Authored by Wordsmith in Business Management 
Published on 02-18-2009

There cannot be enough said for the importance of performance appraisals in the work force. They are not only essential for the employer but are equally necessary for the employee as well. By having an annual appraisal done, the employees will know how they have fared and where they stand as far as their work performance goes. It will help them to better understand what the employer feels are their weaknesses and what their strong points are as well and how they can go about making the most of the skills and training that they possess.

The appraisal process is extremely important and enables the employees to get to know what they need to work on in order to improve their performance on the job. Also, employees do want to hear that they are doing a great job once in a while. Unhappiness of workers leads to disruptive behavior and slow production. The appraisal process provides them with the opportunity to voice their opinions and mutually work out a solution to their problems. By conducting the appraisal, the employee will come to know where they stand within the organization as far as promotions and raises are concerned as well.

The list of benefits to the employer for conducting performance appraisals is pretty extensive. Some examples of these are motivational purposes and the self-esteem of the staff. The opportunity to let employees know the definition of their job position, what it entails and their responsibilities is another benefit. It also gives the employer the opportunity to get to know the staff and the supervisors a little better.

Of course, each department will have its own specific set of questions for the appraisal. There are some basic questions such as work performance, attendance, etc., but different departments have a different set of job descriptions and responsibilities. Each one of these should be addressed accordingly so that each employee feels as though they are being evaluated fairly.

It is also important to take into consideration groups or teams that you may have in certain departments as well. It is essential to carry out a performance appraisal on the team as a whole as well. We all know that some people do not play well in teams. During the performance appraisal, this is the perfect time to be able to evaluate employees on the whole. Let them know how they are performing as a group and how well they work together.

The importance of all of these things should never go underestimated. These evaluations give the employer the opportunity to see if someone is deserving of a raise or possibly even a promotion in their department. By conducting the performance appraisal, you are not only giving the employee the opportunity to recognize their weakness and their strengths, but you are also giving the company the opportunity to discover whether or not they are worth keeping.

As you can see, the importance of performance appraisals within an organization should never be undermined. It holds equal importance both from the point of view of the employer as well as the employee.