subject: Employee Performance - Manager Appraisals Can Be Both Constructive And Encouraging [print this page] Employee performance used to be addressed once a year at an annual review. At this time a manager sat down with their team members one by one and they discussed the past year's performance. Areas for improvement were identified, strengths praised and goals for the upcoming year were laid out. Depending on the organization and the manager, this event could be a very personal one, where the team member was an active participant. This has changed in the last few years and performance appraisal has become an ongoing process. To keep employees engaged and active, managers are measuring progress and providing feedback continuously.
There are several indicators used when measuring employee performance. Some organizations use more than others, depending on company focus and an individual's specific duties. Quality and quantity are almost universally measured in conjunction with each other. The quantity is the number of units an individual sells, processes or produces. Quality has specific standards and an employee is measured based on the number of units produced that meet and exceed those standards. These indicators can be translated across industries from manufacturing and construction to sales, purchasing and technical support. Timeliness is the average amount of time it takes for an employee to complete their tasks or duties.
Organizations that focus on timeliness must balance it with quality and quantity. Too much emphasis on one will inevitably cause decreased employee performance in the others. This is especially true when there is a bonus for meeting certain criteria based solely on the numbers. As employee engagement drops, absenteeism frequently increases, which adversely impacts other areas of performance. This can be one of the signs that the employee is losing trust in their employer and other symptoms, such as negativity or apathy, often follows. Adherence to company policy shows an understanding of goals.
Employees whose goals and focus do not match with the organization often find themselves constantly at odds with their manager. Appraisals come from many perspectives. Some organizations use one, others several, based on need and focus. Manager appraisals are the most common and contain several categories, from the easily quantifiable numbers aspect of employee performance, to the more subjective areas of performance such as personal habits, grooming, and the manner in which the employee expresses themselves. For organizations in the early stages performance appraisals it is important that the indicators chosen accurately align with company goals to ensure a consistent message is put forth.
