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What should I avoid when presenting an Assessment to my employee?
Home » Assessment » Intro to Assessment » What should I avoid when presenting an Assessment to my employee?Legally, assessment of an employee’s job performance must be job-related. All assessments must be standardized, evaluating every employee in similar roles by the same standards. Assessments must not be biased in any way relating to gender, race, religion or nationality. Any handicaps or veteran’s status are off-limits, too.
The details of the assessment must be relating to specific, measurable facts of performance or non-performance. When an employee’s sales numbers are down, show him or her what the numbers were as of their last assessment and then ask if there is a reason for the downturn in productivity. Once the problem is voiced, allow the employee time to express the change in performance. Whatever the reason, avoid doing all the talking. By listening to what the employee says, and working together to make a plan, cooperative goal setting can be accomplished.
Never compare one employee to another. This only creates friction between the two employees, thus lower productivity for both. Phrases such as, “You are capable of achieving this goal,” and “Past experience has shown that you are able to meet this deadline,” are motivating and empowering. But accusations such as, “You used to work as hard as Jane,” are not.
When more serious problems arise, documentation of the problem is essential. Ignoring safety issues or the appearance of substance abuse problems will eventually end in failure for the entire team. Calling in a performance counselor, human resources manager, or the company physician or psychologist to assist in the more serious employment issues is a must. Small businesses without large human resource departments can assist a struggling employee through the enlistment of a general practice physician or counselor. Never try to muddle through a problem that you, as the employer, know is beyond your expertise.
Related Intro to Assessment Articles
- What is an Assessment?
- Why should my company use Assessments?
- How should I prepare for an Assessment Interview?
- What are the limits of Assessments?
- What should I avoid when presenting an Assessment to my employee?