Unit 9b

Staff Appraisal

The role of appraisals

• What’s the purpose of appraisals in a company?

• Group discussion.

• Look at he list of reasons on Page123. Which of them are the three most important? Why?

Purposes of Staff Appraisal• Reward Review Aspect• Measure the extent to which an individual may be

awarded a salary increase compared with his or her peers.

• Performance review Aspect• Identify any training needs and, if appropriate, to provide

training and development to enable an individual to help the organization to achieve its objectives.

• Potential review Aspect• Aid an individual’s career development by attempting to 

predict work that the individual may be  capable of in the future. 

Vocabulary

• get down to • workload• hand over• in the first place• tight• subsidize

• internal vacancy• get nowhere• well• start off• start on• get carried away

Listening

• Listen to five people talk about their appraisals.

• Decide the main topic of each talk.

Reading

• Read the article on Page 125.

• What problems are encountered in staff appraisals?

Reading• .…taking their employees to court over appraisal

interviews. take sb to court: 对某人起诉，控告某人

over: on, aboute.g. an argument over methods 关于方法的争论

• it is in the company’s interest to combat this situation.in the interests of: 为了… . 的利益，为了… . 的缘故e.g. The ate breakfast on the train in the interest of time.为了节省时间，他们在火车上吃早餐

• an organization needs to pinpoint the underlying reasons which have contributed to them. Pinpoint: 准确解释、指出

e.g. Community groups have expressed fears that criminals will be able to analyse suburbs and pinpoint vulnerable house, getaway routes and hidng places.

contribute to “ 促成…的因素” e.g. Exercise contributes to better health.

Reading• ratings should reflect…

rating 为可数名词，意为“评估，估价” a credit rating 信用 / 债权评估• resort to… 诉诸，依靠，采取…手段 e.g.The government resorted to censorship of

the press. 政府以新闻审查制度为依赖手段e.g. I am sorry that you have resorted to deception. 我很遗憾你竟用欺骗手段。

• a matter of logic…. 符合逻辑的事e.g.This is a matter of no account 这是一件无关紧要的事。e.g.It was a matter of life and death for them.    这对他们来说是生死攸关的问题

Reading• assume joint responsibility for…   • take on a more supportive role

   take on: 承担工作，责任等 e.g. She took too much on and made herself ill.    e.g. When I took this job on I didn't expect it to take all this time.

• .….air their grievances…air : 公开表示，透露 n. gave air to their grievances 公开表示不满 v ． He’ll air his views on the war whether people want to listen or not.

• stem from 起源，发生 , 与 arise from 同义 e.g. Correct decisions stem from correct judgments.    e.g. Accidents arise from carelessness.

Problems with Staff Appraisal

• Prejudice:Prejudice:the appraiser may actually be prejudiced against the appraisee, or be anxious not to be prejudiced; either could distort the appraiser's judgment.

• Insufficient knowledgeInsufficient knowledge of the appraisee:appraisers often carry out appraisals because of their position in the hierarchy rather than because they have a good understanding of what the appraisee is doing.

• The 'halo effect':The 'halo effect':the general likeability (or the opposite) of an appraisee can influence the assessment of the work that the appraisee is doing.

• The problem of context:The problem of context:the difficulty of distinguishing the work of appraisees from the context in which they work, especially when there is an element of comparison with other appraisees.

• The paperwork:The paperwork:documentation soon gets very cumbersome as scheme designers try to be too clever and prescriptive. Their aim is to ensure consistent reporting by appraisers. They design complex forms which leave little for local discretion and flexibility.

• The formality:The formality:although appraisers may try to avoid stiff formality, both participants in the interview realise that the encounter has a lot handing on it. It can thus easily become relatively formal.

• Outcomes are ignored:Outcomes are ignored:follow-up action that the manager agrees to take (to help the appraisee - open doors etc.) often fails to take place. The manager even fails to follow-up on the action the appraisee has agreed to take

• Appraising the wrong thingsAppraising the wrong thingssometimes behaviours other than actual work performance are evaluated. Timekeeping, looking busy and being pleasant - whilst relevant in some respects - are easier to see and thus easier to refer to in appraisal than the competencies and achievements in doing the job.