Performance appraisal goals are a very important aspect of employee success. They give employees a clear direction, make it clear what the employer expects from them, and motivates them to work hard.
Many employees have little job satisfaction due to a lack of clarity in what is expected of them and not knowing where they should improve. Likewise, when an employee only hears the negative things about their performance, they feel unappreciated. And a lack of reward for hard work and effort, even a verbal reward, adds to the feeling of being unappreciated.
Performance appraisals are a great way to provide the appreciation and the clarity that the employee needs. However, the employee needs to know what they are being appraised for so that they know what areas to work on and reach out for guidance if they need it. They need to have a starting point and an ending point.
The starting point is where they currently are- how well they are doing currently, what areas they need improvement in. The ending point is where they and you hope to be by the next appraisal. To do this, there needs to be a map- a very clear map that has clear signs and stops along the way.
Creating a successful performance development plan is about much more than just writing some generic items to check off on a sheet of paper. There needs to be some thought and strategic planning put into them. They also need to be about much more than just what the employer wants- the employee needs to have a voice, as well.
A truly successful performance management system will involve multiple aspects from multiple directions to provide a better-rounded plan.
