Posted by Elizabeth Counts on Wed, Jul 28, 2010 @ 12:35 PM
In many parts of America, high school students who aren’t college bound have limited options. In Pennsylvania’s Reading and Muhlenberg School Districts, students enjoy broader educational horizons. Through work-based learning opportunities in 31 programs, the Reading Muhlenberg Career & Technology Center (RMCTC) prepares students for careers or for post-secondary education.
RMCTC teachers follow educational best practices to help students compete in the workplace. Using PerformancePAM Talent Management software, school administrators initiated a unique process to help teachers achieve this goal.
Promoting Best Practices
Among their tenured teachers, RMCTC stresses professional development versus performance evaluation. “In my opinion, the clinical supervision method to improve pedagogy is not effective. When an administrator observes a class, teachers tend to present their best lesson and students are on their best behavior. As a result, it’s an artificial environment,” says Administrative Director Gerald Witmer.
To counteract this, RMCTC administrators invite tenured teachers to participate in a voluntary professional development process. (Last year, 100% of eligible teachers participated.) The first day of school, each teacher receives a signed satisfactory evaluation form based on their previous year’s performance. Unless they commit a serious infraction, they retain a satisfactory rating. Gerald explains the reasoning for this approach. “To improve performance, teachers must let their guard down and admit when they’re struggling with a particular aspect of teaching. They won’t mention weaknesses on an evaluation form because these invariably show up as a negative.”
To overcome this obstacle, RMCTC asked PerformancePAM to customize a professional development module. “Instead of an evaluation rubric, we designed a rubric to facilitate professional development. PerformancePAM allowed us to identify growth needs of individual teachers and to identify which teachers use best practices,” Gerald explains, adding, “This allowed us to provide the resources, workshops and peer support necessary for improvement. I can, for example, pair a teacher who is gifted in classroom management with one who’s struggling. They can then work together to improve the situation.”
A Teacher Tailored Process
The ability to customize PerforamancePAM made it attractive to Gerald Witmer.
“To review teaching methods, we created a software rubric defining areas of responsibility, such as curriculum and classroom management. We also identified necessary skills and had three rating levels: 1) needs development; 2) meets expectations; or 3) exceeds expectations. Next, we identified elements teachers could review to see where they place within the three levels.”
Working on a computer, teachers rate themselves in 45 areas within the rubric. When they’re finished, their supervisors complete the same process. Neither party can see each other’s responses. When both are done, a report is generated which demonstrates any differences of opinion. The supervisor and teacher discuss inconsistencies and an agreement is reached. Finally, PerformancePAM generates a report on individual teachers and the entire faculty to help RMCTC create a professional development plan for the school year. “This allows us to target individual and group needs and make good use of our limited professional development resources,” Gerald says.
Discovering a Software Solution
Gerald Witmer found PerformancePAM in a roundabout way. “I had a vision for what our software had to accomplish, but didn’t think a packaged product could align with our needs. I asked a software developer if he knew any programmers who could write a program like the one I envisioned. While attending a national industry conference, the programmer connected with PerformancePAM creators Pamela and Scott Perryman and reached the conclusion that PerformancePAM was 90% turnkey for our purposes.”
PerformancePAM was customized beyond its existing capabilities to meet RMCTC’s objectives. Set up of the rubric, users and permission access were done remotely. “It’s cool—I can give control of my screen to a member of the PerformancePAM technical support team who easily shows me what I need to do. They’ve been good to work with and have quickly resolved any issues we had,” Gerald comments.
PerformancePAM is entering its second year of use at RMCTC, and user feedback remains positive. “Our teachers love it. I’ve seen teachers encouraging their colleagues, saying, ‘You want to be part of this.’ They appreciate having ownership in the process. It’s a meaningful tool that meets their needs. It helps them admit weaknesses without feeling threatened and allows administrators to provide the necessary professional development.”
