The secret to fair and meaningful appraisals

A pre-appraisal meeting would not only allow you to prepare your employee for what is to come (good, bad or ugly), but also have a less formal one-on-one conversation that helps you understand what went well and what went wrong (Image: Shutterstock.com)

Ha! Ha! Ha! Did you say fair appraisals? Serious? Allow me to pause and take a minute to LOL. You know that my boss determines this, right? No? It is actually someone or something else?

While that time of the year is upon us and for some, this is the steady “March” towards doomsday, appraisals do not necessarily have to be all translucent (bordering on opaque!), complicated and full of surprises (read: shocks). It does not have to set an example for what the secret ballot system of voting should aspire to be – a bunch of covert numbers being assigned and ratings being so tightly adjusted that you become no more than a sad digit on a Likert scale!

During an independent study done last year, we realized that over 50% of people who responded to our survey, felt that they could not talk openly in their company about how their appraisals were, while only 50% felt that their appraisals were fair. Over 30% of people were unclear of the process itself and felt that they were being judged. Not surprising that 54% of people felt that they expected more direction from their leaders/bosses during/post appraisal.

Performance appraisal systems across the world tend to be thought of as inadequate, biased and even unnecessary. Regardless of which organization they work in, no matter the industry or the kind of job they do, employees seem to share a mutual dislike for performance appraisals. This unanimous discontent with and loathing of an entire system cannot be rooted simply in the fear of receiving negative feedback. Maybe there really are aspects of the appraisal system that need attention.

Well, following in the footsteps of most organizations who have happily and successfully resolved this dilemma, here’s a simple step: bring in your company values into the appraisal process! After all, company values are not just a list of grand words to be included in a manifesto; they are the very essence of your company’s identity. This is why values hold the key to a fair appraisal process: when you affectively communicate your core values to your employees, you help them understand expectations; when you help them understand how values translate into actions, you define the expected work behaviours. With values, you are able to effectively outline and prepare your workforce for what will be expected during appraisals and they in turn, are not left in the dark with respect to what will be expected of them. It’s a win-win situation!

I suppose what I’m trying to say here is: don’t leave your employees hanging before the appraisals even appear on the horizon. Effective feedback works best in small, well-timed  doses when they are needed and matter the most. As an employer, make sure to engage in year-round conversations and commentaries on performance that can serve as reference points for when the big appraisal day does come around.

Even the greatest leaders falter (often), but they don’t always have the benefit of having someone come up to them and tell them what they are doing wrong and how to go about fixing it (possibly out of fear of speaking ‘out of turn’ or worse, dire consequences). I see that as a great disadvantage. Everyone needs feedback. The world progresses on the basis of feedback! Popular perception might view appraisals as ‘undesired confrontations’, but I believe there is no better opportunity for a working professional to learn strengths, find weaknesses and align what they seek (their potential) with what they have (their current performance).

I find that employers, on the other hand, do not always make the most of this opportunity. If an appraisal process wants to be truly meaningful, it needs to look at performances everywhere, at every level – peers, co-workers, managers – and get perspective on how these performances align and how they can help each other work better. So come appraisal time, make sure there’s enough feedback to go around!

Here’s the last bit I have to share on this matter: In the bid to achieve fair and meaningful appraisals and as effective as all the points I mentioned above are (and they really are effective), there is always scope for improvement. So consider this: if the purpose of an appraisal is to give feedback and make things better, shouldn’t there be an appraisal for the process of appraisal? I believe there should! And who better to give you pointers on how the appraisal process can be improved than the people who are on the other side of the table? Make sure your employees feel free to discuss their appraisal processes, give feedback on their experience and share suggestions on how the process can be improved. It is only fair!