A Strategy for Maximizing the Use of Human Resources

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Benefits of Performance Appraisal Systems within an Organization
Evaluation of Teams within an Organization
Concept of Succession Planning with an Organization
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Employees’ surveys indicate that they have not received regular performance evaluations. As a result, they have complained about lack of regular performance appraisal system. Therefore, the management have pointed out that there should be a clear process of assessing work teams which are important components for the organizational success. For that matter, this is a report that is prepared to address the last board meeting of directors concern on how to implement a succession planning on employee appraisal.

Consequently, this report covers five major areas that address employees’ appraisal. These areas include benefits of performance appraisal systems within an organization. Secondly, the report discusses evaluation teams within an organization. Thirdly, the concept of succession planning is extensively covered. Lastly the report provides a summary in which key points are reiterated

Benefits of Performance Appraisal Systems within an Organization

Employees’ appraisal in the organization has several benefits accrued from the process. Whenever a successful performance appraisal of employees is contacted in the organization, there are usually numerous optimal results that are accrued from the process. One of the optimal results is that it offers a golden opportunity for both the subordinate and the supervisor to address important work related issues that might be affecting employees at the work place.

This is so since appraisal process provides a golden opportunity for the stakeholders to focus on the set goals in order to identify the achievements obtained. Also, it makes it possible to address the available problems on in the organizational to facilitate its improvement. Moreover, Stephen (2005) noted that employees’ appraisal provides recognition to these employees for their work efforts. This recognition acts as an incentive for social power since employees feel appreciated thus acting as a motivational factor.

Additionally, employee performance offers the best opportunity for training and development of the workforce. Depending on the results of the appraisal, the management is able to determine training and development needs of its workforce. Therefore, the organization is able to plan for training and development of its employees thus contributing positively to performance effectiveness.

Moreover, performance appraisal of employees also results to an optimal result of employee evaluation which is usually one of the core objectives of carrying out this exercise. The optimal result of the process is to evaluate performance of employees so as to get ways of developing them to ensure that there is continuous improvement in the organization processes that relate to employees’ performance.

On the other hand, the benefits of performance appraisal of employees can also be viewed in various forms. These include organizational perspectives and employees’ perspectives.

In respect to organizational perspective, an optimal result of performance appraisal is an indicator of improved performance in the organization as a result of increased sense of loyalty and cohesiveness. On the other hand, Stephen (2005) noted that on the part of the employee in this case, he or she is given a platform to discuss their aspirations in order to achieve their personal targets.

However, there are pre-appraisal activities that ensure that there are performance appraisal processes that are beneficial to both the employee and the organization at large. For that matter, these activities are usually future oriented where they aim to gain optimal results in future organization’s employee performance.

One of the most important activities of this process is the management by objective. In this approach, both the employee and the employer usually collaborate to set goals to be achieved in the short term and long term durations. For that reason, management by objectives is a goal oriented approach with the sole aim of ensuring continuous improvement in the organization’s processes. Therefore, this mechanism provides parameters which provides basis for employees appraisal.

In addition, it is acknowledged by Luis and others (2011) that past oriented activities are also pre-appraisal activities that are instituted by an organization to ensure that its appraisal exercise achieves optimal results. For example, evaluation based on characteristics checklist forms the basis for an appraisal exercise that can lead to optimal results. Checklists such as attitude, attendance and dependability are some of the issues that are checked to ensure that performance appraisal results to continuous improvement.

Moreover, past appraisal review is also one activity that is done to ensure that the program yields optimal results. This past review provides past performance in the exercise and establishes the goals and objectives that were set in the past exercise that needs to achieved in the forthcoming exercise. Therefore, by doing so, it ensures that optimal results are obtained.

However, there exists several post appraisal mechanisms that are applied to ensure that the appraisal system achieves the desired results. For instance, communicating performance after an appraisal process aid in delivering performance of employees in respect to their appraisal. This is an important activity since it enables employees to reflect on their performance. This helps them to improve on their performance hence resulting to management effectiveness in the organization.

