Assessing Performance and Developing Employees(HRM) - Essay Example

After reading the article on an interview of Samuel Culbert of UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and Chapter 8 I feel companies should conduct performance reviews. An individual spends on an average 2000 hours of work every year. And it is only just and necessary that he should be evaluated on what good and bad has he accomplished. Year end performance reviews might make some people nervous but the winners are the ones who write their own performance review starting from the first day of the year.

They are conscious of what matters for a good prospective interview, what does not and how to create effective schedule to reach the goal. But it is not perfect; with inaccuracies in the scoring system and subjectivity involved in few parameters it has scope of improvement. ‘Performance Preview’ is one of the methods which Samuel Culbert describes as an approach to better performance reviews. He also talks how this system can improve by putting the CEO right in the front of the steering wheel to see for himself the relationships between bosses and subordinates.

The HR is using performance review as its own toy right now and holding up to company secrets, but if there is trust and relationship on the basis on which things can change. The scoring system needs to be more objective with transparency and set rules of how much score can be given when. The subjectivity can be avoided in each BSC parameter by law of averages. Culbert’s views are one of an extremist I feel. Performance review is a real chance where a good subordinate can showcase his work; a good boss can affect positivity and motivation.

Objectives can be set and continuous improvement can be achieved by a performance review and then continued with a performance preview. Not every boss is motivated by money and not every HR person secretive and conspiring against the subordinate. Secondly, without the metrics it would be impossible to distribute responsibilities among staff, create justifiable hierarchy and appreciate ones work in form of bonuses. All the tools of rating, scoring and measuring the parameters have its own limitations and that is where manager’s subjectivity and favoritism creeps in, but remember all fingers are not alike.

If done with correct attitude this is the best thing to happen to a hard working and performing person. The design of performance reviews should be such that it is more frequently, the subordinate gets a change to get back on right track, should be with feedback and guidance, and should be as objective as possible. Where there is not scope of objectivity and scoring, voice from more than one person should be heard before the decision. Bosses should not accumulate the goods and the bads to be told in one meeting but a continuous feedback mechanism should be in place.

References Vanderkam L, Why You Should Write Next Year's Performance Review Now, btnet. Web. December 14, 2010 Stillman J, Sutton: Are Performance Reviews Really Essential?, btnet. Web. October 21, 2008 Korosec K, Why You're Doing Performance Reviews All Wrong, btnet. Web. February 1, 2010