.

As a general rule it is helpful to have some information on the following:

1. Objectives - whether they were achieved and if not the reasons why.
2. Competence - whether individuals are performance below, within or above the requirements of the role.
3. Training - what training the individual has received in the review period and what training or development they would like to receive in the future.
4. Actions - a note of any actions that need to be carried out by the individual or the appraiser.

There is a view that the content of appraisal discussions should be confidential to the individual and the appraiser. But increasing pressure to provide information to assess the contribution of people to organisational value makes it desirable that performance data be recorded and stored in such a way that it can be used to feel into indicators of human capital value.

Increasingly organisations are putting more emphasis on the kind of behaviour they want their employees to exhibit. Behaviour, particularly management behaviour, has been identified as a significant source of value. They are therefore not solely concerned with the achievement of objectives but how these were achieved. Some organisations are identifying a set of positive management behaviours for example and then rating against them. Others are identifying the behaviours associated with excellent service and rating against these in the appraisal process. Again the design of the process will depend on what is important to the particular business and the achievement of their business objectives and will therefore be influenced by the wider performance management process. It is important that people don’t achieve their objectives at the expense of their colleague’s morale.

Preparing for the meeting

Both parties should prepare for the meeting beforehand if a successful outcome is to be delivered. The person conducting the meeting or the appraiser should:

• Consider how well the individual has performed since the last meeting.
• Consider to what extent any agreed development plans from the last meeting have been implemented.
• Think about the feedback to be given at the meeting and the evidence that will be used to support it.
• Review the factors that have affected performance both those within and outside the individual’s control.
• Consider the points for discussion on the possible actions that can be taken by both parties to develop or improve performance.
• Consider possible directions the individual’s career might take.
• Consider possible objectives for the next review period.

The individual or appraisee should consider the following points:

• What they have achieved during the review period, with examples and evidence.
• Any examples of objectives not achieved with explanations.
• What they most enjoy about the job and how they might want to develop the role.
• Any aspect of the work in which improvement is required and how this might be achieved.
• Their learning and development needs with arguments to support their case for specific training.
• What level of support and guidance they require from their manager.
• Their aspirations for the future both in the current role and in possible future roles.
• Objectives for the next review period.

Self-assessment

In some instances it may be helpful to guide appraisees through a self-assessment process encouraging them to assess and analyse their own performance as a basis for discussion and action. This can improve the quality of the appraisal discussion because individuals feel actively involved in the process and is encourages them to work through the points above beforehand. This can be particularly useful with more junior staff or those not used to appraisals.

However, self assessment can only work if individuals have clear targets and standards against which to assess themselves. It can also only be effective in a climate of trust where individuals believe their appraisers will not take advantage of an open self-assessment.

What a good appraisal looks like

A good and constructive appraisal meeting is one in which:

• appraisees do most of the talking
• appraisers listen actively to what they say
• there is scope for reflection and analysis
• performance is analysed not personality
• the whole period is reviewed and not just recent or isolated events
• achievement is recognised and reinforced
• ends positively with agreed action plans.

A bad appraisal meeting:

• focuses on a catalogue of failures and omissions
• is controlled by the appraiser
• ends with disagreement between appraiser and appraisee.