Lecture 8. Communicating and Handling Employees After

Performance Appraisals

By

Husam Al-Najar

The Islamic University of Gaza- Civil Engineering Department

Designing Performance appraisal (ENGC 6391 )

what their team members are upto

Performance appraisals enable superiors to know

evaluate their performances

correct feedbacks

know where they are lacking

work on their shortcomings

The term “Performance Appraisal” generally causes anxiety قلق among

employees, which definitely should not be the case.

Do not have to worry about your appraisal if you have worked hard throughout the

year

• There is definitely a certain way appraisals need to be communicated among

employees.

• There are organizations where management tends to create unnecessary hype

.about performance appraisal ضجيج

• In such a scenario, employees think only about their appraisals and find it

extremely difficult to concentrate on their routine affairs.

• The appraisal process certainly should not disturb your daily schedule.

How performance appraisal needs to be communicated among employees

• The rating procedure, appraisal form or any other related information ought to be

sent to each and every individual separately.

• Do not mark a common mail to everyone.

• The appraisal form generally has information about employee’s designation تعيين,

grade, level in the hierarchy, responsibilities and thus must be kept confidential.

• Address their queries, confusions in private. Remember, appraisal is a very

sensitive subject and should be handled gracefully برشاقة.

• Call the employees one by one either in your conference room and try to find out

if they need any help or guidance.

• If you call them in a group, they would never open up. It is unethical to discuss

one’s performance or salary in public

• The increment راتب في زيادة letters or appraisal letters should be handed over to

the employees either by the functional head or human resource team personally.

Employee attrition استنزاف/ انهاك is one of the major problems faced by

organizations after performance appraisal

• Employees who work only for money quit after a salary hike to negotiate further

with any other organization.

• Individuals who do not get satisfactory appraisal in any case get demotivated and

look for a change.

• Any employee who does not agree to his/her appraisal or feel has not got what

he/she deserves needs to be addressed at the earliest.

• Sit with the individual concerned and try to make him/her understand as to why

he/she has got a certain rating.

• Employees cannot always be wrong. If you feel, an employee deserves slightly

more than what he has got, kindly reconsider your decision.

• Remember, it is always better to give a decent salary hike to talented employees

than losing them.

• After all, if they leave, you in any case have to spend time and energy searching for

a replacement.

Employees need to be motivated after their appraisals.

• Congratulate each and every one irrespective of their salary hike or promotion.

• Appreciate everyone for being consistent and most importantly loyal towards the

organization.

• Make sure no one feels left out.

• Sit with them, give them new realistic targets and guide them as to how can they

work together, come out with more innovative ideas and show better

performances in the years to come.

• Performance appraisal should not be the only method to evaluate or

acknowledge employee’s performance.

• Do not be rude to employees who did not perform well. It is absolutely okay to

handhold them and give a second chance.

• Understand where the individual went wrong

• Let them speak and come out with their frustrations

It is often the case that performance appraisals become the bone of contention نقطة

between the managers and their subordinates due to differences over ratings الخالف

and the resultant pay hikes and the quantum of bonuses.

Employees Leave Managers Instead of Organizations due to Perceptions of

Discrimination

research showing that 80% of all employees who quit do so due to differences

with their managers, there is a need for organizations to take the employee

performance appraisals seriously and ensure that there is transparency and

accountability

Performance Appraisals Cannot be Solely Data Driven

• It is also the case that the entire performance appraisal cannot be fully and

purely data-driven as the manager’s feedback to the employees has to be based

on perceptions of performance in as much as it based on data.

• There are aspects such as soft skills and other parameters where data cannot be

the sole criterion for the appraisals.

• There are also aspects such as team player and other attributes that are based

on subjective feedback and where data alone cannot suffice.

• Apart from this, the fact that the bell curve method of rankings and ratings which

is based on relative performance rather than absolute numbers means that no

matter how much organizations try, the performance appraisal process cannot be

solely data driven.