Indirectly, Gerald Witmer is seeing improvement in students, too. Academic scores, trade and technical assessments and attendance are increasing. “All of our goal indicators are improving, so I think that means teachers are doing a better job engaging kids. The software process has to have played a role in that.”
Posted by Elizabeth Counts on Mon, Jun 28, 2010 @ 08:38 AM
Talent Management is an important tool in business and it is aimed at bettering the performance of individuals with organizational activity. It typically incorporates training, education and development. However, what does this all mean and why is it important for your company to practice it?
Talent Management involves the efforts of both the individual and the company. It is a joint ongoing effort that is aimed at upgrading the employee’s knowledge, skills and abilities in relation to the job they do, ensuring that they become the beneficiary of the organization as well as themselves. To achieve the best results from this effort you have to balance the career goals of the employee and the company’s requirement to get work done as efficiently as possible. This is true regardless of the level of the job, although the scale of the management will vary significantly given the scope of roles within the company.
Why implement a talent management process? The simple and most obvious reason would be that an emphasis in talent management can make a major difference to a company’s performance. A better trained or developed workforce can accomplish more as employees achieve more skills and experience with advantages for both individual and organization. The result would be a more efficient company and a happier workforce who can enjoy what they are doing and take more pride in their work. The payoff of this efficiency will be reflected in the company’s services to their customers.
Retaining employees that have spent time and effort growing into an organization is one of the main concerns for a company. It is time consuming and expensive looking for new staff and then having to start again. Offering employees an opportunity to improve their skills and performance, as well as develop new skills is often an important factor in staff staying with their employer. This growth and expansion is also going to be extremely beneficial to the company also.
Assessing the employee’s performance including areas of strength as well as weakness would usually be the first step in implementing a talent management process and typically can lead to a discussion between both parties culminating in a development plan or outline of steps to be taken to achieve necessary goals. It is also important to have a method in place to monitor this development. It will often involve training, educating and eventually developing the ways in which the employee’s tasks can be completed more efficiently, as well as encouraging the employee to develop new skills. These areas can be tracked and monitored with a talent management system to ensure efficient deployment of these processes resulting in happier employees and a stronger organization.
How has your company addressed talent management with your employees?
Posted by Elizabeth Counts on Wed, Mar 10, 2010 @ 08:49 AM
Discrimination lawsuits by employees are on the rise and comprise about 33% of all claims in state and federal courts throughout the United States. Discrimination in the workplace is prohibited if an applicant or employee is discriminated against in the hiring, firing or terms and conditions of his/her employment because of his/her "protected class." "Protected classes" include race, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability and military status. Does this mean that a person who falls within a "protected class" has to be afforded preferential treatment? No - just equal treatment. With so many people falling within one or more categories of a "protected class," what is an employer to do? The key is education, training and documentation.
First, every company should have written policies that prohibit discrimination/sexual harassment/retaliation in the workplace. The policy needs to be signed by every employee within the organization.
Second, training seminars must be conducted on an annual basis for all employees. The purpose of these training seminars is to make each employee aware of his/her responsibilities and rights. Each employee has the right to work in an environment free of discrimination. Each employee also has the responsibility not to discriminate against other workers.
Third, documentation is critical for a number of reasons. Performance evaluations and warnings, if necessary, give the employee an opportunity to improve his/her performance. Those performance evaluations will also serve as evidence in the event that the company needs to defend itself against an employee who claims that he/she was terminated due to discrimination. An employer would argue that the termination was due to poor performance and not discrimination. The performance evaluations will be the best evidence of such poor performance. By the time a case goes to trial, the manager/supervisor who made the recommendation to terminate an employee may be long gone. Without the written performance evaluation, there will be no other evidence of poor performance. In addition, juries tend to believe the "written" more than they do the "spoken."
