Objective Vs. Subjective Performance Evaluations
Subjective and objective performance evaluations are two distinct ways of measuring employee effectiveness. Subjective performance evaluations rely more on intangible qualities that can't be measured or quantified. Objective performance evaluations only look at measurable qualities.
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Why Evaluate?
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Many workplaces use evaluations to decide which employees should advance. Many companies do quarterly or annual evaluations. Evaluations also help employees improve their performances by pointing out areas that are strong along with areas that need improvement. Depending on the workplace, it may be better to evaluate based on subjective or objective criteria or a mix of both.
Misconceptions
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Some people believe that workplace evaluations are used to decide which employees are expendable. In other words, some workers think that performance evaluations can only hurt them. However, this is not the case. Performance evaluations are usually used to help strengthen the performance of current employees. According to a document by MIT Human Resources, evaluations are primarily used to "explore multiple development options including enrichment in current job [and] vertical promotions."
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Benefits
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Through performance evaluations, you can distinguish yourself. In a workplace without regular evaluations, it may be more difficult to be singled out for your unique achievements. Because of regular evaluations, you can be sure that all of your work will be recognized.
Objective Performance Evaluation
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An objective performance evaluation might focus on an easily measurable number, such as total sales. The "Performance Appraisal Handbook," published by the U.S. Department of the Interior, describes some ways to objectively evaluate employees. For example, employers could measure quantity of work. In this case, the "Performance Appraisal Handbook" describes quantity of work as "how much work the employee or work unit is expected to produce. Measures are expressed as a number of products or services expected."
Subjective Performance Evaluation
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For some service jobs, a subjective performance evaluation, which looks at an employee's qualities not the quantity of work, might include how well a certain employee interacts with customers. While quantity of work can be easily measured, how well a certain employee interacts with customers cannot. Instead, such criteria rely on observations and opinions.
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References
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