5 Steps to a Performance Evaluation System

Keep your staff productive and motivated by conducting regular performance evaluation.

Performance Evaluation

Performance evaluations, which provide employers with an opportunity to assess their employees’ contributions to the organization, are essential to developing a powerful work team. Yet in some practices, physicians and practice managers put performance evaluations on the back burner, often because of the time involved and the difficulties of critiquing employees with whom they work closely. The benefits of performance evaluations outweigh these challenges, though. When done as part of a performance evaluation system that includes a standard evaluation form, standard performance measures, guidelines for delivering feedback, and disciplinary procedures, performance evaluations can enforce the acceptable boundaries of performance, promote staff recognition and effective communication and motivate individuals to do their best for themselves and the practice.
                                      
The primary goals of a performance evaluation system are to provide an equitable measurement of an employee’s contribution to the workforce, produce accurate appraisal documentation to protect both the employee and employer, and obtain a high level of quality and quantity in the work produced. To create a performance evaluation system in your practice, follow these five steps:

•     Develop an evaluation form.
•     Identify performance measures.
•     Set guidelines for feedback.
•     Create disciplinary and termination procedures.
•     Set an evaluation schedule.

It is also advisable to run the finished system by your attorney to identify any potential legal problems that should be fixed.

KEY POINTS

   +A performance evaluation system can motivate staff to do their best for themselves and the practice by promoting staff recognition and improving communication.

   +Evaluations should be conducted fairly, consistently and objectively to protect your employees and your practice.

  +An effective performance evaluation system has standardized evaluation forms, performance measures, feedback guidelines and disciplinary procedures.