In truth, the appraisal meeting can be an extremely useful process for all concerned – but only if it's handled correctly.
For a start, why call it 'an interview'? That immediately suggests the employee is there to be 'done something to' by the security manager. Call it a 'meeting' instead, and it immediately becomes more manageable.
Ultimately, both parties are there to discuss the employee's past performance, and to set some benchmarks for the year ahead (or whatever period of time the appraisal is deemed to cover).
The performance review is nothing if not a joint effort, so you – as a manager – need to seek common understanding rather than act as a judge. If your employee has underperformed in some areas, then you will need to find out the reasons why. Only then can you and the employee attempt to do something about it.
Is the reason a familial or health problem? Is it simply the case that the job has expanded beyond the individual's ability to do it? Is it down to a lack of training? Is there a problem in the way that the security officer's job is organised, or with the resources given to him/her in order to perform the necessary tasks? Sometimes, it's surprising how simple the answers can be.
Few people are all bad. Even an employee with significant weaknesses usually has some good points. Be sure to elicit these at the appraisal interview. This not only ensures that a poor appraisal doesn't end up feeling like a character assassination, it also clearly identifies for the individual concerned the elements of their job that they're good at.
On occasion, it may even help employees understand their abilities much better than before. In some cases that could lead to a job change, or it may enable the employee to build on his or her strengths while avoiding any exposure to situations in which their weaknesses will be far more apparent.
The manager may also find that an employee's 'talking through' of situations in which they performed well then enables them to think of ways in which they can address their weaknesses.
The 'problem employee' in an appraisal situation is not, as you might expect, the poor performer, rather it is the one who has done well. Good performers often leave the appraisal meeting feeling that they can rest on their laurels. Managers need to explore the reasons for good performance, just as they do the reasons for bad performance – and to set targets that will stretch the employee in question just that little bit further in future.
That may well mean higher performance ratios, but just as likely it could involve taking responsibility for training a junior member of the team, or taking on a 'special project' in the year ahead.
Asking the right questions
Learning to ask the right questions – and to listen attentively – is crucial. There is nearly always a perfectly good reason behind satisfactory or bad performance, and both you and the person being appraised need to understand those reasons.
Don't ask questions that can be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Instead, ask the kind of questions that will open up full and frank discussions. "Did you find that training course helpful?" is not such a good question as "In what ways did the training course help you?" Conversely, the manager might ask: "Why did you decide on that particular course of action?" Another important point to note is that the appraisal shouldn't be the one and only time that you give your security staff feedback. Employees should never have to face a performance review not knowing what kind of feedback they're likely to receive.
You need to give feedback to your staff throughout the year, both on individually-specific topics and about the job in general.
If staff are used to receiving regular feedback on how they're doing, then they are unlikely to feel afraid of the appraisal – and you will also find it much easier discussing their performance in the more formal meeting.
Linking feedback to specifics
Feedback is of most use when it's specific. If it is given immediately, or soon after the event to which it relates, employees can clearly see which aspects of their performance need to be improved upon, or those that have worked well.
In all cases the manager should link feedback to specifics. Never tell an employee, for example, that he or she is argumentative, implying that this is a natural trait to their character that can never be changed. Instead, refer to the action – or refer to the effect on someone else ("When you said that, John thought you were angry with him").
Giving feedback in this very specific way also means that you are not discussing the other person's character – you are merely talking about things which they have done. That's a more sensitive way of handling the matter as far as the employee is concerned, but it may also make it somewhat easier for you to mention difficult topics (such as behaviour and attitude in the workplace).
Feedback should always be positive. However, that doesn't mean it should always be complimentary. 'Positive' feedback tells the employee how to do something right. So, rather than simply telling the employee that something was wrong, show him or her how to do better next time. That might be simple, or it may involve discussing different options and trying jointly to find ways in which a similar situation could be resolved in the future.
If you are talking about behaviour, remember to keep on the specific level. Refer, in immediate feedback, to what was actually said – the exact words if at all possible. Ask the employee what he or she remembers having done at the time. Did they intend to have that effect? Ask what might have helped them achieve a better outcome – more training, a different approach altogether, or support from someone else in the security team, perhaps?
Create a meetings structure
Feedback during the annual appraisal will obviously not be so specific – but once again the security manager needs to look for positive ways forward rather than just talking about what has happened in the past.
To this end, ensure that you create a proper structure for the meeting, thereby ensuring that at least a quarter of the time – if not more – is spent talking about the future.
Assessing training needs (and setting developmental targets for the year ahead) is crucial, particularly so in the security sector where the training process is vitally important.
Setting targets As a general rule, employees will be much more committed to achieving specific targets if they have played a part in setting them in tandem with their manager.
"Make sure that you learn more about guarding" is not a great target. "Complete your training schemes and pass any necessary exams" is a much better one.
"Handle customer enquiries faster and more efficiently" would be a rather poor target, while "Handle at least five client queries a day" is a better and far more realistic one.
Ultimately, as a manager you should ensure that targets are well balanced between personal development and the overall business objective – first learning, and then putting into practice the knowledge gained.
Once the performance appraisal meeting is concluded, managers must realise that this should by no means be the end of the process. Although there will probably be no formal appraisal again until 'this time next year', say, you should still encourage employees to monitor their own progress on the objectives that you set together.
Managers and their staff should meet regularly to discuss how things are going. At the next appraisal, neither the manager nor the employee should have any surprises in store for eachother. If carried out properly and thoroughly, staff appraisals can ensure that employees leave the meeting feeling much more positive, and looking forward to improving their performance over the next year (irrespective of the standards that have been achieved over the last 12 months).
They can also leave you, the manager, feeling that your team of security personnel understands what they'll all need to do to make the security function a successful one.
In short, if they're conducted in the right way, appraisals should be a pleasure for both manager and employee alike – and not a painful and tedious necessity.
Source
SMT
