Handling Employees After Performance Appraisals

Performance appraisal refers to the elaborate process of reviewing one’s performance and output over a certain period of time and not only give correct feedbacks but also acknowledge and appreciate the hard work.

Appraisal letters cause a lot of anxiety and sometimes disappointment among employees. Individuals never create problems when they get a good salary hike but trust me, handling employees after a bad appraisal is a big challenge.

Let us go through few tips on how to handle employees after performance appraisals:

Never forget to congratulate employees who have got a decent appraisal or a promotion and a positive review from the management. It will further motivate them and also instil a sense of pride and most importantly responsibility in them. Make them feel important.

If someone has worked really hard all through the year, he/she definitely deserves to be praised for his/her efforts and encouraged to perform better in the years to come. Celebrate his/her success.

Employees who had an unsatisfactory year and eventually a bad appraisal are the ones who need most of your attention and care. One of the most common problems with such employees is that they suddenly become negative about everything, find reviewing authorities as their biggest enemies and also start hating their organization. Yes, logically such a behaviour is not expected out of a mature professional but we can’t completely blame the poor individual also who after slogging for a year did not get appraisal as per his/her expectations.

As they say “with a little love, we can even change the world”. Such employees need to be handled with utmost patience. Sit with such employees and first of all try to find out as to why they failed this time. Try to understand their mood and also what they feel about their appraisal? It is obvious that they would not be in a great mood but as a superior it is your duty to cheer them up so that they do not lose their confidence and eventually interest in work and finally quit.

Employees also need to understand that there is always a next time and there is no point reacting and fighting with people around. After all it would not solve your problem, instead earn you a bad name in the organization.

Understand where the individual went wrong. All negativities and confusions would disappear if you make the individual understand where all he/she lacked and why his counterpart has got a decent appraisal while he/she has not? Yes, employees at this point of time are really not in a mood to listen to their superiors but you have to assure them that as a Boss, you are always there with them and would certainly help in future as well.

Understand if at all the individual is facing any problem or not and most importantly try to provide a solution. Yes, after a bad appraisal, employees tend to become negative but as a Boss it is your responsibility to change their perception.

Let them speak and come out with their frustrations. Employers should also be careful with their words. Never cross your limits. Handhold such employees and provide necessary guidance whenever required. Send them a motivational email. Such small initiatives go a long way in motivating employees so that they become a little more serious and come back with a bang. Make them understand that this is just a temporary phase and should not act as a demotivating factor for them. Encourage them to work in unison with their fellow workers, read a lot and most importantly believe in the organization and its process.