• The fact that performance ratings are both an indicator of personal performance

as well as relative performance means that there has to be an approach that

combines data and relative performance without being too subjective.

Combination of Algorithm and Personal Perceptions can Help

This is where many organizations are experimenting with algorithmic driven

performance appraisals wherein the combination of data-driven absolute

performance is then fed into the Algorithm or the Artificial Intelligence driven

software to ensure that there is a measure of both relative as well as absolute

performance.

Employee Discipline التزام and Features of a Sound Disciplinary System

Discipline means systematically conducting the business by the organizational

members who strictly adhere to the essential rules and regulations.

• These employees/organizational members work together as a team so as to

achieve organizational mission as well as vision and they truly understand that

the individual and group aims and desires must be matched so as to ensure

organizational success.

• A disciplined employee will be organized and an organized employee will be

disciplined always.

• Employee behavior is the base of discipline in an organization. Discipline implies

confirming with the code of conduct السلوكية القواعد established by the organization.

Discipline in an organization ensures productivity and efficiency. It encourages

harmony and co-operation among employees as well as acts as a morale

booster for the employees المعنوية الروح تعزيز . In absence of discipline, there will be

chaos confusion, corruption and disobedience in an organization , فوضى

Discipline and

organizational

discipline

obedience orderliness

maintenance of proper

subordination among

employees

Work recognition

fair and equitable

treatment of

employees

appropriate salary

structure

effective

grievance

handling

job-security

Discipline is viewed from two

angles/dimensions

Positive Discipline: implies

discipline without punishment. The

main aim is to ensure and encourage

self-discipline among the employees.

The employees in this case identify

the group objectives as their own

objectives and strive hard to achieve

them. The employees follow and

adhere to the rules and regulations

not due to the fear of punishment but

due to the inherent desire to

harmonize in achieving organizational

goals. Employees exercise self-

control to meet these goals

Negative Discipline: Employees

adhere to rules and regulations in fear

of punishment which may be in form of

fines, penalties, demotions or

transfers. In this case, the employees

do not perceive organizational goals

as their own goals. The action taken

by the management to ensure desired

standard of behavior/code of conduct

from the employees in an organization

is called negative discipline. The fear

of punishment prevents the employees

from going off-track يمنع العقاب من الخوف

الصحيح المسار عن الخروج من الموظفين

Characteristics of a Sound Disciplinary System (Red Hot Stove Rule)

Mc Gregor propounded the “red hot stove rule”

1. Immediate- Just as when you touch a red hot stove, the burn is immediate,

similarly the penalty for violation should be immediate/ immediate disciplinary action

must be taken for violation of rules.

2. Consistent- Just as a red hot stove burns everyone in same manner; likewise,

there should be high consistency in a sound disciplinary system.

3. Impersonal- Just as a person is burned because he touches the red hot stove and

not because of any personal feelings, likewise, impersonality should be maintained

by refraining from personal or subjective feelings.

4. Prior warning and notice- Just as an individual has a warning when he moves

closer to the stove that he would be burned on touching it, likewise, a sound

disciplinary system should give advance warning to the employees as to the

implications of not conforming to the standards of behavior/code of conduct in an

organization.

a sound disciplinary system presupposes

1. Acquaintance/Knowledge of rules- The employees should be well aware of the

desired code of conduct/ standards of behavior in the organization. This code of

discipline should be published in employee handbook.

2. Timely action- Timely enquiry التحقيق should be conducted for breaking the code

of conduct in an organization. The more later the enquiry is made, the more

forgetful one becomes and the more he feels that punishment is not deserved.

3. Fair and just action- There should be same punishment for same offence/

misconduct. There should be no favoritism محسوبية. Discipline should be uniformly

enforced always.

4. Positive approach- The disciplinary system should be preventive and not

punitive. Concentrate on preventing misconduct and not on imposing penalties. The

employees should not only be explained the reason for actions taken against them

but also how such fines and penalties can be avoided in future.

