The appraisal process is a key component of the performance management function. During a typical appraisal, you assess a worker's competencies and objectives and identify development opportunities for the next appraisal period. The appraisal provides a snapshot of the worker's achievements and supplies input to related processes, such as training and compensation planning.
Most enterprises conduct appraisals at regular intervals (for example, yearly), primarily to assess competencies and objectives and influence compensation plans. However, you can also use appraisals for other purposes. For example, you can:
Take a snapshot of worker competencies at the start or end of a project.
Evaluate worker competencies after an event, such as a retraining exercise, to test its effectiveness.
Assess worker progress against objectives at intervals during the appraisal period.
Gather exit information when a worker leaves the enterprise.
Assess specific competencies for a position or project.
The appraisals function can support all such requirements.
In a traditional appraisal, the appraisee's ability to contribute to the appraisal is limited. The manager or appraiser completes most of the appraisal and may invite the appraisee to comment at the end of the process.
Performance Management challenges the traditional approach by making the appraisal the product of collaboration between the main appraiser and the appraisee. The main appraiser shares the appraisal with the appraisee to allow the appraisee to view or update the appraisal. If the main appraiser also transfers ownership of the appraisal to the appraisee (which is optional unless the appraisee is to update the appraisal) the appraisee shares the appraisal with the main appraiser to return ownership. This sharing of the appraisal between main appraiser and appraisee can occur as often as necessary during a single appraisal process.
Appraisals can involve the following types of participants:
The main appraiser, usually the appraisee's manager, who controls the appraisal process.
Appraisers, who can contribute to all sections of the appraisal.
Reviewers, who can view others' evaluations and enter overall comments. They cannot update other sections of the appraisal.
Other participants, who contribute to 360-degree appraisals only. They complete questionnaires about the appraisee's performance, for example, and can enter overall comments, but can neither view nor update the rest of an appraisal. Other participants are typically peers or subordinates of the appraisee to whom you do not want to reveal the appraisal contents.
The appraisee, the subject of the appraisal, who can view or update those sections of the appraisal shared with them by the main appraiser. An appraisee who is the appraisal initiator can complete any section before sharing the appraisal with the main appraiser. Thereafter, the main appraiser controls the appraisee's access to the appraisal.
Employees and contingent workers can perform all appraisal roles.
Performance Management supports three appraisal types:
Standard appraisal
360-degree appraisal
Self appraisal
As its name suggests, the standard appraisal supports most appraisal requirements. The format of the appraisal depends on configuration choices you make, mostly in the appraisal template.
The standard appraisal can include the following sections:
Competencies
In the Competencies section, you evaluate the appraisee's proficiency in measurable skills. To include competencies in an appraisal, you must identify a competency assessment template in the appraisal template. Otherwise, no Competencies section appears in the appraisal.
Managers and workers can use star ratings to rate performance and proficiency levels for competencies in appraisals. See: Using Star Ratings to Rate Performance and Proficiency Levels
See: Assessment Templates and Assessing Competencies and Objectives
Competency Gaps
In the Competency Gaps section, you can view the difference between an appraisee's current competency levels and those required by their job or position. This section appears in the appraisal only if you explicitly include it by personalizing the relevant SSHR pages; it does not appear by default.
Objectives
In the Objectives section, you assess objectives allocated to the appraisee for the current appraisal period. To include objectives in an appraisal, you must identify an objective assessment template in the appraisal template. Otherwise, no Objectives section appears in the appraisal.
See: Assessment Templates and Assessing Competencies and Objectives
Note: If you use appraisal templates created using the forms-based interface, the Objectives section appears in the appraisal by default.
While setting objectives for an appraisal created using the Appraisal function, you can copy previous objectives that are incomplete.
When you set objectives for a performance management plan appraisal, you can copy objectives from the Objectives Library. You can also copy shared objectives or previous objectives that are incomplete.
Learning Path
In the Learning Path section, you can identify training courses for the appraisee and specify target dates. You can use this section only if you also use Oracle Learning Management (OLM), and it appears in the appraisal only if you explicitly include it by selecting Include Learning Path in the appraisal template; it does not appear by default.
Participants
In the Participants section, you identify appraisers and reviewers to participate in this appraisal. For a standard appraisal, you cannot identify other participants. This section appears in the appraisal by default.
Questionnaires
You can include appraisee and main appraiser questionnaires in the appraisal. Appraisers can complete the questionnaire you identify for the appraisee. Alternatively, you can select a different questionnaire when you include each appraiser in the appraisal. This section appears in the appraisal only if you select Include Questionnaires in the appraisal template.
Note: If you use appraisal templates created using the forms-based interface, the main appraiser does not have a different questionnaire from the appraisee.
The 360-degree appraisal, also known as a group appraisal, is one to which an appraisee's peers, managers, and reporting staff can all contribute. It differs from the standard appraisal in one respect only: other participants can contribute to a 360-degree appraisal, but not to a standard appraisal. Appraisers and other participants can complete the appraisee questionnaire. Alternatively, you can select a different questionnaire when you include each appraiser and other participant in the appraisal.
The 360-degree appraisal can include the same sections as the standard appraisal.
Some enterprises encourage their workers to perform regular self appraisals as a way of monitoring their own progress. No one else can view or contribute to a self appraisal. The self appraisal can include the same sections as the standard appraisal, except the Participants section.
Using the Download or Upload Appraisals functionality, main appraisers, appraisees, and other participants can complete specific sections of the appraisal offline. They can download the contents of an appraisal, update the contents while disconnected from the network, and then later upload their changes when they reconnect to the application.
See: Downloading and Uploading Appraisals
Note: Appraisal participants can download the appraisals only if the Offline Appraisals feature is enabled. To enable the appraisal participants to complete the appraisals offline, the HR Professional must select an offline appraisal template for each appraisal participant type (main appraiser, appraisee, and other participant) in the Offline Appraisal Template Details region.
A competency profile is a record of a worker's competencies showing their proficiency level in each competency. You create the competency profile using the forms-based interface, and you can maintain the competency profile using either the forms-based interface or the SSHR Competency Profile function. Alternatively, if you set the profile option Apply Assessment Competencies to Person to Yes, or select Update Competency Profile in the appraisal template, the application automatically updates the appraisee's competency profile to include revised competency levels when the appraisal is complete.
HR Professionals and main appraisers can view and update appraisals of ex-employees and ex-contingent workers based on the business requirements of an enterprise.
See: Updating Appraisals of Terminated Workers
Discoverer workbooks enable you to analyze appraisal activity for an organization hierarchy or supervisor hierarchy:
Worksheets in the Appraisal Detail workbook provide information about multiple ongoing and completed appraisals, including appraisee name, appraisal duration, and final ratings.
Worksheets in the Competence Updates after Appraisal workbook enable you to view competency updates made manually or automatically when an appraisal is complete.