What are the common mistakes that can occur in performance appraisals?

While the primary purpose of performance appraisal is to increase efficiency and motivation, there may be mistakes that prevent it from having the desired effect. What are they?

No specific targets

Problem: For many organisations, there is no real performance evaluation system, but it is a necessary evil in the life of the company that has to be done. This is why it is inefficient, because it is not based on pre-established objectives, and employees perceive the process as an exam, a questioning.

Solution: The effectiveness of employees can clearly be increased by supporting and motivating them, so it is very important to conduct the evaluation according to their interests and needs. Talk about training, career path, strengths, how to improve weaknesses, what are the short and long term goals.

No recognition, no motivation

Problem: The employee has achieved a nice increase in his/her work, but only receives a simple verbal congratulation.

Solution: It is very important to motivate your staff, otherwise they will lose their effectiveness. It is a good idea to discuss future plans and goals so that they can see exactly where they are going and keep the momentum going.

Wage increase negotiation

Problem: Although performance appraisals can lead to a pay rise, this is not the purpose of the process, so it is not worth going into the details of this in the discussion.

Solution: The main focus should be on the work done, the competences and the areas to be developed, and additional objectives. Salaries should not be forgotten, of course, but that is something that should be addressed in a subsequent step.

Performance appraisal sample: the most typical questions in a performance appraisal

There is no general pattern for performance appraisal, as it varies from company to company, from profile to profile, and from individual to group level.

However, there are some popular and effective questions that are often asked in surveys. 

Let's look at some examples!

Questions about qualifications, job title

• How do you plan to improve yourself? 
• Do you know exactly what your job entails?
• Do you know exactly what is expected of you?
• If you are given a task, can your manager trust you to do it?
• If you get an extra task, can you do it?
• Are you good at focusing on your work?
• In a complex task, can you see through it?
• Are you open to new IT solutions?
• Can you work in a team?
• Can you represent your own interests?
• Are you able to represent the interests of the organisation?

Questions on job satisfaction

• What motivates you to do your job well?
• What are your favourite tasks?
• What are the tasks you don't enjoy at all and why?
• What are 3 things we could do better as an organisation/team?
• On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend us to your friends and acquaintances?

Attitude issues

• Can your behaviour be a model for others?
• Do you keep your commitments?
• What you say can be trusted?
• Do you speak respectfully to your colleagues?
• Are you patient in conflict situations?
• If a problem arises, do you report it immediately?
• If there is a problem, do you criticise?
• Can you focus on the solution to the problem?
• Are you tolerant with your colleagues?
• Do you help your colleagues when they are in need?
• Can you decide for yourself if there is a problem?
• Do you participate in joint activities outside working hours?

Questions on effective leadership

• Do you feel that the management of the organisation treats everyone fairly?
• What leadership qualities do you have?
• Give an example of a time when you used leadership qualities in this organisation?
• Do you think there is effective communication between employees and management?

Questions on value added

• What have you done to improve the overall success of the organisation?
• What is your idea of recognition?
• Do you get regular feedback from your colleagues, your manager?
• Do you feel valued in this organisation?

Questions on workplace culture

• Have you proposed any effective changes to office policies or procedures?
• How often do you communicate with your manager and colleagues?
• Do you help your peers with the information they need to complete their tasks successfully?
• Have you ever had an unpleasant argument with a colleague, manager or supervisor?
• How do you think you could make a positive change in workplace culture?

Software help for benchmarking

Today, there are software solutions that support benchmarking processes, saving a lot of time and effort.

Employment Hero

Employment Hero excels at creating custom rating scales. You can easily identify areas where employees are performing well and areas where they need improvement. In addition, you can check that employees' performance indicators are in line with the company's goals.

Engagedly

This software helps managers and employees to work together to achieve common goals in a safe environment where they both need to trust each other. It provides the necessary tools to monitor progress towards key corporate indicators, while engaging, motivating and rewarding employees at all levels of the organisation.

Factorial

Factorial is very good software because it can be tailored to the company's own system. It is suitable for implementing an automatic evaluation system. Results can be stored in one place and access to the results can be given to managers and executives. The company's performance management can also be tracked.

Summary

Performance appraisals, when done well, increase employee motivation, engagement and performance, and provide an opportunity to improve any weaknesses. To do this, we always need to know what the exact purpose of the appraisal is and focus on the needs of the employees. They should never feel unappreciated and held to account.

Although for some employers it is just an unnecessary administrative burden, if we become really good at it, it can be an excellent tool to increase the efficiency of the organisation and reduce turnover.