Effective Performance Appraisal Systems - Essay Sample

What makes for an effective performance appraisal system? Explain the two main purposes of performance appraisals and why most employee appraisal programs fail. What are some common employee performance issues? What is (or should be) HR's role in handling those issues? What are the important aspects of an improvement plan? Why are these so important?

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For an appraisal system to be effective, it must embody key elements whereby one of them is accuracy and fairness. The only way to attaining fairness and accuracy by obtaining multiple perspectives. Both skills and capabilities determine the ultimate individual performance. At the same time, the system must utilize multiple data sources. The managers should be in a position of choosing a multi-rater feedback approach. It inhibits all the probable elements of biasness and thus reliability bolsters. The process has to gauge the inclusivity of formal development on coaching. Managers can engage in observing others' coaching correctly and developing a full understanding of the specific action steps that are required.

The chief purpose of performance appraisal is evaluating how well the employees conduct their duties. It helps in keeping records of individual employees' in terms of their performance encapsulating the achievements and efforts they have pooled. It thereby provides a benchmarking platform for differentiating employees alongside their behaviors and personalities. The second purpose is the provision of continuous feedback (Gladisa &Susanty, 2018). It is vital for employers to understand the achievements and performance made by the employees. At the same time, it is fundamental for employees to be aware of their stands as well as where they are aiming and possible steps to take in order to arrive at their destinations. Giving them feedback is of greater benefit.

Most employee appraisal programs fail due to a lack of communication. The managers at some points fail to communicate their expectations from employees. The employees should be constantly provided with all the necessary information together with the comprehensive learning of improvements.

Some of the common employee issues include untimely completion and limited production. It may result from poor timing, prioritization, and scheduling. The other issue is the failure of meeting quality standards. It may germinate from customer dissatisfaction and errors as well as inaccuracies. HR's role in addressing such issues is training and development. The HR team should ensure that there is a formal performance appraisal. They should test the employees to ensure that they at all times perform to their best.

One of the important aspects of the improvement plan is helping in the reduction of risk inherent in any termination. It thereby supports those employees with slipped performance due to inconsistency and needs improvement. It is also important in the sense that it helps in the identification of substandard performances thus paving a way for improvements.

Explain the role of HRM in the strategic planning process of a company. Of the areas of focus in HRM, which one do you think is the most important? Rank them and discuss the reasons for your rankings.

HRM plays a vital role in the strategic management planning process of a company. The first role is selection and staffing. They normally execute their tasks within the scope of set goals. Sometimes it is quite cumbersome to have the right people in a company. They deliberately ensure that the plans that are executed are flawless from the beginning.

Also, HRM plays an important role in organizational development. The strategic planning process encapsulates a significant change in workplace systems. They are at all times aware of the changes that take place within the company as well as the vital initiatives. HRM is able to speak and pinpoint the changes associated with a greater impact within the company. Additionally, HRM plays a role in training and development. Skills are important in any workplace, the HRM is tirelessly working to ensure that they put some inputs in training employees with a vast range of responsibilities (Bouwmans, 2019). The HRM team instantly speak to any issues and do all they can to ensure that the company is catapulted into the ultimate goal achievement.

The most important area of focus played by HRM in strategic management is training and development. Foundationally, human resources are known for being an expensive resource that plays a major task in ensuring that the company progresses and soars to the greater heights in achieving its goals and objectives. Selection and staffing are the second most important focus area since, upon recruitment, there is a need for finding the right people to work in the company.

Explain discipline in the workplace. Why do supervisors fail to impose a disciplinary penalty at the workplace? What is progressive discipline? Do you feel progressive discipline is effective? Why or why not?

Workplace discipline is termed as the regulations or conditions imposed on the employees by the management geared at preventing or correcting detrimental behaviors to the organization.

Supervisors fail at some point to impose the disciplinary penalty since they believe that they would ultimately receive little or no support at all from the top management. They may also be liked by the employees thus fails to impose a penalty. Additionally, they may be uncertain of all the underlying situation that requires appropriate and instant disciplinary action. Supervisors at the same time seemingly fail to record and document earlier actions that require disciplinary actions and hence re-occurrence of an offense lacks comparison base. They may also fail to impose discipline in the past thus they may assume on the subsequent state just for consistency purposes.

Progressive discipline is termed as a process of dealing with behaviors related to the job which in the real sense does not meet the communicated and expected performance standards.

Progressive discipline is effective since it tends to improve the morale of employees as well as the retention by merely demonstrating that rewards are always there for good performance and consequentially the detrimental effects of shoddy performances (Moore, Piwek, 2017). It also promotes vibrant communication between the employees as well as managers. Lastly, it is effective since it helps the managers in achieving higher productivity and performance from employees.

Compare and contrast employee rights and employment-at-will. Provide an example of each to illustrate your points.

Employee rights always guarantee fair treatment as per the employees' expectation. The employees' rights are only valid at a point whereby they are granted to the employees by the judicial bodies such as the courts, legislatures, or even the employers. On the other hand, employment-at-will defines the right of an employer for firing an employer without necessarily providing reasons as well as the right of employees to quit at their will. Both the employee rights and employment at will have a common aspect where all the employees feeling that unjustly procedures were followed can at any fight back legally (Werhane & Radin, 2019).

Employees have a right to non-discrimination. They deserve a right to working in an environment free from any form of discrimination with no basis on gender, color, age, or sex. An example of employment is the potential breach of contract scenario.

References

Bouwmans, M., Runhaar, P., Wesselink, R., & Mulder, M. (2019). Stimulating teachers' team performance through team-oriented HR practices: the roles of affective team commitment and information processing. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 30(5), 856-878.

Gladisa, F. W., & Susanty, A. I. (2018). Determinant factors of employee satisfaction in the performance appraisal based on management by objectives. Gladisa, FW, 241-246.

Moore, P., & Piwek, L. (2017). Regulating wellbeing in the brave new quantified workplace. Employee Relations.

Werhane, P. H., & Radin, T. J. (2019). Employment-at-Will, Employee Rights, and Future Directions for Employment. In Systems Thinking and Moral Imagination (pp. 409-425). Springer, Cham.