Do you know someone who has ever been diagnosed with dyslexia, autism, dyspraxia, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? If yes, then you may have come across the phrase “workplace assessment.”
It is a procedure whereby a third party (assessor) brings together an employee and the boss/ employer with the primary objective of finding ways and means of supporting the former at that place of work. It is also referred to as an employee review or employee appraisal.
Definition: What is Workplace Assessment?
It is a process that involves monitoring an employee as they carry out routine tasks, usually for a few days or weeks, and making use of assorted techniques to have a better understanding of that candidate’s skills and abilities.
Assessing an employee’s competencies under normal circumstances is an effective method of gauging their performance against set standards. It is also an effective technique of finding out if the candidate needs additional training or if they have skills and abilities that can come in handy in areas such as managerial positions or team leadership going forward.
Importance: Why Conduct Workplace Assessment?
People learn and perform in different ways, even if they exist in the same environment. That is human nature. For example, someone who is gifted in a certain area may not necessarily have the capacity to exhibit the same in a classroom setup. Some people are extremely gifted in academics but may not exhibit the same in real life/ on the streets. Similarly, some people may not appear smart (with regard to academics), but they can demonstrate tremendous success in real life.
Understanding the skills and abilities of all employees is the first step that must be taken in order to make a workplace inclusive. As an employee, the appraisal provides the support needed to do your job. As an employer, the process can help you create an environment that makes your employees more effective, efficient, and productive.
An organization can make payment for the appraisal independently. This can also be done through the government’s official Access to Work program.
Most Popular Workplace Appraisal Method
There are several methods for conducting workplace reviews. They include; observation, administration of tests, simulations, and Question & Answer (Q&A) sessions. However, the most popular technique appears to be an observation.
The observation method essentially involves keen monitoring of candidates as they go about normal duties. This is among the most effective ways of measuring their competencies, given that facilities and other resources of that organization are utilized. This is where it differs from the simulation technique.
Since the workflow is barely interrupted, the observation technique is very cost-effective.
Advantages of Workplace Assessment
Workplace review can play an important role in gauging employees’ skills and abilities. Some candidates may be gifted in specific areas, and this may not have been discovered during recruitment.
The appraisal can help identify any challenges that candidates may be facing. Whenever employees exhibit inefficiencies and ineffectiveness, the blame often falls on them. This is despite the fact that the challenge may, in fact, be in the working environment.
It can be used to weed out good employees from those who are not so good. In case the organization needs to conduct employee restructuring, reports from this exercise can be very useful.
Workplace assessment can help your organization keep up with changes that occur in the industry. For instance, many companies are taking advantage of technological advancements to expand market share and cut costs. While conducting this assessment, candidates may provide valuable insights that, if implemented, can help the organization remain ahead of its competitors.
Process of Carrying Out Workplace Appraisal
This is an exercise that ought to follow due process. Employees of an organization shouldn’t wake up one morning only to discover that a workplace review exercise is going on. So what is the procedure for conducting this exercise?
- Establish the need for workplace assessment- why is it necessary to carry out this exercise? Is it something that has been done in the past, or is that going be the first time? Are my competitors doing the same thing, and what are the potential benefits?
- Inform the candidates- employees who are expected to go through that process ought to be informed. This will help them make preparations for the same.
- Look for suitable assessors- the quality of output will primarily depend on the quality of those tasked with the responsibility of conducting that exercise. Make sure the organization gets value for money.
Factors That Must Be Taken Into Consideration
There are certain factors that must be considered when carrying out the review. Some of them are described below:
- Nature of organization– the assessment carried out on employees working for an audit firm may not be suitable for a company that provides marketing services. For instance, auditors are generally reserved, while marketers tend to be outgoing.
- Budget– how much is the organization willing to invest in the appraisal exercise? If resources are scarce, for instance, the appraisal may be carried out on a limited scale.
- The number of employees– there are organizations that boast of only a handful of employees working in the same locality. Conversely, there are other organizations with thousands of employees spread out in different geographical locations.
- Competencies of candidates- employees typically have varying skills and abilities. An assessment conducted on specialist doctors, for instance, cannot be carried out on low- level clinical officers.
How Can Human Resource Professionals Conduct an Effective Assessment?
To carry out effective and efficient workplace appraisals, HR professionals ought to follow the guidelines below:
- Investigate the organizational culture- a company may have its own way of doing things. New employees may adopt a certain way of life because that is what they found. It would be unfair to blame employees for certain shortcomings if the environment conditioned them to follow that path.
- Give prior notice- many people hate surprises. It would be unfair for candidates to report to their offices one morning, only to discover that they have to undergo that exercise without prior notice. Employees ought to be at their best when undergoing workplace reviews.
- Allocate enough time- the exercise can be inconclusive if the time allocated is inadequate. Depending on the technique applied, candidates should be reviewed for a few hours, days, or even weeks.
Workplace Assessment Template
This workplace appraisal has been conducted using the observation method:
Name of candidate: ………………………………………………………………………………
Job title: …………………………………………………………………………………………….
Job description: ……………………………………………………………………………………
Date of employment: ……………………………………………………………………………….
Career progression: ………………………………………………………………………………
Academic qualifications: …………………………………………………………………………
Skills: ………………………………………………………………………………………………
Abilities: ……………………………………………………………………………………………
Other competencies: ………………………………………………………………………………..
Level of motivation: ………………………………………………………………………………..
Candidate’s behavior when he/she knows that observation is ongoing: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Candidate’s behavior when the observation is done without their knowledge: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Period of assessment: ………………………………………………………………………………
Suitability of work environment: …………………………………………………………………..
Candidate’s plan in the short term: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Candidate’s plan in 5- 10 years: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Assessor’s remarks: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Workplace Assessment Examples
Workplace assessment plays an important role in measuring a candidate’s productivity at the place of work. There is no doubt about this. It helps to determine an individual employee’s skills and abilities and how much contribution (if any) they make to that organization’s successes or failures.
The document used to carry out this important exercise is usually complex. If you want to avoid the hassle of developing your own document from scratch, consider using our template. It doesn’t cost much, and you can get so much value from it.