Abolishing Performance Appraisals: Why They Backfire and What to Do Instead. This item is unavailable.Abolishing Performance Appraisals: Why They Backfire and What to Do Instead

This work challenges readers to think more profoundly about the questions surrounding the use of appraisal. The authors separate the five discrete functions of appraisal - coaching, feedback, compensation, employee development, and legal documentation - and clarify the objectives of each. They also examine - relative to each function - the underlying assumptions and each function's track record through appraisal, including any pernicious, unintended effects. Case studies of organizations using alternative approaches are presented, and from a variety of industries: manufacturing, retail, service, and education. The authors also provide practical guidance on the elimination of appraisals and the design of alternative approaches.

Tom Coens, a labor and employment law attorney and organizational trainer, has thirty years of experience in human resources, quality management, and labor law issues. He has done training with hundreds of organizations, including Chem-Trend International, Delta Dental, Detroit Edison, Mead, and Sears.
Mary Jenkins is founder of Emergent Systems, a consulting firm that assists in developing progressive human resources systems. Her clients have included Saturn, Shell Oil, Kodak, Compaq, EDS, Oldsmobile, and the U.S. General Accounting Office. Jenkins was previously Director of Salaried Personnel at General Motors’ GM-Powertrain Division.