Supervisor's Guide to Performance Appraisals

Once again it is that time of the year when managers are required to fill up Direct Reports appraisal. While this may be routine for the manager their evaultion can determine the motivation level and career path for a direct report. 

With that added responsibility, supervisors should take special care to not fall into the Raters Error Trap. What exactly is Raters Error? Very simply,  it refers to the inaccuracy that makes its way into a reports appraisal results from, conscious or unconscious, bias by the rater. Cynthia Measom describes these errors, and steps to avoid these errors, lucidly in the post 9 Common Errors in Performance Appraisals. HR Management Consultant, Mubeena M. in her blog, Development of The Rater Training, goes a step further and suggests organizations should provide supervisors proper training to decrease biases, increase accuracy of evaluations, increase behavioral accuracy to improve observational skills, and finally, increase rater confidence.

For your current year, keep the bias out, and use our guide for the quickest, surest, and most efficient methods to make your performance appraisal outstanding.

• Write Facts and eliminate explanations.
• Refer to data and not memory.
• Do it honestly and do not worry about the rating first.
• Think about the person who is newest on your team and write his sheet first. It will be easier.
• Write down the top performer's sheet next. It will be easy.
• Write down the person who has not done well. You will have to show the evidence because here is where you will get in murky waters.
• Ask for the sheets from DRs, read and match notes. This will help tremendously during discussions.
• Listen first and then speak
• Do not discuss ratings discuss 'data, data and data' on performance
• Be empathetic, imagine you are listening to yourself, do you like it? Make it likeable. 'Tough Love' comes in handy here.

Bonus : Enjoy the process, do not dread it. 

Image Source: Pixabay