The Importance of Performance Calibration to Employee Management Process

Have you been trying to get the best solution in regard to a performance distribution that really differentiates your best from your average or worst workers so that you can reward the high performers to motivate as well as retain them? Well, do not try the forced distributions because they will be met with a few lawsuits and a lot of resistance. Instead, opt for a softer approach- performance calibration. This is a process where managers within a department merge to talk about the performance of workers and agree on the performance appraisal ratings.

Performance calibration is based on past performance and it ensures an objective performance evaluation of past performance for each employee is made in relation to other employees in similar roles or job groups. Managers apply the same standards to all employees.

Advantages of Performance Calibration

1. The main goals of performance appraisal is to efficiently differentiate high performing employees from average or poor performing ones so that the high performers can be compensated and retained.

2. The process of performance appraisal serves to increase the preciseness of performance ratings. Through the collective discussion, managers get new insights into the performance of their employees and this reduces potential bias. Managers become accountable to one another for the appraisal ratings made for the employees.

3. Performance appraisal reinforces and clarifies the basis for high performance across a leadership team. During the appraisal meeting, managers will talk about the justifications for the performance assessment ratings provided. Through this discussion, a common language around determining performance calculations across all managers is built. This way, managers will be better placed to discuss the reasons behind the assessment ratings with workers, and create development plans to be used for ongoing performance development and career improvement.

4. The accuracy achieved through performance appraisal increases the probability of employees perceiving the calibration process as fair. Since succession, promotion, and compensation decisions are partly based on the performance assessment ratings, it is paramount that workers believe that they are being evaluated fairly.

Conclusion

Performance appraisal is an important aspect in the employee performance management process. Such discussions help managers to deliver performance assessments that are fair and accurate and help companies retain high performing employees. You should however, remember that, an organization’s performance management system can either hinder or enhance high performance. It pays to regularly analyze performance review scores and ratings, looking for anything that might indicate mis-calibration and correcting it. Performance reviews need to be more consistent and fairer, cultivating employee satisfaction and engagement. You may find it useful to visit Calibration Service for more information.