Thumb rules for Appraisal Interviews

Overview

Appraisal interviews are one of the most critical processes undertaken by the human resource management team in a company. It is a method by which the performance of an employee under a specified period is recorded, analyzed and evaluated. The employee is assessed for his/her strengths and weaknesses and is informed about any shortcomings in work. It also incorporates review from executives, seniors and other members of the management. An appraisal is considered to be an essential part of career development, due to its nature of performance recording.

Rules of thumb for Appraisals

Performing a successful appraisal requires some “rules of thumb”. The primary goal is to be neutral and unbiased and to evaluate the individual’s performance in a fair and presentable manner (Antecol, Bedard, & Stearns, 2018). It is advisable to maintain the balance between negative and positive elements. Too much negativity might discourage the employee, and too much positivity might instil a feeling of superiority within the employee. It is also imperative to treat the employees with dignity and respect their opinion during the appraisal processes, as they are an essential part of the organization, and have active contribution towards it in some form or the other (Hall et al., 2017). The interview should be open-ended, and it is necessary to ensure that there is a free flow of communication form both sides.

Other rules to be followed for a successful appraisal are:

• The appraisal process should be attended by the HR executive with a positive state of mind. To do this, the entire appraisal process should be viewed as a scope to learn more about the employees and let them express their opinions about the company.
• Each employee must be assessed thoroughly. If needed, sufficient preparations could be undertaken before the commencement of the appraisal.
• An appraisal meeting should have an agenda, which is needed to be discussed with the employees so that they can communicate their views and contribute towards it.
• At the end of the appraisals, it is essential to recall the events of appraisal and the points discussed under it. This enables the HR executive to point out things that might have gone unnoticed or missed. The agenda of the meeting could be discussed again to emphasize it.
• Employees should be motivated enough to enable them to contribute more towards the organization (Sandham, Chabalala, & Spaling, 2019).
• The date and agenda of the next appraisal should be decided and discussed with the employees. The employees should be comfortable with the proposed agenda and should understand the topics of discussion.

Conclusion

Appraisals are a very good way of evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of an employee, and also gives a scope for the HR executive to find out about their attitude towards the company. Appraisals also help in highlighting problems faced by the employee in the organization, which would otherwise be very difficult to find out and would remain unresolved. Also, appraisals are a way of developing the career of an employee, as it helps the HR department in offering promotions and incentives to employees to recognize them for their exceptional performance.

References:

Antecol, H., Bedard, K., & Stearns, J. (2018). Equal but inequitable: who benefits from gender-neutral tenure clock stopping policies? American Economic Review, 108(9), 2420-41.

Hall, J. P., Shartzer, A., Kurth, N. K., & Thomas, K. C. (2017). Effect of Medicaid expansion on workforce participation for people with disabilities. American journal of public health, 107(2), 262-264.

Sandham, L. A., Chabalala, J. J., & Spaling, H. H. (2019). Participatory Rural Appraisal Approaches for Public Participation in EIA: Lessons from South Africa. Land, 8(10), 150.