1

Appraisal Smart

Quickstart Guide for Appraisors

Last updated: 28 January 2011

2

Welcome to the Appraisal Smart System

This abbreviated, step-by-step guide is designed to help you quickly and easily through the Performance Management and Appraisal process.

Appraisal Smart is an online system that can be accessed at any time you are connected to the Internet – 24/7.

The system makes it easy for you (the Appraisor) and your employees/direct reports (the Appraisees) to review their performance against your and the organisation’s expectations.

It also provides you with the opportunity to speak candidly with them about their role in the organisation, their contribution, and the things that they can do to improve their performance, and what you can do to help them in the process.

If you have any questions, please contact your System Administrator.

For a more comprehensive Appraisor User Guide, please contact your System Administrator.

Welcome

3

Step 1. Create Employee AppraisalsDownload Appraisal Templates and tailor for individual employees as necessary(now called Performance Agreement). Discuss and mutually agree the Performance Measures and Standards they will be required to achieve thisperformance period.

Step 2. Add Performance Record NotesAdd Performance Record Notes on any noteworthy performance issues thatcome up and that you want to record for later reference.

Step 3. Prepare for the AppraisalAt appraisal time, prepare for the Appraisal Meeting on the Appraisor Prep form by rating the Appraisee on every Performance Measure and entering relevant notes in the various fields. Print this form out to take with you to the Appraisal Meeting with the Appraisee.

Step 4. Conduct the Appraisal Interview with the Appraisee

Step 5. Complete the Official Appraisal FormAfter the appraisal interview, complete the Official Appraisal Form, reflecting the mutually agreed actual performance, performance optimisation plans (POPs), and ratings.

Step 6. Enter Final Comments & Sign OffThe Appraisal Summary and Performance Optimisation Plan (POP) form contains the performance measure ratings and weightings, the performance percentage calculation, as well as all the POP notes that were added on the Official Appraisal Form. Enter your final, general comments and sign the appraisal off. An email will then be sent to the Appraisee to do the same (plus HLM if activated).

Appraisor Role Snapshot

‘Appraisal Manager’ Page Links

AgreementPerf Record

Appraisor PrepAppraisal

Summary/POP

4

The Appraisor Home Page

When you log into the system as an Appraisor you will see your Appraisor Home page.

On this page is a ‘quick-status dashboard’ of Your Team’s Appraisals, indicating what stage of the process each of your employees’ appraisals are at.

Check that all your team members are listed under “Regular Appraisals”. Contact your System Administrator if that is not the case.

You can use the links in the hover popups in the dashboard (showing when you put your cursor over an employee name), to create appraisals or access any of their appraisal forms.

5

Step 1. Create Employee Appraisals

(NOTE: If the appraisals have not already been created by the System Administrator, follow these steps below, otherwise skip this step)

Appraisals are created for employees on the Create New Appraisal page.

Select their name from the dropdown list (step 1), make sure that the performance period is correct (step 2), and then select one of the 4 ways in which an appraisal can be created (step 3).

The most common way will be method 1, which involves downloading the employee’s relevant Appraisal Template from the Template Database (as prepared by your System Administrator or HR for all roles/job titles in the organisation).

Contact your System Administrator if there is no Appraisal Template for any of your employees’ job titles (the system will give such a warning if this is the case).

Study the other methods as described.

6

Managing your Team’s Appraisals

The Appraisal Manager page is the main working page for Appraisors.

On this page you can view the appraisals created for all your direct reports for the current performance period.

From this page you can access each employee’s:

♦ Job Description (if feature activated);♦ Performance Agreement;♦ Performance Record notes;♦ Appraisor Prep form;♦ Official Appraisal form;♦ Summary/POP form.

Notice the set of links (listed above) on the far right of each person’s appraisal. Use these links to perform various actions as and when required during the course of the performance period (as covered on the next pages of this guide).

7

The Performance Agreement

The Performance Agreement contains the Performance Measures and Standards that were downloaded from the Template Database (or created in any of the other three ways).

Remember, an Appraisal Template belongs to a position/role, and not to a specific person. But, once you download the template for a specific employee, we now call it a Performance Agreement, as these measures and standards have to be discussed and agreed with the individual concerned.

