With the right performance appraisal method, organizations can enhance employee performance within the organization. A good employee performance review method can make the whole experience effective and rewarding. Now that the drawbacks of traditional methods are clear.
Here’s a close look at the six most-used modern performance methods:
1. Management by Objectives (MBO)
Management by objectives (MBO) is the appraisal method where managers and employees together identify, plan, organize, and communicate goals. After setting clear goals, managers and subordinates periodically discuss the progress made to control and debate on the feasibility.
This process usually lays more stress on tangible work or career-oriented goals. So, intangible aspects like interpersonal skills, job commitment, etc. are often brushed under the rug. This method is slightly expensive and time-intensive.
2. 360-Degree Feedback
Once-in-a-year performance appraisals are lackadaisical and don’t work. Workers need ongoing communication with team leaders and managers. A continuous process, like 360-degree feedback, can help employees stay motivated. This is one of the most widely used appraisal methods.
In 360-degree feedback, every employee in an organization appraises his/her managers, peers, customers, suppliers, and also does a self-evaluation. This method ensures effective performance analysis and Total Employee Involved (TEI). If not handled properly, this method can also suffer from the subjectivity of the appraiser.
3. Assessment Centre Method
The assessment centre method tests employees in a social-related situation. This concept was introduced way back in 1930 by the German Army but it has been polished and tailored to fit today’s environment. Employees are asked to take part in situation exercises like in-basket exercises, work groups, simulations, and role-playing exercises that ensure success in a role.
While it gives an insight of the employee’s personality (ethics, tolerance, problem-solving skill, introversion/extroversion, adaptability, etc.), it can also breed unhealthy competition among the workers and bears adverse effects on low performers.
4. Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS)
Behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) bring out both the qualitative and quantitative benefits in a performance appraisal process. BARS compares employee performance with specific behavioral examples that are anchored to numerical ratings.
This performance appraisal method is said to be better than the traditional methods. BARS provides clear standards, improved feedback, accurate performance analysis, and consistent evaluation. However, when done manually it suffers from the usual distortions that are inherent in most review methodologies.
5. Psychological Appraisals
Psychological appraisals come in handy to determine the hidden potential of employees. This method focuses on analyzing an employee’s future performance rather than their past work.
Qualified psychologists conduct a variety of tests (in-depth interviews, psychological tests, discussions, and more) to identify an employee’s emotional, intellectual, and other related traits. However, it is a rather slow and complex process and the quality of results is highly dependent on the psychologist who administers the procedure.
6. Human-Resource (Cost) Accounting Method
Human resource (cost) accounting method analyses an employee’s performance through the monetary benefits he/she yields to the company. It is obtained by comparing the cost of retaining an employee (cost to company) and the monetary benefits (contributions) an organization has ascertained from that specific employee.
When an employee’s performance is evaluated based on cost accounting methods, factors like unit-wise average service value, quality, overhead cost, interpersonal relationships, and more are taken into account. Its high-dependency on the cost and benefit analysis and the memory power of the reviewer is the drawback of human resources accounting method.
Follow