HR MANAGEMENT - Team Vs. Individual Performance Appraisals

Team Vs. Individual Performance Appraisals

by Carolyn Gray, Demand Media

Performance appraisals can evaluate individual performance or team performance.

Performance appraisals, whether team or individual, provide feedback to workers or organizational teams. Traditionally, performance evaluations provide information to help improve performance, increase efficiency and define management's expectations. Performance appraisals compare work performed against measurable objectives that the employee and supervisor agreed to at the beginning of the appraisal period. As work has become more team oriented, performance appraisals now measure how a team of workers perform rather than just how an individual performs his job.

Definition of Team Performance Appraisals

As jobs become more intricate, organizations must rely on teams of people to accomplish tasks. To evaluate job performance by teams of people, organizations institute team performance appraisals. Team performance appraisals assess the performance of teamwork on organizational performance. Team performance appraisals can range from recognition of individual performance and its contribution to group outcomes to only an assessment of the organization's performance. When only an organization's performance is evaluated, no individual appraisals are completed and individuals do not receive performance ratings.

Types of Team Performance Appraisals

The culture and organizational structure of the workplace environment influence the type of team performance appraisal best suited to evaluate and measure performance. If work teams exist in the organization, but are used only occasionally to accomplish projects, individual performance measurements are used to determine a final rating of the employee. When an organization uses teamwork more frequently, performance appraisals still emphasize individual performance but introduce an assessment of the worker's contribution to the team effort. If an organization uses a significant amount of teamwork to accomplish its objectives, team performance appraisals link team productivity measurements with individual performance measurements. Organization's with only a team approach do not utilize individual performance appraisals. Team performance measurements determine monetary rewards.

Elements of Individual Performance Appraisals

Individual performance appraisals are the traditional appraisals that measure individual performance against measurable objectives. Individual performance appraisals provide an opportunity for employees and supervisors to share ideas and reach mutually agreed upon objectives. Individual performance appraisals focus on the skills required to perform the current job and skills that must be acquired for promotion. Individual performance evaluations are tools to determine monetary compensation. This type of performance appraisal provides feedback and recognition to the individual.

Comparison of Individual and Team Performance Appraisals

Individual performance appraisals measure an employee's work against standard performance measures. Standard performance measures are derived from individual job descriptions. Often, a direct link exists between performance and pay based on an employee's job rating from the appraisal. Team performance appraisals assess an individual's contribution to the team. Team performance appraisals are appropriate to support an organization's efforts to transition from an individual-based organization to an team-based organization. Team performance appraisal, for example, assess whether the team met its goals, produced a quality product and worked well together.