It's true that for some managers the appraisal process turns into a witch hunt and a way for them to finally "get at" slacking employees, but in reality this can be very damaging. More than anything, staff appraisals should be aimed at improving productivity and raising the overall morale in the office. If the appraisal process has a bad wrap in your workplace, then its time to turn things around.So many workers fear the process. The fear of being told off or being reprimanded can create a sense of apprehension and its probably one of the main reasons why so many workers fear this process. For "good" workers there is the stress of whether they performed well enough to get the raise they were hoping for.As a senior manager and business owner there is one vital step you need to take before the process even starts. You need to make each and every member of your staff aware of the real reason for having the staff reviews. You have to make it very clear that its not a witch hunt and that its not a bout "getting" them.It's a 2-way conversation that is primarily aimed at helping them get more out of their job. In the end, the more they get out of it, the happier they are and the better the business will do. Its vitally important that the appraisals be approached in the right way. If you don't it will breed resentment. If you do, it will help to make people feel better about their work and it will raise the morale across the entire organization.Following up and following through is just as important as actually identifying problem areas. At every review you need to set goal, identify problems and identify solutions. It needs to be process that can be measured and improved. Setting a good structure in place is vitally important and unless your process is consistent it will be next to worthless.Read more about performance appraisal software at http://successbuilding.com.