We firmly believe that our employees are our organization’s greatest assets. Just as the organization as a whole must be periodically evaluated to make sure performance goals are being met, it is critical that employee performance be analyzed periodically as well. We have implemented this Performance Appraisal process to help our employees reach their maximum potential, for themselves as well as the organization.

The purpose of the Performance Appraisal is to allow you to evaluate and develop an individual's performance. It should be used as a tool to encourage your best performers to maintain their high level of performance and to motivate poor performers to do better.

Benefits of an objective Performance Appraisal process include:

• Provides objective analysis for promotion or compensation considerations
• Asset allocation - making sure the right people are in the right jobs
• Identification of training/development needs to reach maximum effectiveness
• Identification of employees who have the potential for advancement or who might be better suited in other areas of the organization
• Reduced turnover costs - identifying problem areas before it is too late

To be effective, the Performance Appraisal must be objective. Effective communication is critical in the process, so employee performance should be discussed openly. Avoid being overly critical or too lenient in your evaluations. The focus should be on performance improvement, so identify and discuss those areas of strength which can be utilized for greater effectiveness as well as areas of weakness which need to be improved. When discussing weaknesses, it is especially important to provide concrete guidance as to how performance can be improved.

The Performance Appraisal allows the employee to rate themselves on the same criteria you are using, and includes a section in which the employee can evaluate job satisfaction and identify areas that the employee feels could be improved. Also included are tools for identifying and implementing specific areas of development. Again, the Performance Appraisal is designed to open up avenues for communication, so use these tools to your advantage.