Measures and standards may also need to be tailored to the employee’s specific role requirements and location (e.g. specific targets, projects, deadlines, etc.).

Notice that templates may have been fully or partially locked by the System Administrator. Locked measures or templates cannot be edited.

8

Step 2. Add Performance Record Notes

The Performance Record Notes feature allows you to add notes on employee performance (noteworthy performance statistics or incidents) that come up during the performance period and that you want to be reminded of at appraisal time.

To record a note, choose the relevant Performance Measure from the dropdown list.

Next, select whether it is a Highlight (positive note), a Lowlight (non-positive note) or a General note.

Give your note a Title and then enter the details in the Performance Record Details/ Description field, and click Save. You can also upload up to two electronic files in support of the note (e.g. an email from a client or performance data in a spreadsheet).

You are also able to view similar notes that Appraisees have entered regarding their own performance (if this feature is activated for them).

9

Step 3. Prepare for the Appraisal

You need to arrange a mutually convenient date and time for both parties to meet for the Appraisal Interview.

It is recommended that you prepare for the appraisal on the Appraisee’s Appraisor Prep form by rating the measures and entering relevant notes in the various fields. Also, consult the Performance Record Notes as were recorded during the performance period.

When selecting a rating, consider all the associated Performance Indicators carefully. Remember that a rating of 3 equates to 100% performance - in other words, performance that meets your (and the organisation’s) high expectations.

If you think their performance exceeds expectations, give them a rating of 4 or 5. If you don’t think they have met expectations, give them a lower score.

Finally, print out the Appraisal Prep form to take with you to the appraisal meeting/interview.

10

Step 4. Conduct the Appraisal Interview

The Appraisal Meeting usually takes 45-60 minutes and should be held in a private, comfortable venue that is free of distractions.

After some suitable opening remarks, cover the performance measures one at a time, before moving to the next one. Ask the Appraisee how they feel they have performed on each measure (clarify and probe, and give your own opinion as well). Consider the Performance Record Notes, and ask for and provide relevant performance evidence. Once you have reached agreement on the actual performance for a measure, you need to ask them for a suitable rating, based on the actual, agreed performance.

It is not necessary to mention your own ratings (which is for your reference only), but rather base the finally agreed rating on the input of both parties, and reflective of the agreed upon actual performance, even if it means a higher or lower rating than what you originally had in your Appraisor Prep form.

If, for some reason, their performance was below expectations in some areas, you should work with them to develop and document a Performance Optimisation Plan (POP). A Performance Optimisation Plan should include any training and coaching that may help them perform better next time. It should also address any work environmental issues that may have adversely affected their performance, such as a lack of resources, poor systems, processes and policies (possibly requiring some action from you as the manager).

If they have exceeded expectations, then this is your opportunity to provide appropriate recognition and praise.

If you and the Appraisee cannot agree on a rating after discussing it carefully, you should refer the matter to a Higher Level Manager (usually your direct line manager). After listening to both your viewpoints, the HLM will determine the final rating.

11

Step 5. Complete the Official Appraisal Form

After the appraisal interview, complete the Official Appraisal Form, reflecting the mutually agreed actual performance, performance optimisation plans (POPs), and ratings.

You can also attach two electronic files to this page, if appropriate (see bottom of page).

Next, click the link at the bottom of the appraisal form ‘Submit Ratings and jump to Summary/POP Form’, to take you to the final page of the process.

12

Step 6. Enter Final Comments & Sign Off

The Appraisal Summary and Performance Optimisation Plan (POP) form contains the performance measure ratings and weightings, the performance percentage calculation, as well as all the POP notes that were added on the Official Appraisal Form.

At the bottom of the form is a graphical display of the ratings in the form of a bar chart.

At the top are fields for general comments by the Appraisor and Appraisee (and HLM if activated), and signoff links for each (accessed from their respective logons).

Note that when the Weightings and Performance Percentages are disabled in the system, then rating averages as opposed to percentages will show

13

Congratulations!

Congratulations! - The Appraisal Process is now complete.

Note that you have access to various reports to analyse the performance results of your employees.