Making a correct performance evaluation is one of the strategies that every company must use in order to measure the potential of its team.
It is known that productivity depends a lot on the engagement of employees and talents that the company has, as well as the technology used. Therefore, it is convenient to use an appropriate estimate of the performance of those who work for you.

If you haven't performed your company's performance evaluation yet, maybe this is the best time. Have you thought about it? Read the post produced by Metadados – a company that has been developing software for the management of Human Resources for 32 years – and learn a little more about the subject!

What is performance appraisal?
Performance evaluation is a people management tool , whose objective is to assess the level of performance of an employee or a group of employees in relation to the company as a whole.

The instrument in question consists of a process to identify, diagnose and analyze deliverables and employee behavior. This is measured according to the period determined by the company, considering its knowledge of the activity it develops, its position as a professional, the type of relationship it maintains with co-workers and other relevant criteria.

The importance of evaluating employee performance
The results of a performance review can help a business in many ways, including guiding the way forward when making decisions. It is possible, for example, to assess whether the placement of the professional is in accordance with the company's culture, in accordance with corporate values and mission.

If the conclusion is positive, the company can take advantage of the employee to propagate their own culture and guide other employees, mainly through their actions. If the employee being evaluated shows that he/she does not agree with the corporate culture, it is necessary to review the work methodology and make an effort to fit the professional into the desired objectives.

Performance appraisal allows you to discover new talent and harness them for the overall good of the business. The manager will be able to confirm if their functions are effectively well distributed, or if the relocation of some employees would not be a solution to improve productivity.

The company can enjoy numerous benefits from performance appraisal. It can, for example, assess the career prospects desired by the professional and, on the other hand, what the company is in need of. This helps to promote an alignment between goals and results to be achieved by both parties.

If there is no approximation, it is likely that the relationship between the professional and the company will not yield good results, since the objectives are not convergent. Otherwise, when both see the benefits, it becomes a favorable tool for people's engagement and company growth.

Another important factor is that the process of evaluating people's performance, based on seriousness and precision, leaves aside hasty deductions about employee behavior. All evaluations developed are transformed into accurate data without the danger of incurring injustices and ineffective measures. Therefore, it is recommended that feedback be based on observable behavior, thus reducing subjectivity in the assessment.

Those responsible for the evaluation and what to consider
The company's manager can carry out the assessment following a specific methodology or have the support of Human Resources personnel, whose experience in the subject is already extensive, knowing different assessment methods. HR is a department whose purpose within the company is precisely this: to promote a better integration between employees and the manager, between them and the company itself.

In any case, the manager and administrative team must closely monitor the results of the performance assessment developed by HR.
To carry out the proper performance evaluation, some points should be considered such as:
Daily analysis of employee behavior (progress, limitations, successes, failures) and constant feedback;
Immediate identification of problems, seeking to maintain the group's motivation and resolve conflicts;
Formal interviews that must be carried out periodically.
These interviews must observe the results and, both the interviewee and the interviewer, must set goals to improve them whenever necessary, making a commitment that must be fulfilled by both parties.

Defining a period to carry out the performance evaluation is important to encourage employees to maintain the pace of productivity and ensure greater control of the company, allowing timely decisions to be taken as events evolve. A semester period depending on each organization may be a good option.

What types of performance appraisal?
There are several types of performance appraisals. See some of them and their characteristics.

180º performance evaluation
It is a traditional type of evaluation, carried out by the evaluator, in this case the immediate superior, and the person being evaluated. This model allows for an exchange regarding the results, but it can still be considered more limited, as it is based only on the perception of one person , as managers do not receive feedback. Still, it can bring positive results for professionals and for the company, and over time, the model can be improved

360º performance evaluation
In this case, employees are evaluated not only by managers, but by their co-workers and even subordinates; it can also involve suppliers and customers , that is, by all those who maintain some type of professional interaction relevant to the work.
Thus, there is a more diversified perception, which involves other opinions.

Competency Performance Assessment
It is necessary to divide the competences, being generally used the following ways:
Behavioral skills: mode closely related to employee behavior (commitment, proactivity, teamwork and other things);
Technical skills: mode that varies by position, but the assessment should always be based on the company's core activity (specific knowledge of machinery, software, equipment, and so on).

Self-evaluation
The employee himself must know himself well, be aware of his limits and capabilities. Self-evaluation is an application of the Socratic principle of "know thyself". However, it must be honestly developed by each person.
It is worth combining performance self-assessment with efficient strategic planning that includes short, medium and long-term goals.

Other types of performance appraisals are:

Potential assessment;
Graphic classification scales;
Choice and forced distribution;
Field research;
Critical incidents;
Pair comparison;
Performance report;
Evaluation by results or by objectives;
Performance standards;
Balanced Scorecard (evaluation developed through quantifiable indicators).
How to build the evaluation process?
To carry out the correct performance evaluation, you need to follow a few steps:

First, define the methodology: choose one of the types of performance evaluation (180º; 360º; competences);
Choose the competences, if you apply the competence assessment: the important thing is to select the competences that are most important to your business;
Define a periodicity, that is, a period for carrying out the assessment (bimonthly, quarterly, semiannual, annual);
Perform performance evaluation according to scoring criteria defined by the company;
Document the assessments;
Plan the improvements in order to correct possible flaws and reward the best employees (meritocracy).
It is worth remembering that an automated quality process implies doing less operational tabulation work, recording results more securely and speeding up operations.