Developing Performance Standards

Developing performance standards- Performance standards describe the conditions that must exist before the performance can be rated satisfactory. A key to effective performance is communicating expectations, and one way of doing so is through performance standards. Employees are more likely to excel if they know what is expected of them. Supervisors can use performance standards as a basis for discussion in periodic coaching sessions with employees. This minimizes ambiguity and allows for more objectivity when providing feedback throughout the year, as well as during the annual performance assessment process. Referring to performance standards can be particularly useful when describing gaps between acceptable and unacceptable performance.

Some important and useful performance standards are:

• Measurable and observable so both the supervisor and employee can tell whether a task was or was not completed satisfactorily
• Realistic
• Attainable—they are statements about job responsibilities that are fully within the employee’s control to accomplish and are so stated in the employee’s job profile
• Expressed in terms of results

Steps in developing Performance Standards

Developing the performance standard comprises of the following steps:

Step I: Identifying the top 3-5 primary job responsibilities of the employee

• Using the employee’s current job profile
• Identifying those duties for which the employee devotes the greatest percentage of his/her effort to complete

Step II: Identify the performance indicators that will signify satisfactory performance of the 3-5 job responsibilities (i.e., Compared to what measurement the supervisor and the employee know that he or she has achieved a satisfactory level of performance)

• Reviewing the employee’s primary job responsibilities
• Identifying the basic activities necessary to perform each one
• These are the performance indicators

Step III: Identify the measurable and objective performance standards that reflect the minimum level of acceptable performance

• Reviewing the performance indicators and determine how well they should be performed
• Writing them as specific measurable standards

Step IV: Identifying the manner of measurement that will reflect the way the company plans to monitor the employee’s performance of his/her primary job responsibilities.

• Reviewing the employee’s final work product
• Observing the way the employee performs his/her work

Reviewing activity or progress reports, commendations, critical comments received from customers, and other forms of documentation.

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