Importance of Performance Appraisal - Advantages Uses

Importance of Performance Appraisal

The main advantages or importance of performance appraisal are :-

1. Performance Feedback

Most employees are very interested in knowing how well they are doing at present and how they can do better in a future. They want this information to improve their performance in order to get promotions and merit pay. Proper performance feedback can improve the employee's future performance. It also gives him satisfaction and motivation.

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2. Employee Training and Development Decisions

Performance Appraisal information is used to find out whether an employee requires additional training and development. Deficiencies in performance may be due to inadequate knowledge or skills. For e.g. A professor may improve his efficiency by attending workshops or seminars about his subject. Performance appraisal helps a manager to find out whether he needs additional training for improving his current job performance. Similarly, if the performance appraisal results show that he can perform well in a higher position, then he is given training for the higher level position.

3. Validation of Selection Process

Performance appraisal is a means of validating both internal (promotions and transfers) and external (hiring new employees from outside) sources. Organisations spend a lot of time and money for recruiting and selecting employees. Various tools used in the selection process are application blanks, interviews, psychological tests, etc. These tools are used to predict (guess) the candidate's performance on the job. A proper performance appraisal finds out the validity of the various selection tools and so the company can follow suitable steps for selecting employees in future.

4. Promotions

Performance appraisal is a way of finding out which employee should be given a promotion. Past appraisals, together with other background data, will enable management to select proper persons for promotion.

5. Transfers

Performance appraisal is also useful for taking transfer decisions. Transfers often involve changes in job responsibilities, and it is important to find out the employees who can take these responsibilities. Such identification of employees who can be transferred is possible through the performance appraisal.

6. Layoff Decisions

Performance appraisal is a good way of taking layoff decisions. Employees may be asked to lay off, if the need arises. The weakest performers are the first to be laid off. If there is no performance appraisal, then there are chances that the best men in the department may be laid off.

7. Compensation Decisions

Performance appraisal can be used to compensate the employees by increasing their pay and other incentives. This is truer in the case of managerial jobs and also in the case of employees in non-unionized organisations. The better performances are rewarded with merit pay.

8. Human Resource Planning (HRP)

The appraisal process helps in human resource planning (HRP). Accurate and current appraisal data regarding certain employees helps the management in talking decisions for future employment. Without the knowledge of who is capable of being promoted, demoted, transferred, laid off or terminated, management cannot make employment plans for the future.

9. Career Development

Performance appraisal also enables managers to coach and counsel employees in their career development.