What is the purpose of appraisal reviews?

Day-to-day leadership and personnel development work hinges on the interaction between employees and their direct supervisor. In this context, all aspects of communication are of utmost importance – even if it is only in the form of a lack of communication.

Working together in an atmosphere of trust is only possible if leaders and team members openly exchange their views and opinions on tasks and problems. A carefully planned and conducted annual appraisal review has proven to be one of the most effective and efficient instruments of communication between employees and their direct supervisors. The appraisal review plays a crucial role in organizational communication. It provides the opportunity for a profound, structured exchange between supervisors and their team members. Appraisal reviews address all the important aspects of the work relationship and an employee’s appraisal. For this reason, the appraisal review plays a pivotal role in leadership. The appraisal review offers a breadth of scope and a depth that cannot be achieved even in focused and intensive everyday communications.

How to prepare and conduct appraisal reviews

In light of the above, it is clear that the quality of appraisal reviews is of crucial importance. The following materials and documents are intended to help supervisors and employees use appraisal reviews as a convenient, efficient, flexible, and customizable communication tool. We have provided three basic documents that can easily be combined with each other if required.

1) Basic matrix:

The matrix summarizes all aspects, dimensions, and questions that are essential for a high-quality appraisal review on a single page. It is intended as an accessible, ready-to-use tool to help supervisors and employees prepare and conduct appraisal reviews. The goal is to make appraisal reviews highly effective and efficient. If they use the matrix, participants can be sure that they are covering all the essential elements of a appraisal review. For many appraisal review conversations, the basic matrix will be absolutely sufficient, as long as the factors for a successful appraisal review outlined further below are kept in mind.

2) Catalog of questions:

In some situations –if, for example, special questions, situations, or conflicts need to be addressed – it may be necessary or desirable to modify the basic matrix or to create a fully customized matrix. To make this task easier and more manageable, we have drawn up a very comprehensive catalog of questions you can use, grouped by topic. The catalog covers the fundamental questions of the basic matrix in greater depth and offers a number of additional questions designed to address special topics, situations, and contexts. The goal of this catalog is to help you prepare and conduct customized appraisal reviews and address problematic situations constructively and with confidence.

3) Factors for a successful appraisal review:

To complement the two documents described above, which deal mainly with the content of appraisal reviews, there is also an additional short guideline that lists the most important factors for a successful, high-quality appraisal review conversation.

Downloads

Guidelines

• Basic matrix

• Catalog of questions

• Factors for a successful appraisal review

Additional documents, forms,...

• Report form

• Agreement on development measures

• Documentation of agreements to be implemented

• Basic matrix (worksheet for one's own notes)