Grievance may be any genuine or imaginary feeling of dissatisfaction or injustice

which an employee experiences about his job and it’s nature, about the

management policies and procedures.

• It must be expressed by the employee and brought to the notice of the

management and the organization.

• Grievances take the form of collective disputes when they are not resolved.

• Also they will then lower the morale and efficiency of the employees.

• Unattended grievances result in frustration, dissatisfaction, low productivity, lack

of interest in work, absenteeism, etc.

• In short, grievance arises when employees’ expectations are not fulfilled from the

organization as a result of which a feeling of discontentment السخط and

dissatisfaction arises.

• This dissatisfaction must crop up ينبثق from employment issues and not from

personal issues.

Grievance may result from the following factors

a. Improper working conditions such as strict production standards, unsafe

workplace, bad relation with managers, etc.

b. Irrational معقول غير management policies such as overtime, transfers, demotions,

inappropriate salary structure, etc.

c. Violation of organizational rules and practices

manage grievance effectively

1.Quick action

• As soon as the grievance arises, it should be identified and resolved.

• Training must be given to the managers to effectively and timely manage a

grievance.

• This will lower the detrimental effects ضار تأثير of grievance on the employees

and their performance.

2. Acknowledging grievance

• The manager must acknowledge the grievance put forward by the employee as

manifestation of true and real feelings of the employees. يعترف أن المدير على يجب

للموظفين الحقيقية المشاعر على كدليل الموظف قدمه الذي بالتظلم

• Acknowledgement by the manager implies that the manager is eager to look

into the complaint impartially and without any bias.

This will create a conducive work environment with instances of grievance

reduced. التظلم حاالت تقليل مع مواتية عمل بيئة خلق إلى هذا سيؤدي

3. Gathering facts

• The managers should gather appropriate and sufficient facts explaining the

grievance’s nature.

• A record of such facts must be maintained so that these can be used in later

stage of grievance redressal.

4. Examining the causes of grievance

• The actual cause of grievance should be identified.

• Accordingly remedial actions should be taken to prevent repetition of the

grievance

5. Decision

• After identifying the causes of grievance, alternative course of actions اإلجراءات مسار

should be thought of to manage the grievance.

• The effect of each course of action on the existing and future management

policies and procedure should be analyzed and accordingly decision should be

taken by the manager.

6. Execution and review

• The manager should execute the decision quickly, ignoring the fact, that it may or

may not hurt the employees concerned. بسرعة القرار تنفيذ المدير على يجب

• After implementing the decision, a follow-up must be there to ensure that the

grievance has been resolved completely and adequately

Employee Training and training Methods

Training implies enhancing the skills and knowledge of the employees for

performing a specific job. Training tries to improve employees’ performance in

current job and prepares them for future job. The crucial consequence of training is

learning.

Objectives of Employee Training Programs

• To prepare employees to meet the varying and challenging needs of the job and

organization.

• To provide knowledge and skills to new entrants and to help them to perform

their role and job well.

• To coach employees for more complex and higher level jobs.

• To educate employees new and innovative ways and techniques of performing

job.

Benefits of Trained Employees

• Trained employees do not require tight control and supervision as they are well

aware of how to perform a job.

• Trained employees can show higher performance by making optimum and best

utilization of the materials, tools, equipment's and other resources provided to

them.

• Trained employees minimize wastages of resources in the organization and work

both efficiently and effectively.

• Training makes employees more committed to an organization as the employees

are provided with growth, advancement and learning opportunities.

• Training develops a line of proficient and skilled managers as it prepares

employees for complex and higher level tasks.

• Trained employees adjust to the job better and there are fewer rates of

absenteeism and turnover.

• Trained employees produce quality and quantity output.

• Trained employees enable the organization to face competition from rival firms

المتنافسة الشركات .

• Trained employees can respond and adapt to the changing technology well.

• Trained employees become more proficient and, thus, their earning potential

increase.

