Exploring Performance Appraisal Methods

The success of pay-for-performance practices depends on numerous factors. Perhaps the most important factor is the design of performance appraisal practices. Performance appraisal serves developmental (an element of career planning) and evaluative purposes. In pay-for-performance systems, performance appraisals provide an evaluation that determines whether a pay award will be made and if so, the amount of the award. This exercise and discussion allow you to explore the design of common performance appraisal methods and to critique them.

create a brief performance appraisal plan proposal based on the behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) method. As a team of HR professionals, create a BARS plan for the customer service representative job. The main tasks of customer service representatives are below. Prepare your responses for supervisors who will conduct performance appraisals for the first time and have little background knowledge about job performance appraisal methods.
In this context, you must do the following based on your review of the job tasks for customer service representatives. Note: For Steps 1 and 2 below, refer to your textbook (Exhibit 11.3) for an example of a standard rating scale with behavioral scale anchors for teamwork:
Based on the task statements listed in the customer service representative job description, identify two work behaviors and define each one. (Please do not use teamwork for your answers.)
Prepare a standard rating scale with behavioral scale anchors for each behavior you’ve identified in Step 1.
Explain to supervisors what BARS are and how to use it.
Explain to supervisors one potential pitfall they may encounter when using BARS, and offer suggestions about how to avoid it.
Reference: Barry Gerhart/Jerry M Newman/Compensation 13th edition