Performance Evaluation of Employee

I. Purpose of Performance Evaluations

1. Formal evaluations of employee work behavior helps the employer and
employee build on the strengths of the employee and identify those
areas the employee needs improvement to be more efective and
efcient in his/her job.
2. erformance evaluations enable the creation of reasonable
performance standards so that both supervisor and employee are
aware of work that is considered !acceptable performance.! "ecause of
the active involvement of both the supervisor and the employee in
performance evaluations# an important channel of two$way
communication is opened. %ommunication can result in increased
cooperation and understanding between supervisors and employees#
which in turn can enhance work performance and work environment
thus providing better customer service to our community and each
other.
&. 'sed properly# the erformance (valuation will)
1
1. Inform - *t allows the supervisor and employee to communicate
openly about performance. +his should happen throughout the year
and not only at this time. *ssues discussed now should not be
une,pected to the employee. *t also provides supervisors the
opportunity to hear employees- views of the work situation.
2. Set Goals - +he supervisor and employee mutually establish goals
for progress. .oals should be realistic# measurable# and obtainable
within si, months to one year.
&. Develop - +he supervisor and employee identify actions that can
be taken to enhance development and performance of the
employee.
/. Evaluate - +he supervisor and employee evaluate results based on
previously established goals and performance standards# which
provides a basis and documentation for transfer# promotion#
reassignment# or disciplinary action.
0. Provide - 1tandards for decisions on merit advances
II. Process
2. +he performance of employees shall be determined by their supervisor.
". olicies and procedures re3uire that performance evaluations be
prepared on the third month and during the si,th month of continuous
service for all probationary classi4ed employees.
%. *n order to be granted regular tenured status# an employee5s work
performance# as measured in his/her si,th month performance
evaluation# must meet acceptable standards. +he supervisor should
complete the evaluation with utmost deliberation. 6nce granted
regular tenured status# the employee will be evaluated on a yearly
basis on his/her current classi4cation date. 2dditional evaluations may
be re3uired upon re3uest of the %ity 7anager# 8uman 9esources
7anager# or the appropriate :epartment 8ead. (,empt employees will
be evaluated once a year in ;une.
III. Preparation of Performance Evaluation
erformance evaluations involve making judgments about employee
performance and behavior. 2n efective and e3uitable performance
evaluation program re3uires that all supervisors evaluate their employees in
substantially the same manner. +he following is presented as a guide to
evaluating an employee.
2. Familiari<e yourself with the performance evaluation form and review
the contents of this booklet.
". %ompare the employee5s performance with standards that were
established the year before.
1. +ry to eliminate all personal prejudice# bias# or favoritism# and do
not allow your own personal likes and dislikes to get in the way of
measuring actual performance.
2. "ase your decisions on actual performance# not anticipated or
potential work performance.
&. 2naly<e the employee5s performance in each factor listed on the
performance evaluation form.
/. :etermine if the goals that were established the previous year have
been met# and if not# why.
0. rovide the employee with 1ection * of the erformance (valuation
with a due date. +his section allows the employee an opportunity to
present his/her accomplishments for the year and assist the
supervisor in completing the performance evaluation. +his section is
to be completed by the employee and should not be altered by the
1upervisor. *f the 1upervisor does not agree with comments made# it
can be addressed in 1ection *** of the erformance (valuation.
%. re$interview rocedure
1. %hoose a 3uiet place where the evaluation can be conducted
without interruption.
2. 7ake notes of items to be discussed with the employee.
&. 7ake sure you completely understand the duties and
responsibilities of the position to be evaluated. *t is helpful to review
the employee5s job description.
/. +he employee should be noti4ed regarding his evaluation interview
at least two weeks in advance.
:. %onducting the (valuation *nterview
1. 2lways meet privately and avoid all interruptions# including
telephone calls.
2. 2llow plenty of time for the evaluation= this will help alleviate
concern about time constraints.
&. +alk about the employee5s strengths as well as his/her weaknesses.
2 major purpose of a performance evaluation is to acknowledge and
encourage high 3uality performance.
/. >hen discussing weaknesses# be able to include speci4c
suggestions for improvement. ?ou and the employee should agree
on speci4c actions to be taken and goals for the upcoming year.
0. 9emember# a major goal of performance evaluations is to open an
efective channel of communication between the supervisor and
employee. +herefore# let the employee do most of the talking= do
not dominate or cross$e,amine the employee# and be willing to
learn from the employee.
Performance Evaluation Criteria of Employee
1. Ambition / Initiative $ (mployee demonstrate ambition in the
position and take initiative to improve the process# product# or overall
work environment.
2. Attendance$ 8as the employee5s attendance @even within company
guidelinesA had a negative impact on the department productivity or
moraleB 8as the employee5s attendance been e,emplaryB
&. Attitude / Cooperation $ +he employee reasonably Ce,ible when
asked to perform a job function outside his or her normal duties# or to
work outside his or her normal hours for a special project. +he
employee5s attitude towards peers# towards the work in general. 8e or
she a pleasure or a chore to work with.
/. Communication Skills $ +he employee have the ability to ade3uately
communicate with peers# managers# and customers. +here been any
issues created# or solved# due to the employee5s communication skills.
0. Department and Company riented $ +he employee have a
broader view and deeper understanding than simply his or her own
duties. 8e or she speak of the department or company with pride.
D. !ocus $ +he employee able to maintain focus on the task at hand. 8e
or she have difculty prioriti<ing job duties above personal business or
sociali<ing with other employees.
E. Improvement from Previous Evaluation $ +he employee
demonstrated marked improvement from the previous performance
evaluation.
F. Inte"rity $ +he employee demonstrate ethical behavior in the
workplace. 8e or she respect the privacy of other employees and of
customers.
