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Doing away with performance appraisals
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Doing away with performance appraisals
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I have been tasked with researching alternatives to the traditional performance appraisal. Have you eliminated performance appraisals? If so, have you replaced them with an alternative method?
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Forums » Topic Forums » General Forum » Doing away with performance appraisals
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Doing away with performance appraisals
posted at 5/26/2010 10:08 AM EDT
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Posts: 1
First: 5/26/2010 Last: 5/26/2010 |
I have been tasked with researching alternatives to the traditional performance appraisal. Have you eliminated performance appraisals? If so, have you replaced them with an alternative method? |
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Doing away with performance appraisals
posted at 5/26/2010 10:24 AM EDT
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Posts: 2146
First: 2/15/2006 Last: 9/14/2011 |
We don't really do standard ones, but feel every employee should know exactly where they stand at any given time. However, we are currently a much smaller company than in the past.
As the organization grows, to me, the need is stronger to have a consistent review process. This can help document pay decisions, discipline and performance decisions and possibly even termination decisions. That consistency will be very important if and when any charges of discrimination (gender, pay, etc) come up. |
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Doing away with performance appraisals
posted at 5/26/2010 12:04 PM EDT
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Posts: 1103
First: 3/16/2007 Last: 8/19/2011 |
Having had a whopping two performance appraisals in 17 years I think I have operated in environments where they have been done away with.
I like the question, what are you trying to accomplish with this goal. Knowing the answer could help us. However, some form of performance measurement should take place for obvious reasons. What that form is remains to be determined. |
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Doing away with performance appraisals
posted at 5/26/2010 1:30 PM EDT
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Posts: 544
First: 9/27/2004 Last: 9/13/2011 |
Having worked in both types of environments, I agree and disagree with this practice.
My biggest concern about not documenting performance is that solid performers have no track record and that isn't fair to them. Performance appraisals are formal opportunities for recognition, it's like getting a yearly letter of recommendation. Ok, having said that, I know that systems are gamed and that makes the practice invalid. I started thinking of examples, but we all know of such cases. The real question is what side of the equation do we want to err on? In favor of solid performers? or in favor of poor performers? |
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Doing away with performance appraisals
posted at 5/26/2010 3:46 PM EDT
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Posts: 562
First: 11/12/2009 Last: 9/14/2011 |
Let's also keep in mind validating merit pay increases and documenting that. And that performance appraisals can serve as very good feedback mechanisms to employees. And that they serve as documentation in wrongful employment cases, in cases involving allegations of pay discrimination/promotions, etc.
If giving that up is worth getting rid of the admitted administrative hassles involved in performance appraisal processes, then by all means do away with them. I dont' think anyone has yet come up with an alternative that will accomplish the myriad of purposes that a well run appraisal process does. |
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Doing away with performance appraisals
posted at 5/27/2010 5:20 AM EDT
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Posts: 2146
First: 2/15/2006 Last: 9/14/2011 |
And the key words are "well run".
That means those doing the perf reviews should be trained and reviewed on the process. But I also agree with asking what are the current negatives to the current system? Will they be solved by NOT doing perf appraisals? Or will it just cause other issues? |
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Doing away with performance appraisals
posted at 5/27/2010 5:25 AM EDT
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Posts: 544
First: 9/27/2004 Last: 9/13/2011 |
You asked for alternatives, I came across this recently. If the link doesn't work you can do a search with "performance review + performance preview"
http://blogs.bnet.com/mba/?p=2238 It's about putting a different focus on the performance conversation, not going over the past but asking the performer to think about the future and what they need to get the job done. It's nothing new, Deming said it over 40 years ago, but it's a good reminder. |
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Doing away with performance appraisals
posted at 5/27/2010 1:12 PM EDT
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Posts: 58
First: 10/17/2006 Last: 9/13/2011 |
The challenge is to do more good than harm. Most employees feel that they are in the top 20% of performers, so no matter how well your company handles the evaluations, many employees will feel underappreciated. Still we do them but I beat it into the heads of the managers what Deming and other skeptics have been saying all along. We also separate them from the pay raise discussions so that employees might actually hear and take feedback to heart. Regular feedback is better than the formal annual review. Great question. I'm glad you brought it up. |
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Doing away with performance appraisals
posted at 5/28/2010 12:15 PM EDT
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Posts: 544
First: 9/27/2004 Last: 9/13/2011 |
Absolutely, nothing will ever replace regular feedback via interactions with supervisors, mentors, colleagues and customers or the feedback one gets from positive work outcomes.
The only advantage of a formal performance review is documentation, but documentation is critical. Can you ask your leaders for some clarity about why they are asking for alternatives? It may be easier and wiser to fix what's wrong with the system than to eliminate it or replace it. Usually the reason is that people don't like them (giving them or getting them), but is that a valid business reason? |
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