Although there is no law that states that employees should be managed to optimise their performance, getting the best from staff is the most important element of personnel management and is the major ingredient in achieving the goals of an organisation.

 

Support and Supervision

An organisation should have a structured policy on support and supervision. In practice, this should incorporate the organisation’s strategic objectives and set out clear short-term and long-term targets for the individual employee that will contribute to the broader aims of the organisation. The process should ensure that performance is monitored on a day-to-day basis, with objectives redefined over time if appropriate, and training and support given if needed. Support and supervision will only work if both sides can be open and honest about the progress made and the problems that need to be addressed. Confidentiality is important, as is the need to schedule regular meetings that are not interrupted.

Good staff support and supervision can give crucial and early warning signs of harassment and bullying, and can identify performance or conduct issues that can be addressed through employee support or counselling.

 

Appraisal

Appraisal is a more formal and less frequent process, normally carried out annually. Whereas support and supervision can be relatively informal, appraisal is always based on a formal one-to-one meeting between the manager and the member of staff. The first staff appraisal will set objectives for the staff member for the coming year. These should be achievable within a year, agreed between manager and employee, and should be written down in an agreed form.

 

Subsequent appraisals should allow preparation time for both manager and employee, they should meet to review progress, discuss strengths and weaknesses, and set new objectives for the coming year. Discussions should include:

• A review of the previous year’s performance
• Recognition of achievements
• Discussion of any factors that may have had an adverse effect on performance
• Discussion of new objectives and priorities for the year ahead
• Identification of training and support needed.
• Degree of cooperation and assistance from colleagues required to develop and improve performance
• improve job satisfaction
• Ideas for organisational development.

An appraisal is a dialogue and both people involved should feel free to express views, aspirations, expectations and suggestions. However this means that issues of confidentiality need to be addressed openly. Both parties must be clear as to who will have access to the written record of the appraisal.

 

Explains what managing performance is all about and covers both support and supervision and appraisal.