How to... get the most out of staff appraisals
Published: 28 May 2008
The appraisal review should be treated as a far more important process than companies and staff often view it
Performance appraisals were introduced as a method to decide whether or not the salary of an employee was justified. But today's staff appraisals are much more sophisticated. Not only do they assess staff performance, but they can also help to ensure that the individual is receiving appropriate rewards and company recognition.
So what should recruitment businesses be doing to ensure they, and their teams, get the most from appraisals?
- Establish and communicate the appraisal process
It is hard for anyone to work towards a goal that is inadequately communicated. Recruitment consultancies must establish an appraisal process and then clearly outline its aim and role within the organisation. Everyone in the business should understand the appraisal process within the wider business context, and how analysing the competencies of individuals can assist in future business planning.
As a general guide, the objectives of the recruitment consultant should be discussed from the outset. The procedure should incorporate clear information on how performance will be measured and appraisal documentation should be accessible to the individual so they understand current performance benchmarks.
- Listen to the appraisee
The appraisee must run the meeting; it is their opportunity to communicate strengths and areas of improvement. An appraiser must listen actively and provide positive feedback, encouraging the appraisee to reflect on their contribution to the recruitment consultancy. Alongside analysis of their recruitment ability and skills-set, it is also important to capture their views on personal effectiveness, how they communicate professionally within their team and their long-term career goals.
The process should always be positive. Providing feedback from peers and management on an individual should be a frank and honest exchange about the appraisee's performance and how it can be improved. A negative session that focuses on a catalogue of failures will just de-motivate the individual.
- Aligning company strategy and growth
The appraisal is part of a recruitment consultancy's wider people management policy. Agreed training and development programmes should relate to the long-term business requirements. Although it is important to support the individual's ambitions, these have to bring benefits to the business and a measurable return on the time or financial investment made by the recruitment provider.
- Taking responsibility
The employer and consultant are equally responsible for career development. To achieve this, both parties must have a formal agreement of what needs to be done to improve performance generally, and overcome any issues raised in the course of the appraisal discussion.
Circulation of an appraisal summary and establishing a plan of action are essential to ensure outcomes of the discussion are clarified, expectations of the recruitment consultant outlined and agreed support to be provided by the employer detailed. These clearly set-out objectives should be reinforced with continuous encouragement from the consultancy. On-going reviews and one-to-one coaching sessions are just some of the year-long learning initiatives implemented by companies to demonstrate support and ensure objectives are met.
Once a learning culture is in place, it is then the responsibility of the appraisee to reach goals and deliver the improved performance required; they have to provide the energy to work towards the goals of the recruitment company to ensure success.
Above everything else, the appraisal process must be taken seriously. An appraisal review is an important meeting and should not be cancelled due to workload, or 'more important things'. Recruitment consultants must learn to appreciate the value of receiving constructive feedback on their abilities as a recruiter that will enable them to grow and develop, while recruitment consultancies must react to company improvement suggestions. By adopting a working/learning environment, a recruitment business and its team will benefit significantly.
| Job Title | Job Location | Job Position |
|---|---|---|
| Thriving Public Sector market requires... | London | Permanent |
| Senior Marketing Recruiter - Dubai -... | International | Permanent |
| Consultant (Sales & Marketing... | North West | Permanent |
| Senior Recruitment Consultant for Dubai... | International | Permanent |
| Senior Recruiter to set up Insurance... | London | Permanent |
| Senior Marketing Recruiter to develop... | London | Permanent |
