Performance Measuring

Topics

• basic concepts in performance
• performance rating- substance
• performance rating- process
• social and legal context of performance evaluation
• Gig
• UPS Driver
• Articles
• The politics of employee appraisal
• Rating formats and rater training redux: A context-specific approach for enhancing the effectiveness of performance management

performance measures

• objective
• personnel
• judmental

behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS)- rating format that includes behavioral anchors describing what a work has done, or might be expected to do, in particular duty area

behavioral observation scales (BOS)- asks the rater to consider how frequently an employee has been seen to act in a particular way

rating errors- inaccuracies in ratings that may be actual errors or intentional or systematic distortions

• central tendency error
• leniency error
• severity error
• halo error

training

• administrative training
• psychometric training
• frame-of-reference (FOR) training

Reaction

Performance is so important to our jobs. The question is: "how do we measure it?" The measurement process of performance has ins and outs that have to be considered in order to provide an accurate and unbiased report. We learned that often times the evaluations are not accurate or free of bias and somehow related to organization politics or money woes. These factors alone drive the evaluations to be inflated or deflated and can cause a misunderstanding by the employee receiving the evaluation.

Analysis

I've only had one job where I've been officially given a performance review. This was the job I had in high school where I conducted telephone surveys for hospitals. I had one review before I graduated from high school and quit my job. The evaluation was a surprise. When they brought me in, I was told my previous supervisor (who left suddenly, very dramatic!) was supposed to have handled them. They told me it was supposed to actually happen and frequently but they didn't realize she wasn't doing this portion of her job. Anyway, I was told when I was hired I would be periodically monitored throughout my time with this company- they would randomly listen in on my surveys and take notes. I just never knew when I would receive that feedback. The evaluation was very informal and they didn't have much to say. What they did have to say were comments from previous months and were outdated comments. Things that I had already learned from on my own. It was pretty much a joke. The comments I did receive could be classified as:

judgmental performance measures- evaluation made of the effectiveness of an individual's work behavior, most often by supervisors in the context of a yearly performance evaluation

The method of obtaining information to measure my performance could be considered:

electronic performance monitoring- monitoring work processes with electronic devices; can be very cost effective and has the potential for providing detailed and accurate work logs

The surveys I conducted were on a specially developed system so all of the work I did was monitored. I was evaluated (not paid per) on percentage of surveys completed, quality of completion and so forth. All of these things were monitored. They were more heavily monitored after my first supervisor left since the new supervisor was interested in actually doing his job.

Reflection
There are many different methods of monitoring performance and then translating that into an evaluation process. Companies can devote a lot of time and effort into ensuring they have a good system in place to monitor and then provide feedback to their employees. Unfortunately, not all are interested in providing quality feedback to their employees and can be distracted by office politics, monetary concerns, and other personal issues. These things are important to I/O psychologists because they will most likely be advocating for the implementation and upkeep of quality performance evaluation measures.