Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 6, 1994 TAG: 9402040291
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: F-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY FRED A. SCHNEYER KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
But, in an age when quality control and customer service are keys to survival, there is widespread agreement that organizations must have an effective system for measuring workers' performance and for guiding their improvement.
Without it, say executives and management experts, it is much harder to make a profit in the face of tough competition.
That's why 1994 finds many companies searching for a better worker-evaluation system. What they're looking for: one that more accurately measures a person's achievements without becoming a punitive weapon that does little but drive away experienced workers.
Not only are executives studying how frequently the evaluations should be performed, they are trying to decide what questions need to be asked and who should be doing the asking.
"I think we're seeing a renewed interest in building quality people, and the only way you're going to do that is to have a culture where people are comfortable talking to each other and understanding mutual goals and getting some feedback about their performance," said John Perry Thomas, managing partner of Thomas Howell Ferguson, an accounting firm in Tallahassee, Fla.
And while traditional evaluations involve a supervisor rating an employee, many companies are taking a hard look at a newly emerging type of evaluation.
In this "360-degree evaluation," employees not only get rated by their supervisors, but also by their peers and customers. In some cases, the worker even evaluates the supervisor.
"You want an evaluation procedure that encourages people, encourages teamwork and boosts morale," said Edgar Hickman, professor of management science and statistics at the University of South Carolina.
While there's little doubt that a compassionate evaluation system helps boost morale, executives and management experts agreed that a well-designed evaluation system also is an important quality control.
Here's why: If a company can help individuals avoid pitfalls, the overall company improves its ability to satisfy customers, the experts say.
Using evaluations as a tool for improvement is important these days because many companies are changing the way they do business - known by its popular title of "re-engineering."
Among other things, they are creating worker teams and combining jobs to increase productivity.
If effective evaluations are so important in today's workplace, why do employees hate getting them and supervisors dread giving them?
The executives and experts say the answer is clear: Ill-trained supervisors often badly execute badly designed evaluation procedures.
Common evaluation glitches include:
Doing them too infrequently and often as a substitute for routine conversations between supervisor and worker about the worker's performance.
Focusing on the employee's latest activities rather than on the whole rating period. Florida State University management professor Pamela Perrewe and colleagues William Anthony and Michele Kacmar label this the "recency effect."
That's why many companies now do them twice yearly or quarterly and encourage supervisors to have informal monthly meetings with each employee as well.
Using evaluation forms that often include vaguely worded questions that rely too heavily on the supervisor's subjective judgment.
"The more objective the [supervisor's] statements and the evaluations are, the more likely employees will feel that they're being treated with respect and dignity," said Jeff Ladd, manager of human resources at Sprint/United Telephone in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
Some supervisors focus too heavily on workers' shortcomings rather than recognizing their achievements and then offering constructive suggestions for improvement.
"I think it's important to talk [in an evaluation] about what the employee does well and why," said Perrewe, chairman of the management department at the FSU College of Business. "If they're doing well in a particular area, it's a wonderful opportunity to point out their strengths and weaknesses and how to improve those weaknesses."
Finally, say the executives and management experts, companies need to make certain that evaluations aren't being used as a weapon in a war of wills between supervisor and employee.
"The idea behind the evaluation is not to punish the employee, not to criticize the employee, but to help the employee do a better job," said Kevin Korner, senior vice president for human resources at the Tallahassee Memorial Regional Medical Center.
\ TIPS FOR SUPERVISORS\ HERE'S HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE EVALUATION\ \ Don't let a periodic written evaluation replace routine conversations between you and your employees about their job performance. Do informal reviews with experienced employees every few months and monthly with those newly hired.
\ Give the employee advance notice of the evaluation.
\ Present your "bottom line" early in the conversation so the employee can have the proper context for the rest of the conversation.
\ Focus most heavily on the employee's strengths. Make clear that you recognize the person's achievements throughout the evaluation period.
\ Don't get caught up in personality conflicts. Instead, focus on the worker's job output.
\ Be specific about where the employee needs to improve. If possible, include suggestions on achieving improved performance - classes to take, books to read, etc.
\ If you have a long list of needed improvements, select the most important ones to discuss with the employee.
\ Use open-ended questions to encourage the employee to participate in the evaluation. Have the person help set specific and achievable goals.
\ Be honest with the employee about his or her strengths and weaknesses.
\ Try to end on a positive note.\ \ \ TIPS FOR EMPLOYEES\ WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE YOUR NEXT EVALUATION A GOOD ONE\ \ Routinely seek suggestions and comments from your supervisor. Don't wait to be handed a written evaluation. "Employees ought to ask periodically how they're doing if they're not sure," said Karen Grabow, vice president for human resources of Target Stores.
\ Don't become overly emotional in the evaluation meeting. "Be ready to hear positives and negatives but try not to be defensive," said Kevin Korner, senior vice president for human resources at Tallahassee Memorial Regional Medical Center.
\ Be ready to discuss your own professional development goals and be able to show how you plan to achieve them.
\ Before leaving the evaluation meeting, make certain you clearly understand your supervisor's expectations.
\ Source Interviews and the book, "Strategic Human Resource Management" by William P. Anthony, Pamela L. Perrewe and K. Michele Kacmar, Florida State University, College of Business.
by CNB