Summary of performance appraisal shifts

The major shifts in recent years have been to:

• Focus the appraisal on development rather than control
• Use open consensus based approaches
• Assess performance against behavioural standards and competencies
• Draw performance feedback from colleagues and subordinates
• Relate the appraisal results to performance related pay schemes
• Minimise paperwork while increasing ownership of the process
• Focus the process on peoples' potential rather than skills deficits
• Link appraisal to the organisations development strategy
• Use the appraisal to drive organisational change projects
• Support the appraisal process with personal development portfolios
• Use the appraisal process to develop coaching and mentoring skills
• Create a learning and a change culture with appraisal as the catalyst

In other words today's modern appraisal systems have little to do with the standard appraisal forms being issued by personnel once a year to be completed under sufferance and returned to gather dust for a year.

Providing that organisations who still use traditional appraisal systems link the appraisal process to Results Management then I believe there is no imperative for them to change. However if they were to consider taking the next step of linking the appraisal process to HR Development then additional organisational benefits will materialise.

We have included on this site the three dimensions of designing appraisal systems to show how the appraisal process can evolve and the impact it has on organisation performance and development.

We will be pleased to discuss how we can help you design and implement performance management in your organisation. We look forward to hearing from you and hope to meet you.

Our performance appraisal services can be supported by online HRD management and elearning click here for a FREE trial license. For a system description see www.hrdonline.co.uk