Expert: Leo Lingham - 3/9/2009

Question
hi sir,my question is
why appraise HR performance?Describe major steps in appraising performance with examples?
(sir,i request you to give answer of my question immediately,i mean till tomorrow)

Answer
BEENA,
HERE  IS SOME  USEFUL  MATERIAL.
REGARDS
LEO LINGHAM
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why appraise HR performance

At a macro level performance appraisals   assists organisations to match outcomes with organization objectives. It provides a system for improving organization  performance and outcomes, within the  organization's  policy framework, while maintaining good industrial relations. It generates benefits throughout organisational functions and processes.
Performance appraisal  recognises that people are the organisation’s most valuable resource, and that people are the key to an innovative, professional and service-oriented public service. Performance management emphasises the relationship between the management and development of people and an effective organisation, and provides a fair and equitable environment for improving performance.
A performance appraisal   system links achievements at all levels of the organisation with corporate, business and unit's  objectives. It provides the framework for:
· clarifying expectations, roles, responsibilities and resources required to achieve goals;
· improving communication and understanding between managers and employees in terms of work requirements, expectations, performance criteria and achievements;
· linking individual, team or unit performance with quality assurance, continuous improvement and evaluation processes of the organisation;
· facilitating, encouraging and assessing performance;
· encouraging structured feedback from employees and supervisors on performance and career planning and from the community on organisational performance;
· introducing an outcomes focused culture and increasing motivation;
· collecting data and information needed for management decision making or external review ;
· increasing the organisation’s capability to meet future requirements and to improve outcomes for the community;
· identifying performance which requires improvement; and
· recognising and acknowledging performance.
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FOR  INDIVIDUAL  EMPLOYEES,

-an  opportunity  for  self  appraisal.

-an  opportunity  for  the  manager  to appraise  the  staff.

-helps  to  determine  the  strengths  of  the  employee.

-helps  to  determine  areas  for  improvements

-helps  to  determine  the  employee  training  needs.

-helps  to  determine  the  types  of  training  programs

-helps  to  determine  the  merit  rewards  for   the  employees.

-an  opportunity  to   acknowledge /  offer  recognition  for  performance

-an  opportunity  to  improve  the  employee's  capability/competencies.

-helps  to  develop  individual  development  plan.

etc  etc
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THE  FREQUENCY  OF  PERFORMANCE   APPRAISAL
DEPENDS  ON   THE   INDIVIDUAL  SITUATIONS /  capabilities/competencies.

-some  would  need, only , once  a  year.

-some  would  need  quarterly .

-some  may  even  need  monthly.
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PERFORMANCE-BASED  FIRM : THREE  MAIN  BENEFITS
*Clarity on strategic direction
*The alignment of your firm's resources
*Increased discipline in daily operations
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BENEFITS   OF   PERFORMANCE  APPRAISAL.

It  can  make  the  organization

-very  market  oriented.

-bench marking  against  the  best  in the  market.

-skills  training  are targeted  to achieve  to  be  best   in the  market.

-company strategy  oriented.

-result  oriented  approach.


WHY   MANAGER  SHOULD  DO  PERFORMANCE  APPRAISALS
Appraisals are a very practical way to manage your staff effectively. They allow you to:
Know what your employees have achieved and can achieve
Know what your employees’ weaknesses are
Understand how each employee’s role fits into the overall business
Compare the efficiency of different staff members
Set realistic goals
Identify ways your business can be expanded or enhanced

They allow your staff to:
Feel valued
Understand what is expected of them
Understand the business they are involved in
Understand their weaknesses
Identify their strengths
Identify areas they need further training in
Offer opinions and insights that may improve the business as a whole
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USING   THE    PERFORMANCE   APPRAISALS  FOR  IMPROVEMENTS
The results of appraisals should play a major role in informing your business decisions. You need to react to both the positive and the negative to ensure that the business runs smoothly and staff morale is kept high.
The changes you introduce may be wide ranging and varied, major or minor. For example, they could include:
Salaries, bonuses and other benefits
Training programs and team-building events
New short meetings every Monday morning or every morning to motivate staff
Improvements in staff conditions, or changes in work space arrangements (i.e one group of staff may work better if they are closer together physically, or the office may benefit from new decorations or better equipment)
Changes in the hierarchy (one member of staff may be more effective in a managerial position, or forming a new team may necessary to improve efficiency).
Changes in job descriptions or responsibilities (some employees may benefit from extra duties or more specifically formulated tasks/responsibilities).
Remember that once you introduce such changes as a result of appraisals you need to monitor to see if overall staff and business performance is improved.
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Describe major steps in appraising performance with examples?

