The Benefits of Having an Appraisal
An appraisal can be a great tool, if you use it properly. Unfortunately, lots of employers get appraisals wrong. In this article, we’ll look at how you can get your appraisals right, every time.
An appraisal is a dedicated time where managers and employees can get together, typically once a year, to talk about everything related to the individual’s employment. They’ll talk about matters such as how the last year went, areas for improvement and plans for the future. An appraisal is more than just a friendly chat, however. It should also be more than a box-ticking exercise.
Unfortunately, many companies don’t use the appraisal process to its full potential. Employees can sometimes find them intimidating and managers find them difficult to fit into an already busy job, so they often either get put on the back burner, or otherwise just go through the motions and get them over with as quickly as possible. When employers do appraisals well, the company and the staff member can gain benefits. Let’s find out more.
Benefits for employers
An appraisal offers the employer a golden opportunity to know what’s going on with an employee. They can gauge their job satisfaction and talk about plans and goals for the future. They can use it to measure performance over the previous year. These measurables can be used to compare staff performance and identify future stars, or problems such as gaps in training that need to be filled.
It’s an opportunity to renew the previous year’s objectives, as well as set short and long-term objectives for the forthcoming twelve months. If there are areas where the individual can improve, the manager can look at how best to address this to help get the best out of them and increase their job satisfaction.
Appraisals are a great way for employers to communicate with their team members on a one-to-one basis. They can talk about strategy for the next year and ensure it is understood by the people who will implement it. Appraisals also create a two-way feedback situation, where both sides can talk frankly about performance and plans for the future.
Finally, appraisals are a motivation tool. When done correctly, staff can feel that their role in the organisation is appreciated and important.
Benefits for employees
The team member can gain benefits when they go through an appraisal:
They get to have a discussion with their manager without interruption. It’s an opportunity to talk about issues and give feedback in which is very often missing in the normal working day.
They get clarity on where they stand with the company.
They can identify training opportunities that they would like to have, improving their performance in the process.
Appraisals can give employees motivation and a target to aim at.
In some cases, appraisals are linked to bonuses.
How to get appraisals right
To avoid your managers and employees wasting time going through appraisals that offer no value to either side, your first priority should be making sure your managers are doing appraisals correctly. If necessary, they should be trained on how to conduct appraisals; the processes to follow and how to eliminate bias from their evaluation.
Once you know your managers are fully-versed on the appraisal process, you may want to update the way you conduct them. You could try ideas such as:
Self-assessment appraisals - where the employee grades their own performance in specific categories, then compares notes with the manager.
360-degree appraisals - where you ask an individual's peers, supervisors and subordinates to help with the appraisal, as well as the manager and the employee themselves.
Find out more
An excellent way to ensure your appraisal processes are up to speed is to get them reviewed by an employment lawyer.
At Couchman Hanson, we provide legal peace of mind and our solicitors genuinely care about getting the best outcome for you. We’re highly professional, with ‘city’ level talent and experience, but also friendly and welcoming. Everything we do fits with our values of integrity, honesty and authenticity.
Call us today for a free 30 minute consultation: 01428 722189