ABSTRACT
At the heart of performance management in practice lies the need to evaluate or appraise the performance of the people concerned. Each time a supervisor praises, counsels or disciplines a subordinate, some form of performance appraisal has almost certainly taken place. From time to time, however, it may become necessary
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for a supervisor to get away from the hurlyburly of the workplace and to examine objectively the performance of his or her subordinates. The supervisor needs to do this because the employer should know the strengths and weaknesses of the employees and because employees need to know how they stand. The supervisor should examine each employee’s performance against expectations and at the same time consider the person’s potential as well. He or she should then decide what steps should be taken in both the employer’s and the individual’s best interests. This process has several titles but is commonly called ‘performance appraisal’. This important procedure, often formalizing the ongoing feedback to the employee, is normally carried out annually, though some companies have felt the need for a more regular occurrence.
