Leadership Appraisal Questions Interview Due Feb. 18th

Leadership Appraisal Interview with a Leader-Due Feb. 18th

1- Do you do all the appraisal interviews yourself or do you divide them up between you and other leaders or managers in the company?

I prefer to do all that I am responsible for myself but in times where it is not feasible when my time is short, some interviews are delegated to my superior or one of my supervisors over the employee.

2- What scale do you use to do your appraisal interviews? Do you use low-medium-high, 1-3 scale, not met-low met-met- hight met-outstanding, or unsatisfactory-satisfactory-excellent?

There are a range of scales depending on the area of concern. 1-5 leaves less need for contemplation than 1-10 and 1-3 may not serve justly. So, 1-5 is most often used. Few questions can be answered with unsatisfactory-satisfactory-excellent and I find this ranking method to be taken too personal too often.

3- Do you appreciate when employees offer ideas on how the company can do better?

Absolutely. We value the point of view each employee has. Often they don't have the vantage point of management but even without that level of information they can come up with an idea that independently improves or corrects a situation. I see all levels of management as servants to those they are responsible for to provide the tools, training and materials they need to do their jobs.

4- Does your facility have a standard set of questions you ask employees or do choose the questions?

Some questions are quite standard but we try to evaluate employees based on the atmosphere of the workplace and how events concerning the business affect them. A death of a family member or friend or some other loss is considered influential to any individual but sometimes to the group as well.

5- If you create the questions, what are the top 3 questions you like to ask your employees?

Top 3 questions would be...

1. How do you feel about the work position you now perform?
2. Do you understand how the company values pay for the work you do?
3. What do you believe would be the single item that if changed would improve your work performance the most?

6- Are raises based upon employee performance appraisal scores?

Performance is measured in more than just work done but in how it is done and also attitude toward flexibility and extending boundaries of skill or tasks. Those that demonstrate willingness to step into temporary roles or spread across other jobs as needed become more valuable as a whole than just the sum of work produced. A properly valued business will leave money on the table for the employee to earn or to make up for employee mistakes, leaving a vacuum for the employee to fill, until their work is perfected.

7- How long (typically) are appraisal interviews?

The goal is for a 10 to 15 minute session.

8- Are these interviews one-on-one or is there a group of people conducting the interview?

In most settings a review of a job assigned is conducted one-on-one. Only when being considered for a new job of high importance will an employee be possibly reviewed by more than one person and rarely in a board setting due to time constraints.

9- At the end of the interview, what questions do you like the employee to ask you?

Anything that is on their minds. We appreciate their observations and feedback. This demonstrates the state of mind and level of understanding the employee has of any situtation and may lead to tutoring on the subject if needed.

10 -How often do you perform performance appraisals?

The desired frequency of appraisals is quarterly but may not coinside with a pay raise. There may be a monthly or weekly review by the supervisors where tutoring and training are needed. Upper management reviews may be performed annually or semi-annually when all goals of the company are on track or when not may be done more or less frequently as needed.

11- What strategies do you use to give good feedback to your employees without offending them or putting them down?

Congratulations is offered immediately upon recognition of a goal accomplished or the employee goes above and beyond their duties. Monthly recognition is given for the employee that has performed exceptionally the previous month, usually accompanied by a cash bonus.

12-How do you prepare for your performance appraisals before the employee comes to the meeting?

A quick review of the employee's file for any notes or warnings. A thorough reading of the questionaire if assigned.

13- How do you handle interviews with employees who are ranking low and need to step it up in order to stay at the company?

The situation is presented as a generic work situation of what is required of any employee and the concern is expressed for their performance and if it is in anyway due to something management may be responsible for. The employee is then urged to confront their performance with an opportunity to explain how they might improve or management can help.

14- How do you help your employees set and accomplish their goals?

Open discussion is encouraged on both sides where management takes responsibility for maybe not supplying training, tools or materials conducive to good performance as much as the employee's responsibility to learn and reveal problems with the work.

15- What characteristics would rank an employee low enough to be fired?

Demonstrated negligence or willful destruction of property or a lack of effort to improve would cause a low rank of 0 on a 1-5 scale and if blatant disregard is grounds for immediate dismissal. Multiple low rankings of 1s and 2s would require retraining or retasking of the employee. Consistent rankings below medium would also be grounds for termination. Urgency of action would be dependent upon observed attitudes and actions. Losses are acceptable if minimal and unintentional.

From this interview, I learned that some companies have appraisal interviews more than annually.
I've only ever had one per year. It sounds like this individual values it's employees and their
recommendations to improve the workplace just as we've been taught as nurses we should value
everyone's opinions.