G. #no$s $%en to ask $ +he employee able to diferentiate between
independence and arrogance in the performance of job duties. 8e or
she know when to ask a 3uestion rather than simply making a guess
and moving on.
1H. &evel of 'ec%nical #no$led"e $ +he employee have and
demonstrate an acceptable level of technical knowledge to perform his
or her job duties.
11. Productivity / Deadlines $ +he employee able to consistently
meet productivity re3uirements and project deadlines.
12. (uality of )ork $ +here been positive or negative feedback
from customers regarding the 3uality of the employee5s work. >hat
have you observed regarding the employee5s work 3ualityB
1&. *eliability $ +he employee is reliable. 8e or she consistently
demonstrate competence and dependability.
1/. Stress +ana"ement $ +he employee deal with changes in the
work environment. 8e or she able to sift through the !noise! and focus
on breaking down the task at hand in order to complete it on time. +he
employee interact with other members of the department when
tensions are high.
10. 'eam$ork / Pitc%in" in $ >hen the department is short$
handed# the employee willingly pitch in to 4nish tasks assigned to
others in the department as appropriate and the employee volunteer
to assist.
,-. Performance &evel
.eeds Improvement $ (mployee has not fully mastered the
re3uirements of the job or is not able to perform in a way that
reCects understanding of the job duties. Ieeds additional
training or practice to meet standards.
+inimally Acceptable $ (mployee meets some of the essential
functions# but has not demonstrated mastery of all job
re3uirements.
+eets Standards $ (mployee has little or no difculty applying
the technical/knowledge re3uirements of the position to perform
in a fully competent manner.
E/ceeds Standards $ (mployee often e,ceeds standards in
some aspects of the job# and fully and consistently meets
standards in all remaining aspects.
utstandin" $ (mployee possesses and applies a depth of job
knowledge that makes the job look easy. %ontinually enhances
knowledge and skills through self$study and structured training.
7entors other employees# as appropriate.
Errors in Performance Evaluation of Employee
Scorin" Errors
1coring is inaccurate when the manager rates too many performance
objectives on one part of the rating scale $$ high# middle or low $$ without
basing the ratings on concrete data or knowledge. *f a manager rates the
employee in the middle of the scoring scale $$ meets e,pectations $$ on GH
percent or more of the objectives# the scoring is probably inaccurate#
according to information from >estern >ashington 'niversity5s performance
manual. *f more than 2H percent of your ratings are at the high end of the
scale# you may be rating too easily. *f more than 2H percent are located at
the low end# you may be rating too harshly. 7anagers can avoid inaccurate
scoring trends by basing ratings on their knowledge of an employee5s actual
performance gathered through recorded data or personal observations.
*ecency
Focusing only on recent performance within the evaluation period is a
common error in performance evaluations. For e,ample# a manager should
not consider only an employee5s performance within the last three months
during an annual evaluation. +he entire period of employee performance
must be evaluated or the evaluation risks inaccuracy.
Contrast Errors
*f a manager focuses on a stereotype $$ due to race# religion# age or
se,ual orientation $$ when rating# a contrast error results. (ach employee5s
performance# not his background# characteristics or lifestyle# should be
rated. 2lso# a contrast error can result when two employees with similar
performances are compared. +he error occurs when the manager rates one
employee lower than the other because the manager likes the other
employee better. .iving ratings based on an employee5s traits or likability#
rather than her performance# 3uali4es as job discrimination# which can lead
to legal claims and other complications.
Similarity Errors
7anagers sometimes rate employees more favorably if the employees
consistently perform job functions in the same style or by using the same
process as they do. *nstead# managers should focus on the outcome $$
whether the employee was able to achieve the desired results in an
acceptable way.
Annual vs. n"oin" *evie$s
7any managers conduct annual reviews instead of investing the time
in ongoing reviews. 2nnual reviews must cover 12 months of performance#
while ongoing reviews focus on smaller blocks of time. 2 manager
conducting an annual review can fail to address problematic issues that
occurred 1H months prior to the review# which doesn5t help the employee
understand how to improve his performance in those areas. >ith ongoing
reviews# managers can discuss performance goals and ofer feedback in a
timely manner to help improve the employee5s performance on the Cy.
Insu0cient &istenin"
Iot listening is a characteristic of poor interviewing skills $$ one of the
1H most common errors of performance appraisals $$ according to
information on the "elmont 'niversity website. Iot only is the manager5s job
to deliver feedback to an employee regarding performance# she should also
listen. (mployees have the right to respond to the information presented to
them during a performance evaluation. +hey may have 3uestions or
concerns about the feedback you provide. 2fter listening to an employee5s
response# you may 4nd he was justi4ed in his actions. ?ou also may decide to
alter the results of the evaluation. *f you dominate the evaluations and don5t
stop and listen to what your employees have to say# the employee may feel
undervalued and misunderstood.
.e"ative Approac%
1ometimes managers begin a performance evaluation with a negative
slant. erhaps the employee has failed to apply managerial feedback. 6r
maybe her performance hasn5t been as good as it was in the past. (ven
though you should address negative issues# don5t start the review with them.
2cting negative from the start can put the employee on the defensive.
Positive Generali1ations
2n employee who is always willing to volunteer for e,tra work and
undesirable tasks may make your life easier. 8owever# he may not perform
well in some areas of his job. 7anagers who focus on the fact that an
employee e,ceeds e,pectations in one single area can overgenerali<e the
true performance of the employee. +his happens when a manager rates
other areas of an employee5s performance highly based on one thing the
employee does well.
.e"ative Generali1ations
erhaps an employee ignores your advice and completes tasks her own
way $$ often with poor results. 2n employee5s unprofessional behavior in one
area can negatively inCuence unrelated areas during a performance
evaluation. +he key to success is to evaluate areas of performance
separately.