Perspective
on Employee Performance Appraisals
Performance
appraisals de-value workers
If you change your
organization to empower employees who work in teams you will stop the fear
employees have of trivialization. Often workers have put their heart and soul
into an effort and fear it will be turned into a cold, sterile number. They lose
enthusiasm and zest for their job and consequently the organization loses.
Team based work
promotes growth of employee responsibility. In a team employees receive feedback
and can measure and correct their own performance and behavior. Any promotions
and bonuses will be tied to specific, measurable results within the team. If you
eliminate performance appraisals, you will eliminate the destructive effects of
employee demoralization, distrust and fear that employees suffer when they are
rated and judged by someone else.
Continual
collaboration promotes workers
The coaching and feedback process alive in a team provides the communication necessary to address lack of skill or limited resources, work environment and behavior patterns. The coaching process provides solutions to problems rather than a heavy record to be tied around the worker’s neck before you throw him or her out. If you work together everyone becomes a leader and you will see improved performance of the whole system which includes improved quality, increased output and employee pride.
Progressive
improvements satisfy everyone
Within the team
structure management and employees set common and collective goals so your
company can meet customer needs with the best quality product and service. Most
quality problems are derived from the performance appraisal system. Without them
you will see your employees collaborate toward measured improvement of systems,
processes and methods with which to achieve quality products and service. You
will see improved organizational performance when your teams work together to
establish measurements of the systems in order to understand the causes of
variation.
Consider
the cost
The cost of a
system of performance appraisals is astronomical. Consider what it costs to
create, print, file and distribute all the forms involved. Then evaluate the
cost to train the supervisors, managers and executives in the entire appraisal
process. What it costs to prepare the appraisal, set the goals and the
objectives, conduct the appraisals, review the appraisals, approve the
appraisals, maintain regulations on the appraisals, develop procedures to appeal
the appraisals, settle any grievances and handle possible lawsuits! Some
estimates say that with a 500 person organization the cost is over $1 million
every year.
Make
a change
Your organization
can make the change. Don’t be one of the companies that continue the practice
of performance appraisals even though the alternative methods and their benefits
are obvious. Restructure is not that difficult. There are scores of books and
consultants that can lead you through the process. Learn how to flatten your
company from the old hierarchy where short-term performance clobbers long-term
planning, creates fear, demolishes teamwork and promotes rivalry.
Learn more:
Unwanted,disliked,dishonest: performance appraisals must go
What’s Wrong with Performance Appraisals?
Performance Appraisals Don’t Work
Performance Reviews Don’t Work
Appraising the Performance Appraisal