STAGE   1
Set Expectations
As a best practice, we encourage supervisors to define expectations for every position. These expectations and performance measurement standards should be communicated to new employees, and reviewed at least once a year with all employees. Expectations for each position can include: purpose of the position, key responsibilities - both tasks and duties, conduct expectations, and performance standards, as well as, measures such as quality, quantity, timeliness, initiative, and teamwork for each key responsibility.
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STAGE   2
Gather Data
Performance evaluations should not be a one time event. Supervisors are encouraged to gather data regarding employee performance in a systematic manner throughout the year. The Performance Record and the Coaching Log are guides that can be used by supervisors, in addition to their own best practices, to gather data throughout the year and provide ongoing feedback to employees regarding performance. This information will then be available to supervisors when drafting the Annual Performance Evaluation.
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STAGE  3
Performance Evaluations
As a supervisor, your role is to set expectations, gather data, and provide on going feedback to your employees to assist them in utilizing their skills, expertise and ideas to produce results. To provide this direction, you should communicate to employees what is expected of them, define satisfactory performance for those expectations, and then monitor and evaluate the performance on an on going basis.
The Annual Performance Evaluation should provide a comparison of actual on-the-job performance to established performance measurement standards. The Annual Performance Evaluation encourages periodic and structured communication between supervisors and employees about the job, and should take place continuously. While day-to-day evaluation is usually informal,

Annual performance evaluations are the final phase of an effective performance management system. As a best practice, we recommend that the process start with performance planning between the supervisor and the employee in which they discuss expectations, performance standards, and objectives for the next year. The performance management process both ends and begins anew with the Annual Performance Evaluation.
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STAGE  4
Feedback
Feedback is a process by which effective performance is reinforced and less-than-desirable performance is corrected. Feedback should be information that highlights the relationship between what is expected and what has been accomplished after the work is performed or the action is taken.
Feedback can take many forms; it can be informal or formal. It can be given as praise in the form of reward and recognition, or it can be corrective in the form of disciplinary or corrective action.
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STAGE   5
Development Planning
Development planning is the process of creating experiences for your employees that promote skills and knowledge related to the position, as well as to professional growth.
Development plans draw from the Performance Evaluation:
Performance goals or needs (deficiencies) to be addressed
The employee, with supervisor assistance, identifies ways to achieve those goals and/or address performance deficiencies in systematic ways
Address opportunities for professional growth
Agreement and/or commitment between employee and supervisor
Planned follow-up
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Purpose
It is the policy  to maintain a Performance Management System approved by the corporate  management. Such a system includes several components:
a  corporate /  HR policy,
individual employee work plans,
work profile
development plans,
an education/training program,
a dispute resolution process, and
a performance management and pay history.
The organization  views the Performance Management System as a communications system designed to help employees succeed. It is directed by managers and supervisors but requires active participation by employees. The Performance Management System ensures that employees:
are aware of their principal job functions,
understand the level of performance expected,
receive timely feedback about their performance,
have opportunities for education, training and development, and
receive performance ratings and rewards in a fair and consistent manner.
Performance appraisal information is one consideration in making other personnel decisions such as promotions, performance-based disciplinary actions, and salary increases. Proposed personnel actions must be consistent with overall evaluations. Although there is a relationship between performance appraisals and determining employee eligibility for performance-based salary increases and bonuses, the System's primary focus is on managing employee performance towards the successful achievement of expectations set forth in the employee's work plan.
Performance Management Cycle
The Performance Management Cycle includes the following elements:
Work Plan
Work  Profile
Development Plan [ education /training/development  programs]
Work Planning Conference
Interim Performance Review
Annual Performance Review
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