The first choice: appraisal or developmentMay 15th, 2007 |
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In HR circles the common wisdom is that 360 degree feedback (particularly if it includes upward feedback) should only be used for development. This stems from a concern that as soon as you attach pay to the discussion, the pay issue becomes so heated that it drowns out the feedback people are supposed to be paying attention to.
The problem is only really avoided if performance appraisal is an ongoing process, not a once-a-year event - and that is what professional services firms should aim for. If a professional is getting feedback over the course of the year then the formal appraisal process will contain no surprises and becomes a much less intense discussion.
Employee performance and talent management technology makes on-going performance management much easier. Aside from automating the complex task of gathering multi rater feedback, for example, the technology facilitates doing reviews at the end of every project, so everyone can get timely feedback on their performance. Technology also makes it easy for both managers and professionals to track relevant performance information on an ongoing basis. Sometimes this is simply a matter of copying part of an email into a performance log or making a quick note about a client’s comments so that when the performance evaluation is done managers don’t have to rely on memory alone.
Circling back to the specific choice facing professional services firms: do we use multi-rater feedback for appraisal or just for development? The answer is to do what the culture will sustain. What managers need is training in how to do performance management and particularly how to make it an on-going process so that there are no surprises at the end of the year. It is up to managers, not HR, to create a climate where honest feedback is appreciated and where employees feel that managers are being fair to them in appraisal.
Tags: employee performance reviews, HR, multi-rater feedback, professional services, talent managementRelated posts
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