Developing a Performance Appraisal System

Essay by lexus1206College, UndergraduateA-, September 2007

download word file, 3 pages 4.8

Appraisal systems can serve a human service organization in a great deal of ways. Two major purposes are for appraisals are for administrative and development of a human service organization. From the administrative view the purpose of a performance appraisal system may include decisions about a change in job duties, promotions, or reward decisions. Developmental purposes include helping staff achieve optimum performance, evaluating staff's strengths or weaknesses and establishing whether or not more training is needed. What are key elements that make up a good performance appraisal system?With the right elements in a performance appraisal systems it can help make the human service organizations staff better performers." Performance appraisals are supposed to provide feedback on results what worked and what did not work. Motivate employees to engage in the right behaviors to perform better. Provide development opportunities to perform better next time. Distinguish the top performers from the poor ones.

Provide the frame work for termination decisions based on poor performance. Foster communications between the manager and employee. Set expectations for the job" (Martin, 2007).

Performance appraisal helps monitor and evaluate good and poor performance within a human service organization. Good performance appraisal systems only work if they are strategically planned and carried out properly by supervisors. A good supervisor will be able to relate goals of the organization to specific job duties. The staff should know supervisors expectations ahead of time regarding performance levels. Open communication about job performance is also a key element in the performance appraisal system process.

The evaluation by the supervisor of the staffs strengths and weaknesses must remain bias free in order to work properly. Supervisors must evaluate the areas of performance that needs improvement and discuss how to improve the areas. Certain criteria within the ratings have to be established in order to...