Performance Evaluation: Advantages & Disadvantages

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Table of Contents

Abstract
Introduction
Traits of an Effective Manager
Profile of Managers Failing Performance Evaluations
Successful Employee Evaluation Process
References

Abstract

There is a great extent of opposition exhibited by not only workers but also managers who perform performance evaluations. For example, such procedures usually imply pointing out the tedious or unproductive aspects of work, which leads to negative feedback. Furthermore, assessments require extra work, such as formal discussions, forms, and prescribed processes that take excessive amounts of time. To be effective, managers have to prepare for performance evaluations better and listen to the needs of their employees when setting both qualitative and quantitative goals.

Introduction

Performance evaluations have long been used for determining the degree of success achieved by employees at organizations. Overall, despite the positive intentions, performance evaluations do not live to their intent, which explains why both employees and managers may be opposed to their implementation. This paper will focus on exploring the question of why some managers are against performance evaluations to reveal how the process can be improved.

Traits of an Effective Manager

Effective managers operating in organizational settings usually assume leadership positions as they are responsible for ensuring that businesses are functioning successfully. Those people in leadership roles who understand their staff and support them are more likely to maintain happy and loyal employees who bring value to the companies in which their work. Thus, the first important trait of an effective manager refers to understanding the importance of workers (Crawshaw, Budhwar, & Davis, 2017). Clear communication and listening skills also allow managers to be effective because workers must understand what is expected from them while leaders should know what their employees expect from their companies. The delegation of responsibilities represents an essential trait for effective leaders because good managers can break down large projects into smaller sections and divide them between employees. However, delegation requires a high degree of trust. Therefore, instead of micromanaging, an effective leader allows his or her workers to do the job successfully.

Getting to know employees on a much more personal level than usually is essential because of the need to understand what they want to achieve from their jobs. Effective leaders find out whether their employees would like to ascent leadership ladders to determine whether mentorship or training is needed. While some workers may want to have flexible hours to combine personal and professional life, others may be more attracted to new office equipment and additional amenities. The job of a manager is to determine the approach that suits workers to ensure that employees are as efficient as they can be.

Finally, it is essential to mention transparency as one of the most essential qualities of a manager. Individuals in leadership positions who are open about their intentions and communicate them clearly to their employees are more likely to be perceived positively in organizational settings. When workers believe that they are being misled and their managers are not honest, they are more likely to resist change, be less proactive, as well as contribute to disruptions in business operations. Being transparent means earning respect, and all managers need to be respected to lead organizations in desired directions.

Profile of Managers Failing Performance Evaluations

Despite a high degree of opposition to performance evaluations, it is important to note that some managers may be more likely to struggle with them than others. The profile of managers who may have issues with performance evaluations is associated with the opinion that such procedures do not matter. Regardless of the challenges, performance evaluations ensure that both managers and employees are on the ‘same page’ in regards to organizational goals. Thus, managers who do not communicate clearly with their workers cannot adequately measure results against expectations.

Besides, those managers who wait until evaluations to give feedback are less likely to be successful in measuring employee performance. While evaluations have a clear purpose, they should not be used instead of ongoing feedback that workers should receive throughout the year. Performance evaluations should not be surprising for workers, which is why managers must ensure that feedback is given regularly. Another important point to mention is that managers that put off performance evaluations are less effective in measuring workers’ performance. Procrastination associated with such measurements shows workers that their managers do not pay enough attention to their success, which decreases work commitment.

Managers who struggle with performance evaluations are often neglectful of the results that employees show. Instead of focusing on the question of what results are workers getting, ineffective managers center on how the work is done. Therefore, it is problematic that leaders overlook the importance of workers’ professional development and skill-building when it comes to performance evaluations. In addition, managers who are not being direct about problem areas of organizations regularly are more likely to struggle with evaluations. If there are any concerns about certain areas of business, the findings should be included in assessments regardless of how comfortable managers are with communicating the results.

Finally, the lack of direction and specifics during appraisals leads to issues with performance evaluations. Managers who are too general in their feedback regarding employees’ performance are less likely to perform evaluations effectively because workers will not have a clear understanding of what is needed from them to improve. This means that effective managers must be more proactive in making direct and concrete statements about performance.

Successful Employee Evaluation Process

Based on the discussion above, several recommendations can be made as to how to develop a successful employee evaluation. Reviews should not be dreadful, which is why efficient preparation and strategic planning are needed. For example, in a successful evaluation process, managers often allow employees to lead the discussion (Leonard & Trusty, 2016). This ensures that workers show an understanding of their responsibilities and the results that they have achieved within a given period. When preparing for performance evaluations, goal setting is essential fur to the need to ensure that clear expectations are set. The method of assessments is also important to determine because while some may look at the quality of work, others may set quantitative measures. Also, workers should be aware of the performance review format to ensure that employees are not surprised by the end of the performance period.

Workers need to understand that if the results they show are what was expected, they will be considered performing employees. The evaluation form presented below shows (Figure 1) correlations between organizational objectives and criteria with the help of which workers are assessed. For example, one of the goals is to promote the environment of collaboration and teamwork within an organization, which is why it is imperative to evaluate workers’ dedication efforts, cooperation, communication, and teamwork qualities.

Figure 1. Performance evaluation form (“General performance evaluation form,” n.d.).

References

Crawshaw, J., Budhwar, P., & Davis, A. (2017). Human resource management: Strategic and international perspectives (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

General performance evaluation form [Image]. (n.d.). Web.

Leonard, E., & Trusty, K. (2016). Supervision: Concepts and practices of management (13th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

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