Human Resource Development, Case Study Analysis
Managing Learning and Knowledge Capital
Human Resource Development:
Chapter 5
Performance appraisal and career development
Copyright © 2010 Tilde University Press
The importance of performance appraisal
- One of the most misunderstood HRM functions
- A process that everyone loves to hate
- But is critical
- PA must achieve outcomes areas, such as:
- Basis of HRDNI
- Encourage the development of staff
- Cost effective
- The most direct and dynamic link between on-the-job performance and human resource development
*
Performance management
- Key elements of performance management :
- normal interactive process between managers, individuals and teams
- based on agreements, accountables, expectations and development plans
- a continuous process
- Performance management unites performance appraisal with the other organisational subsystems and strategies.
- Performance appraisal (PA):
- Concentrates on the individual
- Provides a unique set of information for HRDNI
*
Performance appraisal – a natural process
- Appraising something - measuring the extent of its value to us
- We make hundreds of judgements each day
- Appraisal has four stages
- having some predetermined standard
- observing some event or object
- comparing this observation against the predetermined standard, and
- taking some action
*
Performance appraisal – a unique process
- Can play a unique role in engendering or destroying trust
- Communication is the key – see Figure 5.1
- Plays a pivotal role in HRD
- Essential part of the evaluation of the investment of developmental activities.
- Its need for trust and its complexity may be why some managers shy away from PA
*
Impact on the HR developer
- Involved in PA in a variety of ways
- In both the surveillance & investigatory stages of HRDNI
- Design, develop and instigate a PA system
- Develop both the managers and the appraisees in the reciprocal skills necessary to conduct PAs
- ensure that the special interaction between managers and staff fulfils the fruitful opportunities offered
- The appraisal interaction between manager and staff member is a dynamic developmental episode when handled correctly—but an absolute disaster when handled incorrectly
- The results provide specific and indispensable information for the evaluation stage
*
Impact on the HR developer (cont)
- Eight principles for a successful performance appraisal system
- Two types —administrative and developmental
- The use of a cascade process
- Performance standards are based on a current job analysis
- Observing the events using appropriate observation methods
- Using realistic comparisons between the observed data and the predetermined standard
- taking action through the use of appropriate feedback methods
- creating action plans
- The action plans must become the inputs for a developmental program
*
Types of performance appraisal
- Administrative performance appraisal
- making decisions for salary increments, promotions, retrenchments and succession plans
- a critical part of the control function in an organisation
- Developmental performance appraisals
- identifying, honestly and accurately, the developmental needs of an individual
- Are conflicting in nature
- The main variable is trust
- Both processes have commonalities
*
Basic process of PA
- Job analysis
- Gathering and recording information on a job
- Research methods as used in the HRDNI
- What are the tasks and duties of this particular position?
- What are the expected outcomes of these tasks and duties?
- Creating the two basic documents
- Job description
- Job specification
- The predetermined standard
*
Basic process of PA (cont)
- Observing the performance
- The what
- The who
- The full period
- The comparison
- Visual record
- Graphic rating scale and
- Behaviourally anchored rating scale
- See Figure 5.6
*
Basic process of PA (cont)
- Feedback
- tell-and-sell (Administrative ?)
- tell-and-listen (Administrative ?)
- problem solving (Developmental ?)
- Also depends on job maturity
- Action plans
- Permanent and reliable record
- For the administrative appraisal, the usual record is a report
- For the developmental appraisal, an action plan
- The what - e.g. the learning objectives
- The who - person responsible for the action
- The how - type of learning – formal? Informal?
*
Surveillance system
- The developmental performance appraisal process is the key surveillance system for any HRDNI
- the information on the action plans is used for two purposes:
- to design learning programs for individuals
- to investigate trends identified from the collation of several individual action plans for further hidden needs
*
Legal issues in PA
- A PA holds weight in the legal environment
- Either as a shield against legal proceedings
- Or a distinct legal/ financial risk
- Legal ramifications
- Not having one poses an enormous risk
- The job analysis needs to produce
- job descriptions that are accurate
- KPIs that are reasonable and achievable
- job specifications that are logical
- use measures that can be proven to be reliable and valid
*
Career management
- The comparison between
- the needs of the individual
- the needs of the organisation
- Critical because of the long lead times often needed for the development of people for new roles and responsibilities
- The organisation matches
- the needs of the staff
- with the organisation’s requirements for flexibility
- to achieve a balanced mix of primary, secondary and peripheral staff
*
Careers
- Traditional vertical career
- Within a single organisation
- An orderly, predictable upward progression
- The psychological contract
- Protean career
- Self-directed orientation
- Implies independence from external career influences
- Individual evaluates career goals using internal values
- Greater mobility and a more whole-of-life perspective
- Boundaryless career
- crossing organisational and professional boundaries
- job security is replaced by employability
*
Career development
- On-going
- Reciprocal interaction between employee and employer
- Enhancing capabilities so that the individual is not restricted to a particular job/career/ organisation
- The process contributes to organisational success
- Being inclusive rather than exclusive to a few
- Being formal and informal
- Individual and work priorities influence choice about careers and developmental opportunities
*
Career counselling
- Help to develop them reach their career goals
- Career motivation
- Career identity - personal values according to workplace
- Career insight - ability to evaluate own strengths and weaknesses
- Career resilience – how cope with the problems that arise at work
*
Career counselling (cont)
- Career anchors
- Pattern of talents, motives and values
- that guide/constrain/stabilise/integrate career
- A number of types, such as
- Technical competence
- Managerial competence
- Wanting security
- Wanting creativity
- Preference for autonomy
*
Career counselling (cont)
- Individual’s personal environment
- Mix of work life, family life and leisure life
- Balance
- Role conflicts
- Life-cycle model
- Exploration stage
- Establishment stage
- Maintenance stage
- Disengagement stage
*
Career counselling (cont)
- Gather information on future careers
- What qualifications are needed
- How much supervised experience is required
- Employment opportunities
- Locations of employment
- Expected working hours
- Costs of gaining qualifications and experience
- Effects of such a change on present lifestyle
*
Career counselling (cont)
- Constructing action plans
- Action plan to make the change happen
- Plans usually include
- Time line
- Budget
- Incorporate a reality check into the process
- E.g., visiting a work site
*
Career counselling (cont)
- Making the change
- How will the specific change affect each member of the family?
- Is the new employer financially stable?
- Is the culture ‘fit’ of the new organisation appropriate?
- Is the physical working environment be suitable?
*