An appraisal is as good as its purpose.  So that’s the first thing to think about really, what is a business going to do with what they find out through appraisals?  Some companies have appraisals once a year but more than not these days they are much more frequent and less formal.  Some companies have monthly “check ins” between a line manager and member of staff.  This is like an informal opportunity to find out how someone is doing in their job, discuss goals and any obstacles and identify any performance issues.  It also gives people the opportunity to discuss anything that may be happening at work such as harassment and bullying and can be a way of identifying things like this early.

Some companies have appraisals by different colleagues so that a more holistic view can be taken regarding communication and performance.  Although appraisals can be a good thing we can also make people feel stifled through this type of analysis, so it is a fine balance to achieve.

Businesses want different types of people working for them, all with different experience and characters and sometimes the internal processes that are in place can dampen a person’s spirit as they navigate the politics of an organisation.  The key here is to find a way of gathering information that can help a business grow without suffocating people.  The information that is gathered may help with job design and training needs and may also reveal organisational development needs as well, for instance if there are better processes and technology out there that can be used and this is brought to light through appraisals and the dialogue therein.