by Nancy Rathbun Scott
Why do employee evaluations? For one thing, if done properly, employee evaluations impart a sense of teamwork and communications. For another, proper employee evaluations help a manager:
1. Take a personal inventory of talent, training, experience, achievement.
2. Provide a format for disciplined and purposeful discussion of the value and potential of each individual.
3. Prompt the manager and employee to think in terms of joint goals that relate directly to the position and the individual.
4. Provide undivided attention and rapport otherwise impossible in the course of business and to anticipate each others' needs and expectations before problems develop.
5. Promote communication and detailed understanding and to air concerns and address joint goals.
6. Help determine the appropriate career path for the employee and provide a rational basis for job status and compensation decisions.
7. Affirm the relationship between performance and compensation and to define specific ways the employee can maintain and enhance value to the organization.
Sample Evaluation Items
Employers may wish to develop a chart like the following, which can be completed independently by both employee and manager before the review. A comparison of the result provides an excellent basis for discussion.
ACCURACY is correctness of work performed; a habit of precision.
makes frequent errors careless; error prone normally accurate precise most of the time almost faultless
LOYALTY is demonstrated concern for the well-being of the company and its employees; discretion, cooperation, trustworthiness, pride.
frequently disloyal casual, erratic concern reliable loyalty notable loyalty absolute devoted loyalty
CLIENT RELATIONS is the way an individual projects a positive company image to customers. It may include courtesy and concern for clients' problems, efficient and orderly completion of tasks, good on-site housekeeping, prompt and accurate response to inquiries-in short, anything which affects how a client feels about the company.
alienates clients; repeated problems tends to miss opportunities; or doesn't follow through normally good service very successful client relations leaves especially good impression
DEPENDABILTY is stable, competent performance in daily work; self-control under pressure; consistent progress in meeting the challenges of the job.
undependable record falls short of expectation normal dependability very dependable exceptionally reliable even under pressure
PERSONAL APPEARANCE is the personal impression made on others; it includes fitness, cleanliness, grooming, appropriate attire.
unkempt or poor choice in dress sometimes careless about appearance satisfactory appearance consistently careful and tasteful unusually excellent habits and taste
PERSONALITY is sociability and behavioral suitability for the job; it promotes friendly and effective interaction with other people.
abrasive or aloof approachable, not always easily friendly and personable very sociable and warm exceptional personality for the job
PRODUCTIVITY is a measure of effectiveness or quantity of accomplishment in a day's work; it is judged relative to a person's knowledge, skills, experience and compensation in a particular job.
definitely not productive does the minimum required satisfactory accomplishment industrious and does more than required superior production record
Nancy Rathbun Scott is a business writer living in the Washington, D.C. area. She can be reached at author@nancyscott.com. Visit www.nancyscott.com for more information.
@2004 Nancy Scott