[Editorial Review of Workers' Daily]

Original title: Performance appraisal cannot be reduced to a tool of willful management

Worker's Daily - commentator of China Industrial Network Li Danqing

Performance appraisal is a double-edged sword. If used well, it will help fully tap the potential of employees, provide basis for identifying outstanding talents, organizing training, etc., and help employers achieve development goals; If it is not used well, it may bring pressure and negative emotions to the staff, thus reducing work efficiency, affecting the stability of the staff, and causing adverse effects on business development.

Performance scoring "see leaders' preferences" and "fight for relationships"; Randomly expand the scope of assessment objects, "those who should not be tested will be tested"; Set any appraisal standard, "Weight does not matter quality"; On the grounds of unsatisfactory performance, salary cuts, job transfers and even elimination of the last... Recently, the Workers' Daily launched a series of reports on "Don't let the performance appraisal deviate", reflecting the confusion in the performance appraisal of some employers.

In order to stimulate the entrepreneurial potential of staff officers, more and more employers use performance appraisal to carry out human resource management. By setting work goals, assessment standards, and reward and punishment mechanisms, they assess the completion of work tasks and personal development of employees, and promote the two-way development of employers and employees.

The original intention and purpose of performance appraisal is to stimulate employees through a scientific, objective and fair appraisal system, improve their work performance and professional ability, and then create more benefits for employers. However, in recent years, some employers have misread the "good classics", resulting in such phenomena as arbitrary appraisal system, unreasonable setting of work goals, dislocation of appraisal objects, too subjective performance scoring, and arbitrary handling of appraisal results.

For example, whether or not to assess, how to assess, all listen to the leadership "one voice"; Let employees undertake performance tasks unrelated to their own work, and carry out "all employees carry the blame" assessment; Simple "Heroes by Quantity", focusing on data rather than quality and effect; The score of performance depends mainly on the relationship with leaders; The employees who fail to meet the assessment standards will be punished by salary reduction, job transfer or even elimination of the last one.

In some places, there are also extreme cases. For example, the sanitation personnel in Haidian District of Beijing chopped up the cabbages in the canteen as kitchen waste because they did not complete the task of sorting kitchen waste; Ms. Yan, who served as the receptionist in a training institution in Xinxiang City, Henan Province, worked full time for one month, but was withheld 4100 yuan due to negative growth in student resources and other reasons, and only 257 yuan was spent on handicrafts.

The frequent occurrence of similar "wonderful work" appraisal reflects that some employers are suspected of violating laws and abusing the performance appraisal system, the performance standards are lack of scientificity and rationality, the appraisal procedures are not democratic enough, and the appraisal objects and contents do not match the job responsibilities. Such assessment will only lead to dissatisfaction of employees, affect their work enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, and ultimately cause both employers and employees to suffer losses.

In order to make the performance appraisal play its role effectively and help employers and employees achieve win-win results, first of all, employers should follow the principle of legality, compliance and rationality when formulating the performance appraisal system, go through democratic procedures such as discussion at the staff congress, and obtain the consent of workers. The assessment objectives should be in line with the actual development of the employer, and the assessment standards should be refined and quantified as far as possible to reduce subjective judgment and emotionality.

Secondly, when setting appraisal content and determining appraisees, the appraisal content should be directly related to the job responsibilities of the appraisees, and performance indicators cannot be randomly or forcibly assigned to employees in unrelated positions. The assessment task and weight distribution should consider the level and importance of staff positions. The higher the position, the heavier the assessment task.

In addition, multi-dimensional evaluation should be carried out to comprehensively evaluate the performance results of employees through the scoring of superior supervisors, colleagues and employees themselves. Establish performance appraisal objection procedures, allow employees to plead, and ensure the fairness of appraisal results with fair procedures.

In fact, performance appraisal is a double-edged sword. If used well, it will help fully tap the potential of employees, provide basis for identifying outstanding talents, organizing training, etc., and help employers achieve development goals; If it is not used well, it may bring pressure and negative emotions to the staff, thus reducing work efficiency, affecting the stability of the staff, and causing adverse effects on business development.

In the final analysis, performance appraisal is a kind of management means. It is not a simple and rude way to punish others, nor can it become a tool and excuse for willful management. Employing units should return to the original intention of assessment in concept, give priority to positive incentives, and scientifically and reasonably formulate performance assessment plans from the perspective of promoting the sustainable development of employing units and improving the quality of employees. It is necessary to fully negotiate with the staff to determine a work goal that is conducive to the organization and individuals, and constantly guide and train the staff so that they have the skills and ability to complete the assessment and "stand on tiptoe to pick peaches". This is the "correct opening way" of performance appraisal, which is conducive to achieving mutual benefit and win-win results for both parties in labor relations.