Methods for Performance Appraisal

Employee performance is the result of work that has been accomplished by an employee, and usually any work result will be evaluated with the standards that have been set previously.

Assessment, then, will be needed so that employees in a company can provide the best work results. Thus, the performance appraisal is done to evaluate the job performance of each employee, especially in relation to predetermined targets.

After the performance appraisal is done, there will be either a reward or punishment will be given to employees. Performance appraisal, therefore, is a legitimate part of every organization, which in essence been integrated into HR Management.

Employees play crucial role within the lifeline of every company and organization, and that’s why they need evaluation from HR manager. The evaluation aiming to measure the whole performance of the individual that works for a particular company. Generally speaking, every performance appraisal is done with the intention to record employee performance. The record, in the end, will be used to decide whether the employees deserve either punishment or reward. So basically, the result of performance appraisal will be used to evaluate the quality of employees and how far they push themselves in certain working environment.

Methods of appraisal varies and were included 10 methods such as essay evaluation, graphic rating scales, behaviorally anchored rating scales, critical incident method, performance ranking method, weighted checklist, behavioral observation scales, paired comparison analysis, 360 degree performance appraisal, and forced distribution (of ranking). A company that takes out such a method as graphic rating scales uses a specific form to checks off the level of performance of an employee. This method is best known as the most and the oldest one, which used widely for performance appraisal. The next method, essay evaluation, is used to describe weaknesses and strengths of an employee’s behavior. You could say that it is non-quantitative technique, which in essence used together with graphic rating scales.

Aside graphic rating scales, such a method as performance ranking has also been used widely. A company may carry out this method to decide who has best performance, and who has the worst. So basically, rating is used to compare one to another employee. Specific behavior of employees could be used as assessment factor as well, in which the critical incident techniques and rating scale will be combined together, in order to evaluate employees’ behavior. When the manager decides to use critical incident techniques, s/he needs to write down negative and positive performance behavior of employees. A lot more techniques need to be explained, and we will try to tell you more about them.

By applying such a method as weighted checklist, the manager will be listing a large one, descriptive statement about ineffective and effective behavior on jobs. A paired comparison analysis is also used in a good way, involving a wide range of plausible options. Each one of options will be compared against each of the other option within a list. At the end of method, the manager should find the highest score, which becomes the most preferred options. In another option such as behavioral observation scales, the manager uses frequency rating of critical incidents which has performed by employees.

For the employer, the employee’s performance appraisal will provide the following benefits: (1) as an input to management, (2) improve the monitoring system, (3) a means to increase job satisfaction, (4) a means to recognize the characteristics, weaknesses, and strengths of each employee; (5) as a medium of communication between superiors and subordinates. As for companies, there are also various benefits of performance appraisal, among others: (1) improve the quality of the company, (2) improving the performance of employees, (3) as a medium of communication, (4) as input to determine the type of training or training needed by employees. Performance appraisal provides a lot more benefits for the employer, as it can be a means to recognize individual weaknesses and strengths.

Performance Appraisal at McDonalds

Some of you might be asking about performance appraisal of a specific company, therefore we would like to explain to you what’s going on at McDonalds. Unfortunately, we found very little source of information that capable of providing such kind of information. However, we do believe that McDonalds have been using graphic rating scales to make their appraisal system works nicely. The reason why we believe in such thing was because the characteristic of such method, which is used widely by different companies. Yes indeed, that method will be worked nicely because it is simple, yet can be done without much effort – so the method is eventually simpler than any other method.

However, we also believe in another thought: that McDonalds may not use one method of appraisal only. Nevertheless, we cannot find any information that would have been confirmed that guess of ours in a clear way.

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