Performance Appraisal Interview

            I had the opportunity to interview Maurice Finslinson, who worked as a manger for the U.S. Postal Service for 25 years. He was in charge of approximately 30 workers during the swing shift, and overlapped duties for 22 more employees with the night shift manager.

            The main theme that threaded throughout the interview was setting expectations. It became clear that without making expectations clear, there can be no effective evaluation of performance. When discussing the challenge of correcting behavior and when to address it, Maurice made it clear that this starts long before the behavior comes to light. As soon as a person assumes a managerial role, they need to sit down and expound on the expectations for each job and worker. This can happen on a one-to-one basis or in a group. Whenever a new employee is hired this should happen as well. Included in this information should be ramifications if the expectations are not met. Along with setting the expectations, documentation of relaying the information needs to be completed.

            Once “good” or “bad” behavior occurs, the expectations can be used to reward or correct it. Setting these requirements of conduct also assist the manager in appearing fair to their employees. This is an important aspect of performance appraisal. The USPS is highly unionized, so Maurice had to be very careful to treat everyone with equality; ensuring expectations were set and utilized as the yardstick for performance was essential.

            As was already mentioned, another very important aspect of appraisals is documentation. Once the delivery of expectations is documented, further evaluations also need to be kept in the employee’s files. Doing this supports the manager as they discipline or terminate employees, as well as provide rewards for those excelling. With unionized organizations, the manager must to know the rules prescribed in the contract. This would also apply to any organization that has policies regarding human resources (i.e. everyone). They need to ensure that the documentation kept matches what would be required to meet the union standards or company policies. Documentation needs to be completed for discussions with employees as well as specific actions and situations that come up. This will protect the manager from liability as well as negative perceptions of staff that they are unfair.

            One of the aspects that I appreciated about Maurice’s position is that he was able to work alongside his employees. This allowed him to watch closely, get a real feel for how people were performing, address issues quickly, and influence those around him. Being able to work alongside employees really gives a manager two points of view: that of manager and of co-worker. This would give credibility to the opinions of the manager shared in a performance appraisal. One of the biggest challenges in conducing the evaluations is dealing with various personalities. By working right along with those to be evaluated, a manager can build relationships as well as discover how to best approach each employee in their appraisal.

            When it comes to gossip and complaints, a manger has a duty to research the issue extensively before making any assumptions. They must consider that jealousy, animosity, or personal issues may influence what other people say. It is essential that no action is taken on hearsay. These matters have be treated delicately, because if the rumor is true it needs to be dealt with; but if it is false or exaggerated then morale is in jeopardy. This is another reason working alongside staff can be beneficial.

            When it comes to the frequency of appraisals, it seems the beginning of employment needs the most frequent assessment. By meeting frequently after hire, the manager can reinforce the expectations set and help guide the employee as they are learning. After the initial period (at least three months), interviews can be conducted less frequently. Many organizations will likely have set time periods for employee evaluations. However, a good manager will step in and conduct them more frequently when they see a need.

            Finally, managers need to be fluid in their approach to employee evaluations. Recognizing that things change and keeping up with current needs is vital to getting the most out of it. Workers will appreciate a manager who is willing to adjust their style as needed to meet the needs of staff.

            In summary, conducting employee performance appraisals is more than a one-time sit down. It involves constant watching and measuring against established expectations. Managers need to treat workers fairly and remain unbiased when dealing with problem behavior. Although there may be set times for evaluations, managers need to be flexible enough to sit down when needed and change as conditions in the workplace evolve.