Steps in Employee Training Program

1. Identifying the training needs- The training needs of each employee should be

identified.

Programs should be developed that are best suited to their needs.

What Is a Training Needs Assessment (TNA)?

• A TNA is the process to determine whether training to address a performance

gap is necessary.

• Training might be appropriate when the performance issue is a “can’t do” issue:

1) Poor performance (resulting from a knowledge or skill deficiency).

2) Lack of basic skills (reading, writing, technology, math skills).

3) Legislation or policies requiring new knowledge or skills.

4) New technology.

5) A customer request for new products or services.

6) Higher performance standards.

7) New jobs.

Needs Assessment Tools

Performance Measures

Ranking

Grading

Scoring

Rating

Surveys

Questionnaires

Interviewing

Focus Groups

Observations

Three Types of TNA Analyses

To align training with business strategy and to

ensure there are resources and managerial support

for training

Organizational Analysis

To identify the important work-related tasks and

knowledge, skills, behaviors, abilities (KSBAs);

determine if the content and activities are consistent

with trainee on-the-job experience; and to develop

measurable and relevant content, objectives and

methods.

Task Analysis

To ensure that trainees have the basic skills,

motivation, prerequisite skills or confidence

Person Analysis

Important terms

is the difference between what is and what should be.

(what results are) vs. (what results should be)

Gap

is what people need to know, such as subject matter,

concepts, or facts, in order to do a job.

Knowledge

are what people must know in order to perform a job Skills or Abilities

are the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, motivation, and

beliefs people must have in order to be successful in a job

Competencies

are predicated on the assumption that groups of people

have needs that are not being met or addressed adequately.

When people are aware of such needs, the awareness is

often expressed as demands. When they are not aware, the

needs are said to be latent. NAs seek to uncover unmet

needs, both recognized and latent

Unmet needs

Key Concerns of Upper- and Midlevel Managers and Trainers in Needs

Assessment

Three Types of

TNA Analyses Upper-Level Managers Midlevel Managers Trainers

Organizational

Analysis

Is training important to

achieve our business

objectives?

How does training

support our business

strategy?

Do I want to spend

money on training?

How much?

Do I have the budget to

buy training services?

Will managers support

training?

Person

Analysis

What functions or

business units need

training?

Who should be trained?

Managers?

Professionals?

Core employees?

How will I identify

which employees need

training?

Task Analysis Does the company have

the people with the

knowledge, skills, and

ability needed to

compete in the

marketplace?

For what jobs can

training make the

biggest difference in

product quality or

customer service?

What tasks should be

trained?

What knowledge, skills,

ability, or other

characteristics are

necessary?

Causes and Outcomes of Needs Assessment

Outcomes What is the Context? Reasons or

“Pressure Points”

• What Trainees Need to

Learn

• Who Receives Training

• Type of Training

• Frequency of Training

• Buy Versus Build

Training Decision

• Training Versus Other

HR Options Such as

Selection or Job

Redesign

• How Training Should

Be Evaluated

• Legislation

• Lack of Basic Skills

• Poor Performance

• New Technology

• Customer Requests

• New Products

• Higher Performance

Standards

• New Jobs

Organization

Analysis

Person

Analysis

Task

Analysis In What Do

They Need

Training?

Organization Analysis

An Organization Analysis involves determining the

• Appropriateness of training given the organization’s strategy.

• Resources (financial and development) available for training and transfer after training.

• Support by managers and peers for training and transfer.

Person/Learner Analysis The person/learner analysis involves

• Determining whether performance deficiencies result from a lack of knowledge, skill,

behavior or ability (a training issue) or from a motivational or work design problem.

• Identifying who needs the training; who has a deficiency.

• Determining readiness for training: basic skills, motivation, self-efficacy

Task Analysis

Task Analysis involves

• Identifying the important work-related tasks and knowledge, skills, behaviors and

abilities (KSBAs) that must be emphasized in training.

• Data sources: Subject matter experts (SMEs), managers, exemplary employees.

