Research on Performance Appraisals Reveals New Findings

The unexamined life is not worth living. So said Socrates many centuries ago. The truth of that statement motivates many people to strive through practice and study to improve their lives. They take the time to look closely at their entire lives including their successes and failures and their strengths and weaknesses to identify the changes necessary for improvement.

It’s called performance appraisal and it’s a very valuable tool for improving practices and processes in individuals and organizations. Used properly, it can lead to a fuller manifestation of talent and potential and yield unparalleled and lasting success for the people or organizations using it. A greater understanding of the research done on performance appraisals can help lend confidence in the process, which in turn helps the tool be more useful for your personal growth.

Performance Appraisal Takes Many Forms

It ranges from the simple end of day personal assessment to an elaborate process involving complex systems and well-trained specialists. It has been used for centuries for self-improvement and the improvement of organizations. Today many of the most successful organizations have effective performance appraisal programs.

These programs pair performance appraisal with career development to help both the individual and the organization to prosper and grow. Many individuals have also used this system to improve the quality of their personal lives. Many years of empirical evidence has shown this to be possible.

New Strategic Practices in Place

The concept of performance appraisal has broadened and many new strategic practices have been added. It is now an important tool for use in a wide variety of situations. It has become an integral part of the human resource manager’s collection of tools at many organizations. Its impact on people and groups has been repeatedly measured and the accuracy of its results studied ad nauseum.

Even today, it still stands out as one of the most effective methods to help an individual or organization to reach their fullest potential. Today, the concept of performance appraisal is finally being more fully embraced.

Performance Appraisal Works in Many Ways

You, too, can sit on a chair backwards when you’re this motivated!

It often motivates people to overcome hurdles in their lives. This motivational aspect of performance appraisal can help organizations to better utilize their resources and succeed more easily. People perform better with proper encouragement.

When their weaknesses are identified and they are offered guidance and support and assurances they can succeed people can soar to great heights. This is the impact performance appraisal can have when it is implemented in a strategic manner.

Performance appraisal includes self-awareness, contextual performance, and goal orientation. Together they can be used to turn around an individual or an organization. There are several positions, themes, and trends that are included in any discussion of the role of performance appraisal.

However all agree that used in the right context it can be an extraordinary tool. There are still people preparing research agenda on this topic hoping to break it down further to understand how to use it to get maximum effectiveness.

A Tool That’s Here to Stay

Few concepts have stood the test of time as well as perform appraisal. From Socrates’ time to the present, much of this practice has served to set some people and organizations apart. The nature of the appraisal, and the context in which it is used, has helped to frame contemporary thinking on the topic. It is important to have the right content in the appraisal process and deliver the information in the right tones and language.

Numerous research studies have been done on the process of the performance appraisal. Some find simple appraiser-appraisee interaction to be most effective while others prefer to use multi-source feedback. Increasing awareness is often one of the key steps in making significant and lasting changes. Performance appraisals allow people and organizations to take an unbiased look at themselves and makes them aware of their strengths and weaknesses.