Conversely, when providing feedback of this performance appraisal, there is some likelihood that things might go the wrong way in the organization. For instance, it is believed by Luis and others (2011) that the receptive of the result is likely to be unfriendly if the result of the performance appraisal have some negative elements.

Employees are likely to be critical of the results as long as their performance is below the expected mark. Therefore, the performance appraisal process is likely to be criticized and be framed as a poorly done process just to discredit it.

Nonetheless, to curb these problems, a manager is expected to take some precautions while delivering a performance appraisal for optimal value. Importantly, the manager is expected to prepare his or her employees to understand the fact that the results of the appraisal is only meant to help them and the organization to attain continuous improvement.

Secondly, the manager should also make it clear that the result of the appraisal process will never be used as a yardstick for victimization rather than as an avenue for their improvement in the workplace. These steps are vital in ensuring that there is no employee sabotage that comes as a result of delivering performance appraisal.

Ideally, Stephen (2005) postulated that performance appraisal in the organization is intended to benefit the organization and employees altogether. Therefore, there are some benefits to the company of working with employees to further their career goals.

One of the paramount benefits of this collaboration is that it becomes possible to align employees’ goals and the overall company goals. This makes these two entities to be in harmony in their operation environment hence providing a cordial working environment that is healthy for continuous improvement of the organization.

Evaluation of Teams within an Organization

Evaluation of teams within an organization is just like individual evaluation process that is intended to meet continuous improvement in organizational processes. Therefore, the standards that guide evaluation of teams must focus on customer satisfaction and results. For that matter, teams must be rated based on customer satisfaction and the ambitious goals of the organization.

For instance, to be an outstanding team, customers must continuously provide positive customer feedback. Moreover, these teams must consistently be working towards improvement of processes in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness of their operations. Therefore, Susan and others (2000) postulated that in order to attain an outstanding performance, the team must significantly boost effectiveness and efficiency that are paramount to clients’ satisfaction.

Therefore, in evaluating teams in the organization, there is need to develop an appraisal scheme that entails organization’s standards of excellence. These standards include skills and knowledge of the job, interpersonal relationships and teamwork, reliability and dependability, flexibility and adaptability in the working environment and most importantly, work performance.

For that matter, assessing team performance should therefore keep in mind these key standards. In addition, processes that are critical to the team must be evaluated to establish their performance.

Moreover, Susan and others (2000) opined that when assessing team performance, it is relatively important to check for the role fit in the team. Ideally, every member in the team has a role. For that matter, every role of the team member must be evaluated to gauge whether their role in the team fits their skills and knowledge and whether they are capable for performing these roles.

In addition, performance reviews of the team must be regularly conducted to ensure that organizational goals and objectives are being met in the team. Moreover, in the team assessment, every member must be must be given an opportunity to contribute about teamwork issues. This is an important aspect of group evaluation since it gives a sense of belonging of group members which is a critical ingredient in promoting continuous improvement in the organization.

Therefore, it should be a strategy for the company to regularly perform team evaluation exercise. However, this process should encompass a multifaceted programme that is appropriate for effectiveness and efficiency appraisal program for the organization. For that matter, the appraiser should enable the team members to personally identify the outcomes of their own work and not rely on the second or third party for providing results of their work.

Secondly, the evaluation programme must be based on performance measures of the team members. This should put into consideration what has happened, what has changed, what has advanced and what has improved in a team for a specific period of time. This approach is intended to make sure that there is a continued improvement in the team in respect to the changing needs of the organization.

Thirdly, it is also important that the appraiser identifies what every individual member contributes in the team. The success of teamwork is usually dependant on the contributions of each individual member thus their individual efforts are relatively important. However, when assessing individual efforts in the group, the outcomes of all members must be accumulated to come up with teamwork results.