Da

ta fo

r a

Pe

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n/L

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rne

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na

lysis

Person Characteristics

• Basic Skills

• Self-Efficiency

• Awareness of Timing Needs, Career Interests, Goals

Input

• Understand What, How, When to Perform

• Situational Constraints

• Social Support

• Opportunity to Perform

Output

• Expectations for Learning and Performance

Consequences

• Norms

• Benefits

• Rewards

Feedback

• Frequency

• Specificity

• Detail

Process for analyzing the factors that influence employee performance and learning

Motivation to Learn

Learning Performance

2. Prepare the trainer- The trainer must do his home work well.

He should know both what to teach and how to teach.

Time management is required by the trainer.

Training should be delivered in such a manner that the trainee should not loose the

interest in the job.

3. Prepare the trainee- The trainee should remain active during training.

He should know that why is he being trained.

He should put across the trainer questions and doubts.

The trainee should be put at ease مرتاح during the training program.

4. Explain and demonstrate the operations- The trainer should explain the

logical sequence of the job.

The trainee should perform the job systematically and explain the complete job he

is performing.

His mistakes should be rectified and the complex step should be done for him

once.

When the trainee demonstrates that he can do the job in right manner, he is left to

himself. لنفسه يترك فإنه ، الصحيحة بالطريقة بالعمل القيام على قادر أنه المتدرب يثبت عندما

Through repetitive practices, the trainee acquires more skill.

5. Follow up and feedback- The trainee should be given feedback on how well he

performed the job.

He should be asked to give a feedback on the effectiveness of training program.

Methods of Training Employees

1. Induction Training 2. Refresher Training

4. Off the job Training

Seminars/Conferences Simulation Exercise Vestibule Trainings

3. O

n th

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ob

Tra

inin

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Co

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ing

Jo

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ota

tion

1. Induction Training

• Induction training is often given to new employees to make them feel a part of

the organization.

• How do you think an individual can perform if he/she is not familiar with the

policies and rules and regulations of the organization? You can’t expect an

individual to deliver results on the first day itself.

• You need to welcome your employees well for them to feel motivated and

comfortable.

• Induction programs need to be designed sensibly.

• Too much of information on the day of joining will frighten the new employee and

believe me, he/she will not come from the next day onwards.

• Induction programs help new employees to get acquainted with the work culture

and fellow workers.

• Induction programs need to be short, crisp but informative.

2. Refresher Training

• Refresher trainings are designed for existing employees to refresh them and

also help them acquire new skills and technologies to keep pace with the

changing times.

• Such training programs prepare employees for more responsible positions.

3. On the Job Trainings

• On the job trainings are given to employees at the workplace itself by their

superiors and Bosses.

• Managers ought to sit with their team members on a regular basis, train them on

new technologies, skill sets to help them cope with the changes.

• On the job trainings are given to employees along with their jobs itself and make

them capable to handle bigger responsibilities.

• On the Job trainings are imparted by any of the following methods:

a. Coaching - Coaching is also defined as learning by doing and handling various

ongoing projects. In this method of training, team manager assigns certain job

responsibilities to team members, monitors their performance, points out their

mistakes, provides them feedbacks and also suggestions for improvement.

b. Job Rotation employees move from one position to another, thus acquiring new

skills and learnings. Job rotation acquaints individuals with newer roles and

challenges and makes them capable of performing any type of task

4. Off the job Training

Off the job trainings are given outside the workplace.

Off the job trainings can be provided by any of the following methods:

a. Seminars/Conferences

Seminars and conferences are effective when training needs to be given to a larger

audience.

Relevant information, latest developments, new technologies and case studies are

discussed on a common platform to acquaint employees with على الموظفين اطالع new

skill sets.

b. Simulation Exercise

Simulation exercises train the employees in an artificial environment which closely

resembles the employee’s actual working conditions.

c. Vestibule Trainings

employees practice work on the instrument/equipment which they would be using

in future when they would be actually working.