“Take career as a marathon and not 100 meter race.”
With a vast experience in pharmaceutical industry, Neeraj Garg, CEO, Apollo Health and Lifestyle, thoughtfully explains what performance appraisals are.
With the advent of March and April, performance appraisal becomes the hottest topic of every work station. For many years now, appraisals have been used as a tool to reward employees for their contribution towards achieving organisational goals. However, at times the employees work hard throughout the year but do not get the desired increments, which demotivates them. These employees often start looking for other options. Frequent switch in jobs for little monetary gains not only impacts an employee’s career, but also becomes a loss to the company that invests heavily in an employee.
Cause of ineffective appraisals
Elaborating on the factors behind the unsuccessful performance appraisals, Garg explains, “It is the manager who fails to set proper expectations early in the year which causes a gap between the results expected and results achieved by the executive.” “Proper communication and alignment of the expectations between the manager and executive should be done early in the year,” he added.
Feedback mechanism
One of the most overlooked processes in organisations is getting regular feedbacks from the manager about executives in the form of monthly or quarterly reviews. Absence of regular feedback makes poor appraisal that come as a surprise to the employee and he feels cheated. Thus, culmination of reviews done over a period of time in the year should form the basis of appraisals.
Art of giving
The art of giving feedback is a skill which managers should work upon. This way they can provide his honest review in a manner that an executive learns to accept it positively. Like a doctor tells his patients about their diseases, and the patients accept and learn to deal with it positively.
An employee too should understand that a year’s appraisal doesn’t mean he has to switch to other company frequently at the risk of spoiling his/her resume.
Appraisal isn't an event
Balaji Chandrakumar, group head of HR of diversified companies incorporated in Singapore, has a different take. “It is unfair to put pressure on manager for appraisals. Appraisal is the organisational practice; hence, it should not be treated as an event between the manager and employee,” says Chandrakumar.
It is very important for an employee to understand that appraisals are connected at unit, functional, departmental and organisational level, and his/her performance affects all levels of organisation.
A systematic approach
Chandrakumar gives his deep insight in conducting the appraisal process. He says, “Performance appraisal should be culmination of last 12 months performance and reviews. Feedback without documentary evidences sounds judgmental and leaves the employees with feelings of being cheated.”
Things manager should do
Appraisals meetings must be executed with manager preparing questionnaire to be discussed in the meeting:
Manager should ask the executive
a. How did his last year go by
b. Share next 12 months goals in a constructive manner
c. Give directions in constructive manner
d. Ask how prepared he/she is for this goal
e. What support would he/she need from him
f. Share the support that will be give to the employee
Managers should wear a hat of a coach and get in an enquiry mode i.e., rather than making it prescriptive, make it consultative. This will surely make the employee feel empowered with self-actualisation and make the manager-executive bond stronger.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Appraisals")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}