5-10 Performance Standards

Introduction:
Using the job description as a base, develop performance standards for this particular position. Specifically you are to create the following:
1. A list of 5-10 performance standards
2. The type of performance assessment technique(s) you will employ and why
3. The controls you have employed to eliminate or reduce errors or bias in assessment
4. Who will perform the assessment and why
5. How the organization should use the assessment results

I chose to use the previous job description from unit one and two which was a human resource manager. Performance standards are the key to determining success or failure of training programs or performance improvement efforts. They are a measuring stick which performance
can be measured. Performance standards that are realistic and valid have a good chance of being successful. In order to validate performance standards, performance itself needs to be defined. Most managers define performance as what people do, for example most managers equate behavior and performance as the same thing. It is important to separate behaviors from performance. For example if someone is consistently punctual, has a good attitude while at work does not mean that they are producing an appropriate amount of work and vice versa an employee may be unsociable and may have poor communication skills does not mean that they are not performing their job well. It is important to design performance standards that are not behavior driven, and are related to the job function and are quantifiable, and they should let the employee know what is expected of them.

(Nickols 2000)

A list of 5-10 performance standards:

1. Human resources managers must speak and write effectively, and must be able to communicate with diverse workforces that have various cultural backgrounds, have different levels of education and experience.
2. They must be able to cope with conflicting points of view, function under pressure, demonstrate discretion, have integrity, are fair minded and persuasive.
3. Must be able to perform administrative duties such as enter data into computer systems, publish employee handbooks, write policies and procedures, research information, answer phones and answer routine questions, and must be familiar with all other departments functions.
4. Must be able to deliver PowerPoint presentations on company policies and procedures to executive officers within established deadlines without typographical errors.
5. Generate reports relating to hiring practices, compensation, benefits, and send these reports every month to department managers.
6. Must be able to train new hires in multiple areas of the human resources departments.
7. Must be able to develop and manage budgets for the HR department in a timely manner and send financial reports to department managers once a month.
8. Identify staff vacancies, recruit, interview and select applicants.
9. Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing employees, and administering disciplinary procedures.
10. Advise managers on organizational policy matters such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes.
11. Analyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements.
(One net Online 2004)

The type of performance assessment technique(s) you will employ and why "Performance Assessment relates to evaluating performance, and it is an important step in the overall performance management process.
The assessment involves the establishment and documentation of essential job tasks and responsibilities, competencies, critical performance objectives, and goals that need to be achieved or performed during a specified performance period. It also involves the identification of career growth and development opportunities." (Rochester.edu 2004) Managers should break down performance into steps such as reviewing employees job description, competencies, set dates for performance assessment meetings, complete assessment goals and objective forms, hold an assessment meeting and document the plan, and continue to provide feedback throughout the year. (Rochester.edu) In order for performance assessment to work data gathering, observation and documentation need to be performed. These sources give good feedback as to whether goals are being met. There are many sources of data that we can use to check up on the performance management system. The different sources are: direct customers, executives, employees, managers, supervisors, and
suppliers. It is important to use these different sources to gauge how an employee is doing as well as the department is doing and if the performance management system is up to par. Of all the data sources I would probably use a customer survey and user evaluations since we are dealing with an HR department. For an HR department to gauge how well it is doing it is important to get feedback from both external and internal customers which are generally employees and managers who are affected the most by HR activities. I think that a modified 360 degree feedback with customer feedback is a good technique because I feel it is the best technique to see how well the HR department is communicating with its customers and the surveys will show unbiased information on any areas that are problem areas. I would also incorporate some type of financial method such as a predetermined method of return on investment and use that as a balance to the surveys just as a double check device. In my opinion if the return on investment is low and customer complaints are high then obviously the performance management system is not working and needs to be revamped and by using these techniques will help illuminate problems so that they can be addressed and fixed in a timely manner. (Bacal 1999 chapter 7)

The controls you have employed to eliminate or reduce errors or bias in assessment

It is difficult to eliminate bias in assessments since assessment is based on personal preference, and tends to viewed from a personal point of view. It helps if the individual performing the assessment looks at the employee as an object that has met the goals as opposed to a personality that has met goals, this sounds cold and detached but it is important for the assessor to detach themselves from personal bias and just focus on the facts as they relate to the assessment. A few tools that can help reduce bias is following federal and state labor laws, insuring that there is no discrimination against any employee in the department and that the performance standards do not eliminate anyone by race, gender, disability, or age. Another step is to make sure that the source that data is taken from is accurate, and is unbiased. Granted if surveys are performed bias will be present in the information. If it is found that the source is biased then that information should be eliminated. The financial information should be performed by someone who is qualified to assess the financial data such as an industrial engineer or accountant. It is also important to follow up assessments by simply repeating them to see if the results are different in order to insure bias is not a factor in the assessment.

(Bacal 1999)

Who will perform the assessment and why?

It is best if an outside consultant firm could perform the assessment or a contractor who is not tied to the company to insure that they are unbiased, fair, reliable, and the information they provide is valid. It is crucial if an outside consultant is used to make sure that they are knowledgeable and experienced with HR issues and are familiar with HR management practices. If the company is small and is unable to afford such services then it is possible to have a HR manager perform these assessments, and present findings to an employee committee for review. But this process allows for information to be skewed, and bias to be inputted and data can be limited which would drastically undermine the assessment process.

(Bacal 1999)

How the organization should use the assessment results

Companies should use the assessment process as a management tool, the results should be used for multiple purposes and companies can benefit greatly from assessments. The assessment results can be used to improve the quality of operations, increase productivity, gain a competitive edge, help managers to improve procedures and policies, improve compensation, insurance and benefits, as well as improve the performance system. The assessment process should be viewed as a self improvement process and should be continuous and should not be an accountability process, it should be used to find opportunities to change and perfect what is working.
(Armacost, Young 2001)

In summary it is crucial to use performance assessment as a guideline to help improve employee performance, improve productivity, performance, return on investment, and help enhance companies' goals. There are many ways to perform the assessment process some are better than others, regardless which method is used it is important that assessments are performed as this is the only tool that employees can use to help them understand what is required of them, and employers and evaluators have a measuring stick to assess employees too.
Performance evaluation also has a good side benefit as it requires communication, requires data to be taken and documentation to be performed. If for no other reason assessments should be implemented just to help communication to flow from employer to employee to customers and back up the chain. Performance assessment is also a good tool to find out what areas need improvement and it also helps pinpoint problem areas that need to be fixed and addressed and is a good troubleshooting tool. Companies should embrace performance evaluation as it is one of the few management tools that is not a fad, and has many more benefits than downsides for the company and it can enhance the companies' performance across the board and the return on investment is high compared to many other management tools in use today.
Sources:
Nickols, Fred, 2000 Performance and Performance Standards, retrieved from website on 03/09/2006 from http://home.att.net/~nickols/opinion.htm

One Net Online.Org, 2004, Summary Report for Human Resources Managers, retrieved from website on 03/09/2006 from http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/11-3040.00
Bacal, Robert, 1999, Performance Management, McGraw Hill Publishing Chapter 7
Armacost, Julia, Armacost, Robert, Young Denise, 2001, University of Central Florida, Creating an Effective Assessment Organization and Environment., retrieved from website on 03/09/2006 from http://www2.oeas.ucf.edu/oeas2/pdf/SACS2001.pdf#search='How%20the%20organization%20should%20use%20the%20assessment%20results'

University of Rochester.edu, Performance Assessment, 2004, retrieved from website on 03/11/2006 from http://www.rochester.edu/working/hr/performancemgt/assessment.html