Overview: This milestone focuses on the topics of this week’s lessons: managing and appraising employee performance. Using the material on performance management and appraisals provided in this week’s

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Wh ich p erfo rm an ce rat in g s cal e i s b est,

an d w hat s h ou ld an e m plo ye r co nsid er

in ad op tin g a perfo rm an ce rat in g s cal e?

Ratin g s c a le s a re u se d in p erfo rm an ce m an ag em ent s y ste m s t o in d ic a te a n e m plo ye e's le ve l o f p erfo rm an ce o r a ch ie ve m ent. T he se s c a le s

are c o m monly u se d b eca u se t h e y p ro vid e q uan tit a tiv e a sse ssm ents , a re r e la tiv e ly e asy t o a d m in is te r a n d a ssis t in d i ere ntia tin g b etw een

em plo ye es.

A lt h o ug h t h e re is n o c o nse nsu s o n w hic h s p eci c s c a le w ork s b est, m ost p erfo rm an ce r a tin g s c a le s u se d b y e m plo ye rs s h are c o m mon

ele m ents .

R atin g s c a le s m ay b e n um eric (e .g ., 3 , 4 , 5 ) o r a lp hab etic (e .g ., a , b , c ), w it h n um bers o r le tte rs c o rre sp ond in g t o a n a d je ctiv e , s u ch a s " 5 =

e xc e lle nt" o r " c = s a tis fa cto ry ." R atin g s c a le s a ls o m ay b e n arra tiv e . F o r e xa m ple , o ne e le m ent o n a s c a le m ay b e " u nacce p ta b le

p erfo rm an ce ," d esc rib ed a s " fa ils t o m eet b asic r e q uir e m ents a n d o b je ctiv e s." S ca le s t h at p ro vid e a p osit iv e m essa g e h ave b eco m e m ore

p op ula r. F o r e xa m ple , a s c a le m ay in clu d e r a tin g s s u ch a s " a cce p ta b le ," " e ectiv e " a n d " v e ry e ectiv e ."

F iv e -le ve l p erfo rm an ce m an ag em ent s c a le s a re m ost c o m monly u se d , b ut e m plo ye rs m ay c h o ose a lt e rn ativ e s. E ach a p pro ach h as

ad va n ta g es a n d d is a d va n ta g es. F o r e xa m ple , a s im ple t h re e-le ve l r a tin g s c a le m ay b e e no ug h t o c a p tu re a jo b's c rit ic a l o b je ctiv e s w hile

r e d ucin g t h e b urd en o f t h e p erfo rm an ce r e vie w p ro ce ss. A ve -le ve l s c a le m ay p ro vid e a n o p portu nit y t o b ette r d i ere ntia te b etw een

em plo ye es b y o erin g t w o s u p erio r p erfo rm an ce le ve ls , a s a tis fa cto ry le ve l a n d t w o le ss-th an -s a tis fa cto ry le ve ls . H ow eve r, t h e re is

e vid ence t h at m an ag ers a re n o t e ectiv e in m akin g s u ch n e d is tin ctio ns a n d t h at t h e y o ft e n f o cu s o n t h e m id dle r a tin g s o r t e nd t o d rif t

u p w ard in r a tin g s. F o ur- a n d s ix -le ve l s c a le s a re a ls o u se d a n d m ay r e d uce t h e t e nd ency t o d rif t u p w ard o r f o cu s o n t h e c e nte r.

R eg ard le ss o f t h e n um ber o f p oin ts o n a r a tin g s c a le , e ach le ve l m ust b e c le arly d en e d , u se d c o nsis te ntly b y m an ag ers a n d t w it h t h e

o rg an iz a tio n's c u lt u re . R ate rs s h o uld b e p ro vid ed w it h e xa m ple s o f b ehavio rs , s k ills , m easu re m ents , a n d o th e r d ata t h at w ill a ssis t t h e m in

d ecid in g t h e p erfo rm an ce le ve l. T his le ve l o f d eta il is p artic u la rly im porta n t in n um eric a l s c a le s, w he re o ne p ers o n's '5 ' is a n o th e r p ers o n's

' 4 '.

A no th e r t y p e o f p erfo rm an ce m an ag em ent s c a le is t h e B ehavio ra lly A nch o re d R atin g S ca le (B A RS). T his a p pra is a l t o ol g ene ra lly c o nta in s a

s e t o f s p eci c b ehavio rs t h at r e p re se nt g ra d atio ns o f p erfo rm an ce a n d a re u se d a s c o m mon r e fe re nce p oin ts c a lle d " a n ch o rs " f o r r a tin g

e m plo ye es o n v a rio us b ehavio ra l d im ensio ns. F o r e xa m ple , t e am work m ay b e a d im ensio n o n a B A RS t o ol, w it h a n ch o rs s u ch a s

"p artic ip ate s in t e am m eetin g s f r o m t im e t o t im e," " fr e q ue ntly p artic ip ate s a n d c o ntr ib ute s n e w id eas in t e am m eetin g s," a n d s o f o rth . B A RS

sc a le s a re n o t c o m monly u se d a n d d eve lo p in g a B A RS a sse ssm ent t o ol c a n b e a t im e-c o nsu m in g p ro ce ss. B A RS m ay p ro vid e a g re ate r

d eg re e o f a ccu ra cy r e la tiv e t o p erfo rm an ce a p pra is a l, b ut im pro ve d a ccu ra cy u nd er B A RS is d ep end ent o n d eve lo p in g la n g uag e t h at is

p re cis e , c o ncis e a n d r e ad ily u nd ers to od w he n d en in g e ach c o m pete ncy a n d b ehavio ra l a ttr ib ute .

H R D A IL Y N EW SL ETTE R

New s, t r e nd s a n d a n aly sis , a s w ell a s b re akin g n e w s a le rts , t o h e lp H R p ro fe ssio nals d o t h e ir jo b s b ette r e ach b usin e ss d ay. 5/21/2020 Which performance rating scale is best, and what should an employer consider in adopting a performance rating scale?

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