Employee Evaluation

What is an employee evaluation?

An employee evaluation is a process by which the job performance of an employee is reviewed or assessed by a supervisor. Employee evaluations are commonly scheduled once a year. It is a chance for an employee to receive feedback on their work performance and find out any areas for improvement. Similarly, it also serves as a time for the supervisor to re-align with the employee, inform them about opportunities and progress. 

Are there other names for employee evaluation? 

Yes, employee evaluation is also known as a performance review, performance evaluation, and performance assessment. These terms are often used interchangeably by organizations. 

Why is it beneficial to conduct employee evaluations? 

Employee evaluations offer many benefits for both the company and the employee. For the employer, an employee evaluation allows them to reiterate the job expectations and objectives to the concerned employee. That way, it provides them with a clear direction towards specific goals. Evaluations can also serve as a way to document the progress of the employee. 

For employees, an evaluation is an objective way to gain insight into how they have performed at work. Whether or not they met expectations, exceeded expectations, or fell short, an employee evaluation will provide them a clear summary. Through an employee evaluation, the employee will know their strong points to continue and any opportunity for improvement. 

With an employee evaluation, both the supervisor and employee have an avenue for dialogue. They can both talk about the employee’s work performance and how they can achieve job expectations. Finally, an employee evaluation is useful when it comes to making decisions on pay raises, promotions, or even layoffs. 

How often should employee evaluations be conducted? 

Organizations typically perform employee evaluations once a year, and are referred to as “annual reviews.” However, the decision on the number of times an employee evaluation should be conducted ultimately depends on the organization. 

It may be a challenge for both employees and supervisors to recall all their tasks, projects, and achievements from the entire year. This may lead to an inaccurate evaluation. With this in mind, some organizations have adjusted the frequency of evaluations to twice a year or quarterly, or even weekly. Shifting to a more frequent schedule allows the employee evaluation process to be easier. The shorter intervals allow managers to address small concerns promptly before they grow. 

What is the employee evaluation process? 

Traditional employee evaluations have supervisors write and explain the employee’s achievements, contributions, and opportunities for improvement during the one-on-one evaluation. Both the supervisor and the employee discuss how to improve the employee’s work performance. To do this, the supervisor regularly keeps a tab on the employee’s tasks and contributions so it will be easier to write the employee evaluation and include specific examples and situations. 

The work performance is measured using appropriate metrics for the position. The metrics to be used must be suitable and adapted to the job of the employee. For instance, a customer service call center agent’s performance may be measured by customer satisfaction, problem resolution, and by the number of calls taken. Companies must be careful in setting metrics that are aligned with the company’s objectives. Also, the metrics and objectives must be discussed with the employee beforehand so that they know how their performance will be gauged. 

In some organizations, the employees are asked to write a self-appraisal or a self-evaluation before the one-on-one meeting. This is also useful for the employee to present their accomplishments and tasks that the supervisor may not be aware of. 

For an effective employee evaluation, both the supervisor and the employee should openly communicate. The supervisor should acknowledge the contributions and progress of the employee and discuss points for improvement. They should collaborate on the goals of the employee for career advancement and development. Plans need to include a timetable for follow-up meetings as well as resources for training. 

As a final step of the employee evaluation, the supervisor documents everything that was discussed, including the goals and timeframe that was agreed upon. They fill out the evaluation form which becomes part of the employee’s permanent record in the company. This can serve as a guide for future decisions on promotion and appraisal.