It is possible that Jane may intentionally inflate the ratings she gives to Barb and George
because she doesn’t want to confront them about any areas where performance improvement is necessary. She may worry that giving an accurate rating could jeopardize her relationship with one or both of them. On the other hand, she may unintentionally distort the ratings that she gives to various employees, because she is responsible for supervision of eleven different people. Observing information about performance, storing this information in memory, and then recalling it when it’s time to fill out the appraisal form is a complex cognitive task. It is very difficult to remember all of the behavior and results of one’s own performance, let alone such information about eleven different people.
2. Different kinds of training could assist Jane in providing more objective appraisals, although none of the programs can guarantee perfect results. Appraisals are inherently subjective. The training program should provide basic information on the appraisal form and how the system works. In addition, the benefits of accurate appraisals (what’s in it for me?”) and tools for providing such ratings should be provided. Jane will need training in:
o how to identify and rank job activities
o how to observe, record, and measure performance
o how to minimize rating errors
Finally, she will need assistance in how to interact with employees when they receive performance information, including how to conduct an appraisal interview and how to train, counsel, and coach. Increased experience added to the training should help her to provide the supervision and performance appraisal all of her employees need, including her friends Barb and George.