How to Conduct Staff Appraisal

When managing your employees, it is necessary to understand that evaluating your staff and recognising them for their contribution to the company will improve the employee morale. Staff appraisal allows you to do that and talk about the rewards and benefits they can expect for their contribution to the company.

As an employer, you need to ensure that the staff understands that your company has an appraisal system. This can motivate them to work more, give their best, and improve the organisation’s overall productivity.

When the staff appraisal system is implemented correctly, it will boost your company’s productivity and, in turn, build your employee brand and reduce turnover.

You must understand the benefits and best practices to conduct an effective staff appraisal. 

What Is a Staff Appraisal?

A staff appraisal is a meeting between the employer and staff members, where the employer evaluates the work performance of the staff members and discusses it with them. 

This can help the employee identify their strengths and weaknesses, and make it easier for them to develop their career. This also helps the employee by guiding them on ways to improve their performance.

The staff appraisal meeting also discusses promotions, salary hikes, and other perks and benefits they can expect. It is also used to get feedback from the employee about the organisation and suggestions for its development.

Benefits of Staff Appraisal

When you conduct staff appraisals regularly, the following are the benefits for both the employees and the employer:

• Employees always look for development in their careers. A staff appraisal meeting can help them identify how far along their development journey is.
• Employees perform well when they know where they need to focus. Staff appraisals offer them feedback on their performance and help them improve it.
• Conducting regular staff appraisals can improve employee engagement and motivate them. When an employee is engaged with their work, they are more likely to stay in the company longer.
• Finding out the areas in which the employees are lacking can help the employer develop a training plan. This also helps to see if they are suitable for an upskilling or a reskilling program.
• The employee may not have a clear idea of their expected duties. Staff appraisal meetings can help them get a clearer idea of your expectations so that they can work based on that.
• Staff appraisal meetings offer the employees a chance to have a discussion without distractions. This can come in handy when the employee has feedback and grievances they would like to share with the employer.
• In the staff appraisal, the employer can help set goals for the employee. They can work toward that goal until the next appraisal cycle. They can work on improving their performance and contributing more to the organisation.

How to Conduct a Staff Appraisal

The staff appraisal can be split into three stages. These stages help you handle the various aspects of the appraisal meeting.

The three stages of the appraisal meeting:

• Before the Meeting – The Preparation.

• During the Meeting – The Meeting Itself.

• After the Meeting – The Analysis.

These sections can help you guide the staff appraisal meeting. The following are the various tasks the employer must perform for the staff appraisal meeting.

1. Before the Meeting – The Preparation.

Before the meeting, the employee needs to prepare and analyse the employee, then schedule a meeting based on availability. 

• Look at the goals and reviews of the past appraisal meeting to get an idea about the employee.
• Invite the employee and ask them to prepare for the appraisal. This will give them enough time to bring up complaints or feedback.
• Ask the employee to fill out a self-evaluation assessment form. This can give them the chance to view their performance objectively.
• Think about the areas you want the employee to focus on. Look for their strengths and weaknesses, then develop ways to improve their current tasks.

2. During the Meeting – The Meeting Itself

During the meeting, it is necessary to have a quiet place. The right environment can help them focus and talk peacefully with the employer.

• Encourage the employee to share their perspective on the appraisal. This can help you get more ideas from their side.
• Start the meeting by defining the objective and the goals of the meeting. It can help the employee define their expectations.
• Stay attentive throughout the meeting and document everything for further analysis.
• Work together with the employee and develop ways to improve their performance in the upcoming staff appraisals.
• Set realistic goals and expectations, and guide them in achieving them.

3. After the Meeting – The Analysis

This is a crucial part of the staff appraisal process. Once the meeting is over, you need to: 

• Reflect on the appraisal, as well as the things you learned about the employee. Look into their feedback and ways to improve the appraisal meeting together.
• Document the meeting and keep them safe for further review.
• Offer guidance to the employees, and help them achieve their goals before the next appraisal meeting.

Best Practices for Conducting a Staff Appraisal

When you conduct a staff appraisal meeting, there are certain aspects that you should be keen on. These aspects can help you efficiently conduct the staff appraisal:

• Preparing everything before you get into the appraisal meeting with your staff is necessary. This includes the performance review about them, scheduling enough time, informing the staff in advance, and giving them enough time to prepare.
• Do not look into a single source for their appraisal. Use varied sources for the staff appraisal. Ask the staff members for a self-review, conduct a 360-degree review, get a formal review from the managers, use a rating scale, and comments for the staff review. This will help you avoid bias and get a better picture.
• Always encourage the employees to speak up from their end. A one-sided staff appraisal will not be fruitful. It is better to have a two-way conversation to use the staff appraisal best.
• It is best to keep the appraisal in a positive light. If an employee is struggling, try to give them actionable items to work with. This way, they can focus on improving their performance rather than having a negative review without plans to rectify it.
• Rather than coming up with goals for the improvement of the staff member’s performance, involve them in setting their own goals. Getting the employees’ input can help you come up with achievable goals.

Final Thoughts

Staff appraisals have many benefits for the employer and the employees. To build an efficient appraisal system, you must conduct a staff appraisal meeting regularly. Also, involving the employee during the process can help you understand more about the factors influencing their performance. 

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