2 Responses

1. What do your users want?
   Hi Andy,

   I would strongly recommend you find out what your users (managers at all levels) (and also the HR department) actually want from the system. You haven’t said whether it is to replace another appraisal system (or systems)? If it is, what did your representative group of managers like and dislike about their old system? Also, to what extent did the old system(s)give the training & HR teams the information that they needed? Does the organisation have a set of behavioural competences that they want to be advocated and developed through the appraisal system? Are there clearly-defined skills that are required from operational employees? Is it to be used to influence succession planning or pay reviews? Will “one size fit all”?

   If there is a system in place at the moment, to disregard it will lead you to not only potentially losing/reinventing the good aspects of it, but also to alienating the new system from those who were involved in the design & roll out of the first one.

   I can provide you with a couple of appraisal forms that I have used (one based on competences and another very loose one, that I developed to merge the several appraisal systems used prior to an organisational merger). But if you want your appraisal format to be successful and popular (remembering you can’t please all the people all the time), I strongly recommend you are clear about your organisation’s needs, and current situation, from the start.

2. Recommended Reading
   Hi Andy

   Before you redesign your appraisal form/system, I recommend you read ‘Abolishing Performance Appraisals – Why they backfire and what to do instead’ by Tom Coens and Mary Jenkins ISBN 1-57675-200-3. Even if you go ahead and keep an appraisal system it will give you invaluable advice about what can go wrong and some of the pitfalls to avoid.