This article sets out how to evaluate staff performance, including common pitfalls to avoid, and build a system that encourages and enbles professional development.
Objectives
This Guideline defines programs for personal development and a methodology for evaluating performance. It is necessary to identify training and capacity building needs, and to have a defined competency base in order to prepare training sessions and systems for monitoring and evaluating employees.
Key Issues
- Conduct a survey of incubator employees’ competencies and their knowledge for the development of relevant programs
- Seek to update these competencies periodically with the latest information that exists in the market
What is competency? A competency is defined as a behavior or group of behaviors that lead to excellent performance within a particular work context. Competency means knowledge applied and directed towards improving the performance of an individual, a group or an organization. It is a set of habits or a personal characteristic that leads to a more effective performance, clearly adding economic value to the person’s efforts in a job. Competencies specify precisely how individuals can align their activities with the organization’s key strategies.
Important points:
- Provide a feedback mechanism that gives those being assessed a clear and precise idea of what is expected of them. It should tell them how they are performing in their functions or how to improve in areas where they haven’t yet achieved the expected performance;
- Keep a permanent, reliable and cumulative record of data on performance; and
- Provide the organization’s top management with tools for evaluation that allow them to select, on a factual basis, those who have the best potential to perform other functions involving greater responsibilities in future.
What can go wrong?
- Dissatisfaction can occur among those being evaluated – caused by a perception of injustice in the “rewards and punishments” system being used, rather than them accepting a real evaluation of performance and potential.
- Lack of objectivity – no objectivity can exist if the evaluation process does not have a solid statistical basis and if variations are not taken into account.
- Bureaucratic excess – caused by too much emphasis on a process, which just because it exists does not necessarily mean it is effective.
- Ignoring clients and client-suppliers – caused by the mistaken notion that the external client is only the stakeholder able to judge staff performance. An appropriate evaluation system does much more and, as it constitutes an instrument for promoting personal and professional growth, it should take into account the needs of the ‘internal clients’ – ie the people that make up the incubator organization.
Responsible Parties
Incubator Managers
Indicators
Increase the level of motivation and knowledge retention of the incubator’s staff, and create a system of evaluation and recognition.
Results
Knowledge of training and capacity building needs, with a competency base established in order to prepare training sessions and systems for monitoring and evaluating employees.