Guidelines for Effective Performance Appraisals

The performance appraisal requires willingness and a commitment to  focus on improving performance at the level of the individual or team every day.  Like a compass, an ongoing performance appraisal system provides  instantaneous, real-time information that describes the difference between one’s  current and desired course. To practice sound performance appraisal system,  managers must do the same thing-provide timely feedback about performance,  while constantly focusing everyone’s attention on the ultimate objective of  being the best among the competitors in the market. Well-written performance appraisals are among the most effective tools  for developing people. The following guidelines would be used for effective  performance appraisals to significantly increase your team’s effectiveness and  perceived value within your organization. Increase employees comfort level with performance appraisals. At the  beginning of each review period, explain the appraisal process, rating  system, and appraisal form. Agree on performance objectives and  measurements for the upcoming review period. Start thinking Continue reading

Introduction to Performance Appraisal

In almost every organization, every employee is subjected to periodic  appraisal of his/her performance. This is highly important if the organization’s  human resource development objectives are to be realized, if the organization  wants to make best use of its human resource available and if the organization  wants to have a scientific and retinal compensation system. An effective  performance appraisal system brings rationality in management. If an  organization wants to maximize its effectiveness then the organization must  have tool by which it can discriminate between an effective employee and not so  effective employee. Today, appraisal is not something of a choice left to the  wishes of the corporate bosses, nor it is a privilege to be enjoyed by few  businesses conglomerates. Therefore, it is a must for every organization for its survival and growth.  The appraisal practices are in somewhere structured and formally sanctioned and  in other instances they are an Continue reading

Objectives of Compensation Management

The basic objective of compensation management can be briefly termed  as meeting the needs of both employees and the organisation. Since both these  needs emerge from different sources, often, there is a conflict between the two.  This conflict can be understood by agency theory which explains relationship  between employees and employers. The theory suggests that employers and  employees are two main stakeholders in a business unit, the former assuming the  role of principals and the latter assuming the role of agents. Objectives of Compensation Management The compensation  paid to employees is agency consideration. Each party to agency tries to fix this  consideration in its own favor. The employers want to pay as little as possible  to keep their costs low. Employees want to get as high as possible. The  compensation management tries to strike a balance between these two with  following specific objectives: 1. Attracting and Retaining Personnel From organisation’s Continue reading

Methods of Job Evaluation

For fixing compensation to different jobs, it is essential that there is  internal equity and consistency among different job holders. Job evaluation is the process of determining the relative  worth of different categories of jobs by analyzing their responsibilities and,  consequently, fixation of their remuneration.  The basic objective of job evaluation is to determine the relative  contributions that the performance of different jobs makes towards the  realization of organisational objectives. There are four basic methods of job evaluation: ranking method, job  grading method, point method and factor comparison method. Out of these, first  two methods are non-quantitative and also known as traditional, non-analytical  or summary methods. The last two methods of job evaluation are quantitative, also known as  analytical methods, and use various  quantitative techniques in evaluating a job. The basic difference between qualitative and quantitative methods of job evaluation is in terms of; Consideration of the job as a Continue reading

Wage Determination Process

Wages can be expressed in two ways. When they are expressed in terms  of money paid to the worker they are called nominal wages. But when they are  expressed in terms of their purchasing power with reference to some base year  they are called real wages. These wages are arrived at by making adjustment in  the nominal wages for the rise or fall in the cost of living. How do we measure changes in the cost of living, or changes in the  prices that consumers pay? The measuring rod is the consumer price index  number. This index number is intended to show over a period of time the  average percentage change in the prices paid by the consumers belonging to the  population group proposed to be covered by the index for a fixed list of goods  and services consumed by them. The average percentage change, measured by  the index, is Continue reading

Advantages and Disadvantages of Incentive Schemes

Merits of Incentives The following are the advantages derived by providing incentives to  employees: Higher output: By providing incentives to his employees, the employer is able  to induce them to work better. This leads to higher output. Greater profits: Needless to say, higher output results in greater profits for the  business. This happens in two ways. First, the cost per unit becomes less and  second, the enterprise is able to keep the selling price low and this results in  greater sales. No problem of idle time: In an organisation where no proper incentives are  available for the workers, the tendency will be to while away the time. When  suitable incentives are available, the workers become time conscious. They  begin to see every minute in terms of money. Supervision does not pose any problem: When suitable incentives are  available, the workers become duty conscious. The need for close supervision,  thus, does Continue reading