ABSTRACT
The appraisal process begins when the dentist and employee arrive at a mutual understanding of what needs to be achieved in the organization. It is an essential activity in practice management and in human resource management. Goals should be challenging but achievable and set with full employee participation. The appraisal should be carried out by the employee's immediate supervisor. Depending on the management structure within the practice, this may be a senior dental assistant or practice manager in the case of dental assistants, or the principal dentist in the case of clinicians and senior administrative staff. Many dentists find it difficult to carry out the appraisal process. This is often due to lack of time or structure to the process. A useful starting point is to give the employee a self-appraisal questionnaire of the type. Employees may be unfamiliar with the process and find it uncomfortable.
