Can I Get More From My Employee?
Performance Communication and Evaluation Blog August 2009
The present economy may necessitate asking “more” of employees. However, employees are often unclear about their supervisor’s expectations and the value of their contributions. Performance communication and evaluation is the process that clarifies objectives, sets goals, assesses an individual’s contributions, affords two-way communication and the opportunity for feedback.
HR4Hire has noticed that this opportunity is one that too many employers, especially smaller firms, often fail to take advantage of to their determent. We can provide formats and coach staff on the best way to have meaningful and continuous contact and turn that into business gains.
The specific components of the performance communication process are:
- Clear Communication of Job Responsibilities and Expectations
- Setting of Goals
- Ongoing Feedback and Guidance Regarding Performance
- Summary Performance Evaluation Highlighting Achievements and Areas Needing Improvement
- Development Plan and Restatement of Job Responsibilities
NOTE: Effective performance communication is an ongoing cyclical process for both supervisor and employee.
New employees or employees with performance problems will require more attention, but it is important for supervisors to continue performance communication with long-term, highly productive employees as well.
Encouraging employees to raise performance questions and ask “how am I doing” outside of a formal performance evaluation is a hallmark of a good supervisor. These conversations, which may be directed to fixing a problem, are also opportunities to deliver praise and encouragement. Employee surveys rank among the first five factors workplaces where communication is open in assessing the satisfaction with their employer.
The performance evaluation is usually a formal procedure, which should be dictated by written timelines stated in an employee handbook or at the time of hire. The time can also be mutually agreed upon whenever there is an issue to be resolve. Ideally, one should be done within the first three months of hire and then once every six months after that.
PREPARATION FOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS:
When preparing for performance evaluations, these are the key points to keep in mind:
There should be no surprises. If you have done an effective job of ongoing performance communication, there should be no reason for the summary evaluation to contain new information. Negative surprises, especially when reduced to writing, act as de-motivators. Balanced feedback, given in a supportive way, encourages employees to try to correct deficiencies and to strive for high performance levels.
The evaluation should be balanced. There are positive aspects of almost everyone’s performance, and there is also almost always room for improvement in some areas. Both types of performance should be covered in a summary evaluation. Constructive criticism should never be avoided since failing to advise an employee of deficiencies almost guarantees that those deficiencies will not be corrected.
The evaluation should be participative. Dialogue is important, especially in terms of making sure an employee understands the points made in the evaluation.
The evaluation should cover the entire evaluation period, not just the last few weeks or months. Therefore, it is very important that you keep notes throughout the year which can then be used to summarize the entire year’s experience. These can be formal notations in Employee’s Personnel Log which employee is entitled to see upon request or can be notes kept in supervisor’s file under lock and key.
If providing criticism about performance, give recommendations about what the employee should do or must do. To provide constructive criticism, try to use phrases like, “Here are some ways to increase your effectiveness,” or “In the future you might try…”
In writing the evaluation, provide specific examples that illustrate trends or support your ratings rather than draw generalized conclusions about the employee’s behavior. For example, if an employee constantly argues, record specific incidents with dates and times and behaviors observed, rather than writing, “The employee is hostile toward co-workers when in a bad mood,” you might write, “On five separate occasions, the employee got into arguments with co-workers in staff meetings, raising their voice.”:
My belief is that performance evaluations are most effective when they are done by both the supervisor and the employee and, when the actual performance discussion is held, their respective views are aired and reconciled if need be. The forms a solid basis for setting goals and is an effective way the employer can get more and the employee has a clear idea of where they stand and what they can hope for.
HR4Hire has performance evaluation forms that allow one to zero in on critical skills and behaviors for both exempt and non-exempt employees.
If you are interested in receiving a copy or would like to discuss your performance evaluation process, please email us at info@hr4hire.com or call 415-437-6755 or 707-935-3333.
An important caveat: Good JOB DESCRIPTIONS are the foundation that performance communication rests on.
Our next blog will deal with how to best conduct a performance evaluation, common errors to be avoided, and important considerations in regard to applicable laws.
Cordially,
Gae Shulman, President
HR4Hire
HR Intelligence Check:
Some states allow same-sex couples to marry. While federal law still only recognizes marriage between a man and a woman, the states’ legislation is significant for employers because of the host of benefits and tax breaks for married couples governed by state law. As of January 2010, what 6 states will allow same-sex couples to marry?
A) Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont
B) California, Hawaii, Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Wisconsin
C) California, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont
D) Connecticut, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania
Anwer to be given in next month’s blog!
Answer to previous blog’s HR Intelligence Check:
The correct answer was: a) Yes, the Supreme Court recently said that an employee is protected from retaliation for opposing discrimination if he or she reports discriminatory conduct during an internal investigation of another employee’s complaint in Crawford v. Metropolitan Gov’t of Nashville and Davidson County, No. 06-1595, in January 2009.
If you’d like to see the question this answered, please click here to read the Dress Code Blog.