Discrimination lawsuits are so dangerous because of the cost, potentially unflattering publicity and the countless number of hours that need to be spent during litigation. Attorneys' fees for the company defending such a claim will typically be about $175,000. If the employee prevails in such a lawsuit, he/she will be entitled to his/her "reasonable" attorneys' fees which will usually be about $200,000. In addition, a prevailing employee may also be entitled to back pay damages, compensatory and punitive damages.
Thus, the key to avoiding discrimination lawsuits is education, training, and documentation.
By: Claire Saady, Esq. of HR Corporate Solutions
HR Corporate Solutions is dedicated toward working with companies to guarantee that they are in compliance with state and federal anti-discrimination laws. Claire works with companies to prepare their employee handbooks, policies/procedures, non-compete agreements and also provides training seminars for employees and executives.
She can be reached at clairesaady@hrcorporatesolutions.com or 813.909.7379.
Posted by Elizabeth Counts on Wed, Dec 02, 2009 @ 09:18 AM
There are two schools of thought on review dates. The first school believes that employees should be reviewed on a yearly basis, at the anniversary of their employment. This method staggers the reviews of employees over the course of any given year. The second school believes that employees should all be reviewed once per year, at the same time, regardless of when they joined the organization.
Most experts now agree that, except in the case of new employees, one annual review for all employees is the more beneficial approach. The benefits of reviewing all employees at the same time are:
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Consistency: When managers are required to review all employees during the same time period, it eliminates bias from the review process. If each employee were reviewed throughout the year on an anniversary date, the mood of the manager (either positive or negative), might affect the performance evaluation.
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Compensation: Reviewing employees all at the same time (preferably at the end of the organization's fiscal year), makes planning compensation easier. This is especially true if the organization intends on ranking employees by a review "score" and then recommending compensation increases and promotions based on those scores.
- Momentum: No matter when reviews happen, they take a considerable amount of manager time and energy. When the review requirements are spread out throughout the year, review dates have a tendency to slip. When they occur all at the same time, with an organization-mandated deadline, the reviews are more likely to be completed.
Perhaps the only time not to complete an annual, all-at-one-time review is in the case of new employees. It is a good policy to review a new employee after the first three or six months. That employee should still be reviewed with the rest of the employees at year-end, with the interim acting as a supporting document.
When you implement PAM Web, the performance appraisal management cycle can be determined by individual employee, by group, or by company. A performance appraisal software like PAM will start the review process on the schedule that you determine.
Posted by Elizabeth Counts on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 @ 07:26 AM
When we think of goals we typically think of areas of performance that are quantifiable and measureable. Reduce errors by 50% or increase sales by 15% are examples of measurable goals. The two biggest challenges in creating behavior based goals are setting the time frame and measuring the behavior change. Here's how to do that:
- The measurement is "observation and feedback"
- The time frame is "now - ongoing" (unless training is required beforehand- the training takes place and then the behavior should be observable)
Here's an example of a behavior based performance issue translated into a SMART goal (you'll probably get that this person was rude and nasty in his email communications):
Goal: Jack is most effective when dealing with colleagues/peers in person. When conflict arises I would like Jack to forgo email communications as a first resort and instead utilize his in person communication skills where he comes across as collaborative and respectful. Increase of in person communication with an emphasis on consistently utilizing respectful business language communication skills. Hold off resolving conflict with email as the primary communication medium.
Complete By: Now- ongoing
Measurement: Observation and Feedback
Conclusion: When goals are put into writing there is a better chance that the employee will successfully meet the new expectations. Behavior based goals can and should be translated into specific, measurable, attainable relevant, attainable and time bound objectives.
- Jamie Resker, President, Employee Performance Solutions
Jamie is recognized as an established thought leader and innovator in the area of performance management. She is the originator of the Performance Continuum Feedback Method®, a tool for systematically diagnosing employee performance issues and development opportunities and crafting messages about even the most sensitive behavior based issues. For more information on Jamie or the Performance Continuum Feedback Method, visit http://www.employeeperformancesolutions.com/.
