Appraisal process

What is the importance of appraisal process in an organization especially in service oriented industry? The expectations in service oriented industry are very high and cruel! The levels of expectations rise higher and higher with every delivery which in turm means that an organization is able to provide high quality output to meet the service needs of the customers. This clearly implies for the establishment of the process to recognise the employees of high calibre and competence wich in turn calls for performace appraisal process.

While many people view the performance appraisal process as beginning after 6 or 12 months of employment and view it as a review of how the employee has performed for the previous period, a successful performance management process should begin during the hiring process. It continues as an ongoing cycle from recruitment, through hiring, orientation, and goal setting and on to performance appraisal and evaluation.

In the initial stages, all employees must identify the short-term and long-term goals for the year ahead. They must sit with their mentor or supervisers and try to match the expectations of the organization with their skill sets. The byproduct of this process will be also self-recognition of the limitations or the weaknesses. This process should hence be identified as a collaborative tool to bridge the gap between a employee role and profile as against his capabilities. Approrpriate induction and orientation will also guide them to focus their energies and identfication of the core valus of their job profiles.

The annual performance appraisal can be done in two steps. First, an employee completes a self assessment and then the secondly their mentor/manager/supervisor completes the performance appraisal form.Once this process is over both the parties invovled should compare the assessment forms. The baseline in these assessment forms should be the first assessment form filled by the employee. All the short-term and long-term goals identified by the employee at the time of joining should be reviewed together by the employee and the manager.

The appraisal form, used by the employee and the manager, consists of performance standards and criteria that are used to judge and evaluate employee's performance. The items comprising of employee's job description are usually the performance standards that are used in their annual appraisal.