Performing better at the workplace brings you many fruitful results. You get a performance appraisal from your organisation. These appraisals can be an increment in salary or a monthly bonus. Now, the question is how to implement the traditional methods of appraisals. Different organisations employ different methods to measure the performance of their employees. No standard method exists in today’s world. Anyway, today’s topic is all about this. It will discuss all the traditional methods of a performance appraisal. In addition to that, an explanation of the best method will also be there. So, stay tuned and do not go anywhere. Let’s start our discussion by explaining the performance appraisal first.
The term performance appraisal refers to a regular check of an employee’s performance. It also measures the overall contribution of an employee to the company. Often termed as an annual review, it also allows the managers to look into the employee’s skills, achievements and growth. Performance appraisal is important because;
- It keeps the employees satisfied and motivated for their jobs
- This helps in figuring out the need for training and development
- Improves communication between employees and managers
This was a brief introduction to performance appraisal and its importance. Now, let’s discuss all the traditional methods of this appraisal one by one which will help you;
What Are The Traditional Methods Of Performance Appraisal?
Appraisal of performance is very common in today’s society. Parents evaluate their children, teachers assess their students and companies praise their employees. Every researcher categorises those methods differently. Some are modern, while some of them are traditional. A brief description of the traditional methods is as follows as shared by experts of Affordable Dissertation UK;
1. Ranking method
The first and the oldest known method is the ranking method. The employer ranks all the employees based on some scale and then appraises them. This method moves on from the highest to the lowest ranked members. One particular employee is compared with all other employees, and the employer gives them some rank. Typically, the rank score lies between 1 to 10. A score of 1 shows the most dedicated employee of the organisation. Besides its easiness, there are also some limitations of this method.
Limitations
- It does not tell how much better an employee is than others
- This easy method turns into a difficult one upon ranking a large number of employees
- It does not account for behavioural traits, which makes the ranking difficult
2. Paired comparison
The second method of performance appraisal is paired comparison. In this method, the employer compares one employee with the other one-on-one. The basis of this traditional method is usually a trait or characteristic. The employer has two sheets of paper in front of him, and he rates the two individuals. Based on his views, he ticks and marks some check-list points in the sheets. A single worker is considered multiple times until a better employee crosses him. This is how this method moves on.
Limitations
- The method becomes unwieldy upon a large number of people
- The large combinations make it a bit confusing and difficult
3. Check-list method
It is the easiest and most common method of performance appraisals. Many organisations still use this method to evaluate their employees. In this method, the HR (human resource) department of a particular organisation develops a list of questions and answers in the form of Yes or No. The employer calls the individuals in and judges them based on those questions.
For example, one question can be, “Is the employee regular?” The answer to this question is either Yes or No. If the employee is regular, he will enjoy appraisal; otherwise, he will not. Thus, it is the most common and easy method to do.
4. Critical incidents method
This method is more or less the same as the check-list method with a few modifications. It is a three-step method of performance appraisal. The employer prepares a list of noteworthy on-the-job behaviour characteristics in the first step. Later, in the second stage, the experts of those jobs assign the ratings and some evaluating numbers to those traits. The final step involves the appraisal of the employees based on those points. So, this is the method of critical incidents in performance evaluation and appraisals.
Which among these is the best traditional method of performance appraisal?
Nowadays, many modern methods of appraisal of performance are in use. Of course, they are better than traditional methods. But here I will only talk about traditional ones. The check-list method is one of the most popular and simple-to-apply methods of performance appraisal. It encompasses a wide range of employee traits and qualities among all traditional methods. The range of questions that you can ask is very astounding. This method can measure every characteristic aspect of an employee. For example, it allows to measure the punctuality trait of an employee by asking regularity questions. All in all, the check-list method is the best traditional method.
How is performance appraisal implemented?
Implementation of a performance appraisal system is very simple. Below are some of the guidelines written by dissertation writers in the UK that can help you;
- Discuss the questions and answers with the employer first. In a company, it is the HR that has the only authority. So, to implement the system, he must consult with the employer and seek his guidance on questions.
- Prepare a diverse range of questions that can measure the behavioural as well as personality traits of an employee. The value-based question can also be a nice addition.
- Delegate the performance appraisal system to the employees. It will help your company a lot. The pre-informed employees will work with more motivation and enthusiasm. So, it will bring betterment to the employees.
Conclusion
Preparing and implementing a performance appraisal system is very easy. All you need to have is a defined set of goals and objectives with clear questions in mind. In addition to that, you must also know about different methods of performance appraisal, i.e., both the traditional and modern. You can look for modern methods on the internet.