Page 119 - DMGT106_MANAGING_HUMAN_ELEMENTS_AT_WORK

Unit 5: Appraising and Evaluating People in the Organization

5.5.2 Multiple Raters Notes

As the number of raters increases the probability of getting accurate information increases.
If a person has had ten supervisors, nine have rated him excellent and one poor, we can
discount the value of the one poor evaluation. Therefore, by moving employees about
within the organization so as to gain a number of evaluations, we increase the probability
of achieving more valid and reliable evaluation.
5.5.3 Training Appraisers

If you cannot find good raters, the alternative is to make good raters. Evidence indicates that
the training of appraisers can make them more accurate raters. Common errors such as halo
and leniency have been minimised or eliminated in workshops where managers can practice
observing and rating behaviours.
5.5.4 Ongoing Feedback

Employees like to know how they are doing. If managers share with the subordinate both
expectations and disappointments on a day-to-day basis by providing the employee with
frequent opportunities to discuss performance before any reward or punishment consequences
occur, there will be no surprises at the time of the annual formal review.

5.5.5 Selective Rating
It has been suggested that appraisers should rate in those areas in which they have significant
job knowledge. If raters make evaluation on only those dimensions on which they are in
a good position we increase the inter-rater agreement and make the evaluation a more valid
process.

5.5.6 Peer Evaluation
The main advantages of peer evaluation are that:

(i) There is a tendency for co-workers to offer more constructive insight to each other so
that, as a unit, each will improve, and
(ii) The recommendations of peers tend to be more specific regarding job behaviours.

However, for peer assessments to function properly, the environment in the organization
must be such that politics and competition for promotions are minimised.

5.5.7 Post-appraisal Interviews
It is necessary to communicate to employees how they have performed. To meet these need
managers must take the time to schedule a meeting with their subordinates to discuss the
results of the performance evaluation. Employees need to know how they are doing, be
recognised for outstanding achievements and be notified about where there is room for
improvement.
5.5.8 Rewards to Accurate Appraisers

The managers who are evaluating must perceive that it is in their personal and career
interests to conduct accurate appraisals. If they are not properly rewarded for doing effective
appraisals, they will take the easy way out by trying to avoid the process entirely. If pushed,
they will complete the appraisals, but these can be expected to suffer from positive leniency
and low differentiation. Encouraging and rewarding accurate appraisers will remove this
flaw.
To conclude, we can say that performance evaluations are an integral part of every
organization. Properly developed and implemented, the performance evaluation can help an
organization achieve its goals by developing productive employees.

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