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Conducting the employee appraisal meeting

Now that you have drafted an employee appraisal document, you are ready to have the employee appraisal discussion.
  • Schedule the meeting time a few days in advance. This lets your employee prepare what he/she wants to discuss. Be sure to reserve sufficient time for discussion.
  • Choose a meeting place that is comfortable and private. Arrange your schedule so you will not be interrupted.
  • Avoid discussing motivation or personal issues. Concentrate on the employee's behavior and the consequences of that behavior to the individual and the organization. This is a good time to reinforce the requirements of the job.
  • Be sure to give the employee an opportunity to discuss his/her feelings and reactions to your feedback.

Important elements of an appraisal discussion

  • Establish the purpose of reviewing the performance appraisal and outline the discussion.
  • Review results or accomplishments achieved against objectives, emphasizing how these contributed to the work group's efforts.
  • Review performance data against Performance & Goals performance review topics.
  • Discuss causes of problems and reasons for success, emphasizing problem solving and concentrating on future actions.
  • Agree on action to be taken and discuss ideas for development. (The meeting to finalize the development plan may be a separate discussion, but the appraisal form cannot be turned in as finished until the development plan is completed.)
  • Summarize the discussion and express confidence in the employee's ability to succeed.

Remember, the Performance & Goals employee evaluation process is an interaction:

  • Listen to your employee. Encourage reactions and suggestions—let him/her say what he/she needs to say.
  • If there are areas that need improvement, encourage your employee to come up with solutions for improvement.
  • If an employee disagrees with you, allow him/her to discuss his/her feelings. Listen without arguing or defending your point of view. Be prepared to adjust your views, if appropriate. Remind the employee that he/she can comment on any remaining areas of disagreement in the Employee Comment section of the appraisal form.

About SAP SuccessFactors

SAP SuccessFactors Human Experience Management (HXM) Suite helps you completely reinvent the entire employee experience. You can shift from traditional HR transactions to engaging, end-to-end experiences, using intelligent technology to make each interaction simpler and more meaningful. And by linking employee feedback to operational data, you’ll understand what’s happening and why, so you can continuously deliver unexpectedly exceptional experiences that keep your business growing.

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