source:zoho.com

The Guide to Appraisals

January 16, 2019

The good performance of your employees is one of the critical elements that can sky-rocket your company’s profits and embark your business on a journey of incredible success. To keep up the performance of your team, it is essential to recognize and appreciate their efforts which not only encourages them to do better but also helps them to strive for better which ultimately benefits the goals of the company. Although each company may have a different approach to show their appreciation towards their employees, one thing that remains constant for everyone is the often strenuous process of surveying and assessing that leads to the final step of conducting the appraisal. However, with the intelligence of modern technology tools like 360-degree performance appraisal has made the entire process of appraisal quite a cake walk.

Let us first discuss how you can kick start your surveying procedure with the 360-degree feedback tool.

Step 1: Creation of the Survey

  • You may either choose a Survey Template that is already available with the tool, or you can customize it to your preference and organizational needs. This is a lot easier and less time consuming than creating your own template from scratch.
  • Make sure your survey template has just the relevant questions which will help you determine the performance of your employees.
  • You can add the participants whom you want to participate in the survey.
  • Just so you do not forget anything owing to your busy schedule the tool lets you set reminders.

Step 2:  Survey Management is very important

source:pdshost.com
  • You can have a look at the status of the survey from your computer screen itself at any time of the day.
  • You can also track the status of all respondents and add more participants in case you want to. You may also send ad-hoc reminders to people who might not have the taken the survey yet.

Step 3: Take in the valuable feedback

  • The participants whom you have chosen to take feedback from will receive a no-fuss email with the survey template in it. They can fill it in their own suitable time without having to stop their work.
  • They may also halt and come back to the survey later and give their feedback. So, there is no chance of hampering their work. The tool will save their responses automatically even if they leave the survey midway.

Step 4: Time to analyze

  • Once the survey is completed, you can have your team analyze it and figure out the performance of each employee as well as the different departments of your company. Once you have a well-organized report in your hand you and go ahead with the appraisal.

What is an appraisal?

Source:mckissock.com

An appraisal is a formal assessment of the performance of an employee or a team of employees over a period of time. It may include more than just performance review. The appraisal can lead to a further discussion of salary adjustments, implementation of performance improvement plans, the future goals of the company and many more. Let us now discuss how you can conduct an effective appraisal.

Tips to conduct an Appraisal

  1. Prepare a power point presentation
source:wikihow.com

Make a captivating PowerPoint presentation which will include the present performance status of the employees or team. This should be presented with the future goals of the company. You can make use of pie charts and graphs to help your employees gauge the amount of effort they need to put in to achieve the goals of the company.

  1. Prepare the appraisal in writing

If you want to conduct an effective appraisal, then make sure to prepare for it before arranging the meeting. An appraisal is not something you can go into with a “wing it” approach. Jot down the key points you would want to talk about which should include both the positive as well as the areas that need to improved. This way you can make sure to miss any point.

  1. Engage in a healthy discussion
source:ted.com

Make sure you do not turn the feedback session of an appraisal into a lecture session. Always encourage your employees to participate in the conversation. You should both keep your views and suggestions on what could be done to reach the goal of the company. It is also helpful to take a 360-degree performance appraisal where you take feedback from all the sections of the hierarchy which include the bosses, the employee and the co-workers so you can have a better assessment.

  1. Deliver the appraisal in person

This is quite a no brainer. You can have the most effective discussion only when you are present there in person. However, if you absolutely cannot make it, then a video conference is the next best thing. Arrange a meeting which is scheduled for about an hour or more, so you do not have to rush through the discussion.

  1. Offer examples in your discussion

Take a practical approach instead of a perceived attitude and cite vivid examples of past failure or successes to decide your modus operandi. This ensures better understanding and makes it easier for employees to take cues from their previous experiences.

  1. Keep it formal yet friendly
Source:app.engoo.com

It is essential that you have a friendly attitude towards your team, so they feel comfortable to open up and give you suggestions but do not go overboard. Avoid the usage of words such as “always” and “never” while appreciating or reprimanding your employees. Make sure the appraisal is honest but not rude.

  1. Set Goals

It is extremely important that you set a goal for the company and relate the appraisal to these goals. Tell them how they can work better in the areas in which they need improvement to achieve the goal you have set and what will be the benefits of when they reach the goal.

Make sure your appraisal is informative, and your staff members can take something from it to work on. Good luck!

Peter is a freelance writer with more than eight years of experience covering topics in politics. He was one of the guys that were here when the foreignspolicyi.org started.

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