7 Credible Performance Appraisal Methods That Actually Work

Employees were eagerly looking forward to it, and you were always trying to get away from it. Yes! The time to analyse the performance of employees and appraise them accordingly is here.

However, the days when employees and employer actually used to have a healthy discussion over the subject are bygone.

If stats are to be believed, then up to 90% of performance reviews are ineffective, hurtful & irritating.

Now employees are quite intimidated whenever fingers are pointed out on them. Behavioral changes and a jump in attrition rate are quite common around this time.

But are they really wrong in that context? Something must be wrong with the way you are measuring performance and doing appraisals. The loophole might be the lack of statements backed by data, biased appraisals on the basis of personal liking or wrong judgement of the employee’s true potential on the basis of recent events.

Hence, here we tell you 7 of the best modern methods of performance appraisal. Take a look.

• Essay Performance Appraisal

This is one of the traditional methods of performance appraisal in HRM which have made it to the modern appraisal technique list as well because of its authenticity. Because of how open-ended and descriptive it is, the method is called as the essay performance appraisal or free form method. The superior describes the employees on the basis of facts while mentioning examples as well. The strength and weakness are analysed using the graphic rating while supporting the rating with incidences.

• 360 Degree Feedback-

Even though this method of performance appraisal is accused of being very time consuming, it is one of the most reliable ones. The method demands the creation of a questionnaire which is used to record the viewpoint of various people the employee has interacted with, inside or outside the organisation. This can include the customers, the suboordinates, peers and the managers.

• Graphic Rating Scale

It is one of those performance management methods where a desirable list of traits is made and each employee is supposed to have those traits and rate other employees as well against each trait. The scores are then used to segregate the employees into the block of performers. All the employees in the performer category are considered as the benchmarks for promotions and salary adjustments. The employer is able to quantify the behaviour with this method easily.

Performance evaluation of employees working on Project Z

• Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS)

This is relatively a new method of performance appraisal that aims to review performance objectively. This set better standards, clearer goals, consistent evaluation and improved feedback. The method takes into consideration both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of work. The performance of the employee is compared against the set examples of behaviour supported by rating in numerical form.

• Ranking Appraisal

This method compares the employee in the same job profile with one another. All of them are ranked in order of the highest to the lowest. It is one of the trusted but time taking appraisal methods.

Creativity

• Paired Comparison Method

This appraisal technique is best for the SMBs and startups who have a tight budget and want to retain the best. The method is used to do a comparison of the performance of each employee with other members of the team. On the basis of the same, the best performer out of them all is given a better hike than the rest.

• Checklist Scale

Just like a checklist wherein, a person is supposed to tick mark and make a choice, in this performance appraisal method a checklist is made. The same is the amalgamation of the desirable traits and statements with the option of yes or no. If the rater (most probably a manager) strongly feels the presence of the trait in an employee, he checks the yes box. The end evaluation is done by the HR department in this method.

Hope you find this helpful. Tell us the appraisal method you like the most in the comments section below.