Performance Appraisal Anguish

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Jul 24, 2003

There is probably no wokplace process that troubles both supervisors and subordinates more than giving and receiving periodic performance appraisals. Those responsible for giving performance appraisals often lack the necessary training to administer effective and constructive appraisals, hate to be put in the position of judge, jury, and executioner, and often find excuses to delay the delivery of "bad" news. Those on the receiving end of the appraisal process often become defensive and question the validity and fairness of the process.

For example, a recent worklife survey of 2,600 working people by Mercer Human Resource Consulting revealed that only 33 percent of survey respondents had been given a performance appraisal in the past year and only 29 percent felt they had been rewarded for good performance. The survey also found that 42 percent of survey respondents reported being given regular feedback on their performance, 29 percent reported that poor performers were properly managed, and only 26 percent said they worked for managers who coached them on how to improve their performance.

These skeptics are not alone! Dr. W. Edwards Deming, the late American quality guru credited with being responsible for the "miracle" of Japan following World War II and a vocal critic of performance appraisals, once wrote, "In practice, annual ratings are a disease, annihilating long-term planning, demobilizing teamwork, nourishing rivalry and politics, leaving people bitter, crushed, bruised, battered, desolate, despondent, unfit for work for weeks after receipt of rating, unable to comprehend why they are inferior..." Asked what could posibly replace performance appraisals, Dr. Deming said, "leadership!" To learn more about Dr. Deming, his background and thoughts, visit the W. Edwards Deming Institute at www.deming.org.

Despite the fact that those responsible for giving performance appraisals, and those of the receiving end of performance appraisals, suspect that the process is flawed, juries hearing wrongful discharge suits aren't so sure! According to Columbia Southern University's Certified Employment Law Specialist (CELS) study guide, "Jury studies have found that the most significant factor in a juror's determination of an employee's performance is past performance evaluations." Without being armed with documents that attest to the appropriatness of a contested employment action, defending that action before a jury of the plaintiff's peers is difficult or impossible. To learn more about Columbia Southern University's CELS course, visit www.columbiasouthern.edu.

As a result of legal and functional concerns, corporate America continues to be wedded to the idea that periodic performance appraisals are a necessary part of the employee evaluation process that determines retention, compensation, and career advancement. So, if we're stuck with the process, evaluators, as well as those being evaluated, should take every opportunity to ensure that the process accomplishes what it's supposed to accomplish. But before continuing, here's a true story of a performance appraisal process failure.

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The copyright of the article Performance Appraisal Anguish in Workplace Issues is owned by Ronald J. Rakowski. Permission to republish Performance Appraisal Anguish in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.