Employees appreciate feedback and there is a vast amount of research that has been conducted by sociologists all over the world to demonstrate this fact. Another well known fact about employee performance is that when receiving positive reinforcement from time to time, the likelihood that good, productive output will continue. This article will articulate why employee performance evaluations are important and can be used as a great tool to improve your business.
- Annual performance appraisals allow for a supervisor and employee to have a conversation about the goals, required outputs and outcomes, and the assessment of the employee’s overall contributions to the organization. An employee needs to hear their supervisor speak of expectations, performance goals, and upcoming tasks that need to be accomplished. They also need to realize that while they may not always hear positive reinforcement, their hard work is noticed and appreciated.
- Employee performance evaluations should also include pertinent information about professional development opportunities and ways in which the employee can improve. This helps the employee understand that they are valued and that their professional development is important to their current role and to the organization. Employees also appreciate hearing about potential career promotion processes that may be on the horizon. Having a professional goal to work towards is often very motivating for employees. The performance evaluation provides the employee an outlet to express their career aspirations and professional development goals. By providing the employee an outlet to reflect and write about their goals within the workplace, could provide the extra motivation that is needed to accomplish good work in the future. Lastly, because these things are discussed and documented in a formalized meeting, the chances of the employee following through on their commitments are greater than if this did not occur.
- Performance evaluations benefit the company a great deal. One way in which the company benefits is that the documented record that an evaluation of an employee occurred can hold legal and ethical baring should the need arise. Goal setting, feedback, and documentation of performance demonstrates that employees understand what is expected of them and what is required of their behavior while in the workplace. Furthermore, if an employee is lagging behind or failing to successfully complete tasks in a timely manner, the supervisor has the right to discuss this with the employee and put into place a performance improvement plan. This plan will help the employee stay on task and improve in their role. If not, the supervisor will have leverage to have a conversation with the employee about separating from the organization.
Employee evaluations, such as those featured on advancesystemsinc.com, are critical to a healthy workplace environment. Both supervisors and employees benefit from conversations about performance, professional development opportunities, and career aspirations. Should an employee be struggling with the expectations set forth by their supervisor, the evaluation allows for this to be documented in a way that can encourage improved performance. Because of the reasons mentioned in this article, human resources departments consistently require performance appraisals and evaluations to take place at least annually. By investing in your employees’ performance, you are making great contributions to the longevity of your company.
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