Fourthly, regular reviews of teamwork must be undertaken after a specific period of time. These reviews must be undertaken regularly to ensure that the team’s performance remains on course. The review must focus on the results of the teamwork in order to identify problems and successes. This provides a benchmark for grading performance of the team.

However, according to Susan and others (2000), there are differences that exist between evaluating team performance and individual performance. To begin with, these two processes are different in terms of parameters that are used in evaluation. For individual evaluation, job description becomes the basis of assessment. This is contrary to team evaluation since it is the goals that were set to be attained by the team that becomes the basis for assessment.

Secondly, another difference in evaluation relates to the outcomes. The outcome of the team is determined by all members of the team. For instance, a competent individual in the team might be affected by non-functional team. This is common in instances where a tam is comprised b incompetent members.

However, an incompetent team member may be evaluated as a good performer as a result of functional and competent team members (Tansley & Newll, 2007). Nevertheless, on individual evaluation, an individual takes full responsibility of his or her own performance.

Lastly, individual assessment has a direct correlation to compensation. For instance, an individual who performs well in the performance appraisal is likely to benefit form benefits such as salary increase, bonuses and promotion. On the other hand, it is relatively impossible to provide these benefits to all team members based on team evaluation. Moreover, team members will complain whenever some of the team members are selectively rewarded as a result of teamwork evaluation.

Concept of Succession Planning with an Organization

Additionally, it is relatively important to develop a succession plan within an organization to facilitate performance appraisal. This process of succession planning ensures that there is competent workforce in the organization so that no vacuum is created when some of the personnel leave the organization (Tansley & Newll, 2007). For that matter, there are several reasons as to why an organization should adopt a succession plan in their operations.

To begin with, one of the major reasons for adopting this plan is to forecast the future needs of the organization. Succession planning helps to identify future needs and requirements of the organization and as a result prepares for these needs. For instance, the organization can benefit from the plan when they lose an incumbent of a certain line since the replacement is automatically done.

In addition, the plan ensures that the organization is better placed in terms of its human resource management since balanced scorecards are well planned for. These balanced scorecards are critical in ensuring management effectiveness in the organization which is key for continuous improvement. For that matter, the key reason for adopting succession planning is to guarantee service delivery to clients.

Therefore, for the succession planning to be successfully used in the company, it is relatively important to incorporate it in the company’s strategic plans. Moreover, it is also advisable to incorporate it in succession plans of the employees training programee.

For that reasons a succession planning process for the company should take a strategic planning approach (Tansley & Newll, 2007). These succession plans should therefore be incorporated in the strategic goals of the organization.

In addition, the planning process must adopt an inclusive approach such that it must incorporate all stakeholders in crafting these plans. Moreover, the top management must actively be involved in order to win their support in the entire process. Lastly, the formulated plan must be communicated effectively in the organization to bring about awareness of the programme.

Conclusion

This paper has covered performance appraisal of employees in the organization by looking at various key issues of this exercise. For instance, it has extensively covered the concept of succession planning within an organization where various related issues have been covered. Moreover, evaluation of teams within an organisation has been extensively covered by looking at related elements. In addition, benefits of performance appraisal systems in the organization have also been extensively discussed.

To wind up, the paper concludes that performance appraisal in the organization is basically applied to ensure that continuous improvement is attained. Therefore, the paper recommends that the Chief Executive Officer and the board of directors of the company should incorporate this performance appraisal plan in the organization’s strategic plans in order to ensure that it is in line with the goals and objectives of the organization. Therefore, it should be implemented alongside strategic plans of the company.

References

Luis, R., David, B. B. & Robert, L. C. (2011). Managing human resources. USA: Prentice Hall.

Stephen, B. (2005). Managing human resources: Personnel management in transition. USA: Blackwell Publishing.

Susan, E. J. & Randall, S. S. (2000). Managing human resources: A partnership perspective. London: South-Western College Publishing.

Tansley, C. & Newll, S. (2007). A Knowledge based view of agenda formation in the development of human resource information systems. Management learning, 38(1), 95-119.

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