Posted by Elizabeth Counts on Fri, Oct 09, 2009 @ 08:31 AM
It is clear that the key reason people avoid giving feedback is not because they don't understand the problem but rather because they don't know how to craft a message that is sayable and hearable.
Put the focus on the positive, desired performance rather than highlighting the current negative performance. The result is a message that you can deliver without having a bottle of Alka-Seltzer at your side and your staff can hear without going off the rails.
Key #1: Identify the Performance Issue
Identify the negative behavior that is holding the individual back not a problem for most people. Then describe it in the opposite, positive terms.
For example, if the employee lacks finesse when dealing with clients and behaves like a bull in a china shop the manager would ask for the employee to develop a more polished and professional style.
When an employee makes frequent mistakes the manager would talk in terms of developing more accuracy.
For the employee who chronically complains that everything is a problem, but never offers any solutions, the manager might ask the employee to develop a problem solving approach.
Key #2: Be Specific about the Desired Change
It is important to get specific about what you mean by a more polished and professional approach, more accuracy or a problem solving approach. For example, What I mean by develop a problem solving approach is that when you first notice a problem that is preventing you from getting your job done to first think through a solution and then approach me if it's something you need my help with.
Key #3: Detail the Benefits of Making the Change
Lastly, it is useful to explain to the employee the benefit of developing the performance area. Ask yourself Why do I want the employee to make this change?
In the case of the chronic complainer who never offers solutions their behavior most likely creates negativity, wastes time and garners complaints from co-workers who are sick and tired of listening to this person drone on about what's wrong.
So, the here's why I'm asking you to focus on this part of the message would sound something like this, The reason I want you to focus on solving problems is that people will notice and appreciate a how do I make things better around here approach, it will make more constructive use of the time we have and it will bring more positive energy into the team.
Notice how the message is still honest yet it talks in terms of what WILL happen when the employee develops a problem solving approach.
These keys are the core of the Performance Continuum Feedback Method, a step-by-step methodology designed to make anyone comfortable delivering even the most difficult feedback.
Conclusion
Talking in terms of the desired performance versus the current undesired performance serves two purposes:
- We are more likely to initiate the discussion because the wording makes it more comfortable to deliver the feedback.
- The employee learns what is expected (as opposed to focusing on what's wrong) with their dignity intact
Bypassing negative performance descriptions and the resulting negative employee reaction allows the employee to respond more positively; ultimately facilitating the move towards the solution phase of the discussion the ultimate goal of feedback.
A simple rule of thumb is to provide the employee with the opportunity to receive the feedback and make progress on the issue. Only when it is clear that the employee is unwilling or unable to make progress should more extreme measures be used -- such as disciplinary action or documented performance plans.
- Jamie Resker, President, Employee Performance Solutions
Jamie is recognized as an established thought leader and innovator in the area of performance management. She is the originator of the Performance Continuum Feedback Method®, a tool for systematically diagnosing employee performance issues and development opportunities and crafting messages about even the most sensitive behavior based issues. For more information on Jamie or the Performance Continuum Feedback Method, visit www.employeeperformancesolutions.com.
Posted by Elizabeth Counts on Mon, Aug 31, 2009 @ 01:37 PM
There are several important things that must happen after the performance appraisal is given. When done, these actions will simplify the next performance appraisal process.
Constant Evaluation
Managers will get the most out of employees when they are constantly evaluating and reviewing them. After the performance evaluation is over, it is important for managers to keep the action plan items from the meeting in mind during everyday work life. When an employee performs in a way that is positive or shows new skill in a particular area dressed during the review, the manager should comment and praise. Likewise, when an employee has slipped or has not taken the action steps agreed on in the evaluation interview, the manager should remind the employee of the discussion.
Giving constant evaluation not only promotes better productivity, it also eliminates the element of surprise from future performance evaluations. Employees that are given the notice of a deficiency early are more likely to correct it, rather than repeat it out of ignorance of wrongdoing. When providing ongoing evaluation, it is still advisable to use a neutral setting, away from the activities of other workers. The praise, or reprimand should be well thought-out before spoken, and include specific instances. General evaluations like "you are doing a good job" or "you need to work harder" are not helpful.
