Performance Review

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Performance Review

What is the Performance Review?

A performance review refers to a systematic evaluation where a manager assesses an employee's job performance. Performance appraisals and assessments are other words for performance reviews.

What are the types of Performance Reviews?

Performance reviews are carried out annually in everyday practice in organizations. They are of several types:

  1. Self Reviews: Employees evaluate themselves on a choice inventory starting from poor, needs improvement, good, very good; excellent – 5 points Likert scale.
  2. Peer Reviews: Same ranked employees ranking each other on certain scales and/or measures as per the assigned tasks.
  3. Forced choice Inventory: There is no other choice but to choose anyone's choice amongst the statements for reviewing performance.
  4. Panel review: In this type, a panel of experts encompassing HR, technical, Non-technical, Operations, etc., departmental representatives’ panel interviews the employee for performance reviews.
  5. Supervisor Review: This way, the employee’s performance is reviewed by the immediate boss/supervisor and then cross-checked and reviewed by the supervisor’s supervisor for making changes, if applicable, anywhere in the reviewed version.
  6. MBO Management by Objective: As the name itself suggests, the performance is reviewed based on the task's completion towards the objective achievement.
  7. BARS (Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale): The number of times an employee worked well or otherwise is considered in this type of performance review.
  8. Behaviors checklists: The expected behaviors at the workplace are evaluated in case of reviewing employee performance in this type of performance review.
  9. 360 Degree: This way, all the stakeholders, the subordinates, the peers, the supervisors, and the customers if applicable review the performance of (an) employee(s). It is named 360 degrees as it covers almost every corner concerned with the employee working relationships.

What should be avoided in Reviewing Performance?

Comparisons

Managers compare and contrast the employees and groups at departmental levels in organizations for their performances and suggest rectification of wrongdoings/misdoings/mishaps. But this way should be avoided in reviewing performance as comparisons cerate antagonism approach because everyone has different nature and diverse skill set, as human resource is the most inimitable capital of any organization.

Criticism

Criticism is not for the sake of criticism but the reason of improvement(s) can help improve performance, hence this is another review type, but it should not be adopted except for in case of individual level: praise in public, advice in person.

Monotonic Comments

Trying to appraise differently may improve performance. Different words/certificates/benefits/lucrative offers for appraising the works and jobs done can be a beneficial tool for reviewing and enhancing performance. On the contrary, the similarity in the comments for all the works done is not the right approach. It can result in monotonic management providing a negative impact on employees.

Focus on the Personnel

The person/the then-called personnel/human resource – capital, should not be focused on any misdoing rather the work be focused on any meetings, etc. This way, keeping the respect of the employees for their high morale and the employees this way are expected more to understand that the work done should be improved, and it is said about the assignment and not the person, however, person advises can be made on a one to one basis in alone.

Related: Performance Management, Performance Improvement, Management by Objectives, 9 Box Grid for talent management