Coaching & Mentoring
One tactic that some organizations use for helping employees achieve better performance is a coaching or mentoring program. In a coaching program, an authority figure (either a direct manager or a manager from another division) works with an employee on a regular basis. The coach, or mentor is meant to be a person that the employee can talk to for general career guidance, or to help in a particular area. For example, a coaching program might be instituted to help employees reach the next level of advancement, or become experts in a particular facet of the organization.
Coaching and mentoring is not a substitute for a formal review program. Rather, it is an additional means of providing resources to employees. For a coaching program to work, the coaches and mentors must be given time to spend with employees, and should be provided with resources of their own, including training in how to be a mentor.
Preparing for Next Year
The performance review is not a one-time event. Every year, employees and managers will engage in the evaluation process, so it is never too early to get a jump on the upcoming review. There are three things to keep in mind when preparing for the next year's evaluation process. They are:
- Review the Past Year
- Make Minor Changes
- Regain Buy-In
Review Effectiveness
After the performance evaluation process is completed for the year, a Human Resources manager should conduct an analysis of its effectiveness. This analysis has two major steps, including: a review of the "numbers" (quantitative analysis), and a survey of managers (qualitative analysis).
To review the numbers means to look at the ratings given across the board, to determine their effectiveness in judging performance and determining compensation. If the aggregate performance ratings seem inflated, it may mean that mangers need more training in how to rate and rank employees. If the numbers appear to show a high number of "average" scores around the median, the review scale may need to be changed to force an above, or below average rating (e.g., a scale of 1 to 4 where there is no "middle" rather than a score of 1 to 5). If a particular rating attribute received a high number of "Not Applicable" answers, it may need to be removed from future review forms.
In addition to reviewing the numbers, the Human Resources manager should conduct a survey among reviewing managers, or do interviews with a sample of them. The reviewing managers should be asked what was useful about the performance review, and what did not seem to work. It is not necessary to interview employees.
Make Minor Changes
Using the quantitative and qualitative analysis, the Human Resources manager can begin to formulate changes for the upcoming year's performance review form. Ideally, the form should only be changed in minor ways, and not be completely altered. Keeping the form the same helps in comparing performance from one year to the next, and allows employees to remember exactly how they will be evaluated.
Regain Buy-In
Even though the performance evaluation form will likely not change much from year to year, it is still important to regain senior management buy-in for every cycle. Performance reviews are only effective when they are taken seriously within the organization (which means the executives need to believe it is a priority). When approaching the executive team in subsequent years, the Human Resources manager should be prepared to explain the benefits of the ongoing reviews, and to provide figures on how much time and money was expended in the previous year doing performance evaluations. With this kind of buy-in at the top, the performance review process can continue for as long as the organization exists.
Posted by Elizabeth Counts on Mon, Aug 31, 2009 @ 12:11 PM
You can design performance appraisal templates that provide the best review for individuals and their job functions. PAM allows you to design performance review forms that meet all the requirements for good evaluations. These are:
- Simplicity: PAM's templates provide the option for easy, automated rating, based on criteria that are pre-defined. Comments can be required or not, but reviewers always have the option of entering comments when providing input. All appraisals have a similar look and feel, but with specific features turned on or off, depending on the measurement criteria that your company requires. Upon the completion of a review or an approval, the appraisal can be printed at the click of a button. For reviewers, their comments print. For supervisors, all comments print, providing clear justification for recommended salaries.
- Scaled Scoring: Evaluation forms that have rating scales (e.g., "1 to 5" or "Excellent to Poor") are most effective because they are objective in nature, and easy to compare across other employees. In addition to the scale, it is important that the form has a place to provide a brief reason for any particular rating (like a specific example of the attribute in action). When there are many employees all doing the same task (e.g., a team of customer service representatives), it is advisable to use a wider scale for comparison purposes (e.g., 1 to 10).
PAM allows you to customize rating schemes. Unique rating schemes can be associated with an individual employee, an individual appraisal, a group of employees, measurement criteria
- Free-form Comments: While the majority of the evaluation form should use scales of some type, there should also be at least one "essay" section, where the manager can give an overall impression of the employee. This adds life to the form and gives the reviewer an opportunity to address positives or negatives not covered by the structured section of the form.
PAM has free-form text sections to allow comments of unlimited length.
- Feedback Section: On each review form, there should be two signature lines (one for the reviewing manager to sign, and the other for the employee to sign). There should also be a section where employees can formally respond to the review with comments. This allows the employee's "voice to be heard" before signing off on the accuracy and acceptance of the evaluation.
PAM's automated appraisal form prints at the click of a button with signature lines and feedback comments for the employee.
- Obtain Approval: Before implementing any performance appraisal process, review the choices and options with your company's management and legal department. Given that documented performance reviews may be used in legal proceedings, it is crucial that the forms do not violate any employment laws (e.g., anything to do with age, sex or religion should be avoided).
Posted by Elizabeth Counts on Mon, Aug 03, 2009 @ 08:46 AM
Over the years, I have worked for companies who promote
performance appraisals and those who don't. I have had to give performance appraisals and have been on the receiving end of them.
I for one like to know where I stand and if I am doing the job that is expected of me. I wish to excel and be a top performer, however, if I don't know what the expectations or goals are, how do I know if I am meeting the performance standards that are expected of me? If I am not receiving periodic feedback on my performance with goals, standards, and expectations, how can my supervisor fairly rate my performance? Knowing what is expected of me and wanting to go beyond that, increases my satisfaction with my job and my morale within the company.
I finally realized what motivated me would most likely motivate the employees that reported to me. I developed goals and standards for each of my staff members. I presented them to each and discussed to get their buy-in. They knew why they had these goals, what their importance was, and how they fit into the company objectives. They then felt they were contributing to the overall success of the company and that their contribution was important. They wanted to do a good job because they knew what the standards were and what the expectations were. Most people do not want to fail in meeting expectations. I continued to give them feedback throughout the review period so they knew exactly were they stood. The morale in my department was greatly improved and every staff member was appreciative to know where they stood. They excelled and achieved the goals and standards that were set for them.
Posted by Elizabeth Counts on Wed, Jul 29, 2009 @ 10:51 AM
Despite the positive tone that managers will bring to the performance evaluations, there will occasionally be difficult situations. Maybe you have to review poorly performing workers, deal with insubordinate employees, or overcome personal conflicts. There are three key points for managers to remember when dealing with difficult situations.
Be Prepared
Providing negative performance reviews requires managers to be even more prepared than for positive reviews. Managers need to be able to give specific instances to back-up any negative ratings or comments. To do this, managers should review all previous reviews and any disciplinary actions regarding an employee prior to the meeting. However, no "surprises" should be brought up in the performance review. Only issues that have surfaced and been discussed before with the employee in some way should be included as part of the review.
Be Honest
It is always important for reviewing managers to be honest with employees, even more so when dealing with difficult situations. Honesty is crucial for two reasons. First, it builds a bond of trust with the employee, even if the situation is less than desirable. Likely, a problem situation will have been discussed prior to the actual review, so being forthright with employees will appear "natural" to the process, while pretending that prior events did not happen will cause distrust. Second, the employee needs to hear specifically, and without confusion, how his or her performance or attitude comes across.
Be Calm
No matter what happens in a performance review, managers should always stay calm, and remember that they are in charge. Defensive or argumentative behavior by an employee should not distract the manager from delivering a complete and honest assessment. In those situations where the review process completely breaks down, it is still up to the manager to remain calm, handle the situation authoritatively, and be resolute in taking the next action steps.
How have you handled difficult employee appraisals in the past?