Ethical Performance Evaluations free essay sample

A performance evaluation is a system designed for a review of an employee’s overall job performance in the position that the employee is performing in. The evaluation is used to maintain or improve an employee’s job satisfaction of the job progress and personal development. Managers are able to determine future training by determining a guide of what has been learned and developed. In the time of an evaluation managers may determine talents and skills that have gone by unnoticed. During a performance evaluation an employee has the opportunity to discuss job interest and job problems with the manager. Ethical Issues Managers face moral and ethical issues when providing performance evaluations to employees. Procedures and actions for accurate evaluations are in need to provide a successful evaluation for each employee. Managers may inflate or deflate employees’ ratings on an evaluation because managers believe that providing accurate ratings may hinder performance or motivation (Pynes, 2004. , Â ¶1). Managers have many reasons for acting in ways towards an evaluation either personal or confrontation issues with employees. Some of these reasons include not wanting to give raises for financial reasons, to give raises for personal reasons even to low performing employees, and to use scare tactics to the hard to manage employees. Performance evaluations can be used as a positive motivator by providing the strengths and weaknesses in an employee. At times managers use evaluations for a power control over employees on how the manager perceives the employee on personal levels of control. Issues occur when an employee may be hard to manage or does not cooperate with a manger due to how the employee perceives the anager. This can cause doubt in the credibility of the manager and the organization. Social Issues and Ethically Responsible Every employee has the need to know how well they are performing in their job responsibilities. This can consist of how well they are doing and what improvements they can commit to ensure company goals is being met. Managers should give performance evaluations in a constructive way to provide accomplishment recognitions and areas of improvement in job responsibilities. Evaluations can at times be unpleasant for the employee if the employee has been discussed with on any improvements needed through-out the time period before the evaluation. An employee wants to know where they stand in the managers views. When an employee receives a good evaluation, this will boost morale with the employee and other employees. Careful planning of each evaluation should be taken in effect to find all aspects of an employee’s performance to be recorded and shown to the employee for errors or accomplishments that have taken place. Key to a successful evaluation is to be prepared. To be prepared for an evaluation for an employee is to plan on a date to give the evaluation by setting a date and time, have all material that will be presented on performance, have all approval signatures from reviews from higher management. Managers should provide specific goal setting with each employee to establish a foundation on performing and accomplishing goals that are set with the employee. Giving feedback of these goals on a daily basis on performance will build up reflection and performance of an employee to the day the performance evaluation is given. Allowing employees to participate in a self evaluation before a mangers evaluation of the employee will give the employee ownership of the evaluation process. Critique of employee should be given on the important aspects and examples of each strength and weakness that has occurred during the time before the evaluation. Employees may become defensive if there is no credibility on what is given to the employee in the evaluation. The raise of a salary of an employee usually has a short term impact on motivation, the overall views of the manager has the greatest and long term impact on the employee to further mprove the employee. Managers should use the 360 degree evaluation process to provide adequate and excise information to each employee. This process involves using multiple sources. The sources consist of peers, direct reports, supervisors, customers, vendors, and human resources. The evaluation is done by the complete circle of sources. The manager’s involvements are to desi gn, gather the information, and communicate the evaluation to the employee. Managers using the 360 process will discover strengths, weaknesses, and expectations that were not known. Overall, this process can allow an employee to become accountable for their own development and growth in the organization (Custom Insight, n. d. ). Ethical Dilemma An ethical dilemma that may occur is when an outstanding evaluation is given and increase is to be given to the employee for the accomplishments that have happened with the performance of the employee. The dilemma occurs when the employee cannot receive the increase in salary due to being at the highest salary possible in the job position that the employee is in. The manager cannot promote the employee due to no available positions in any higher pay grade. The manger comes to the decision of what should be done in this situation. A legal issue that can arise from this situation is that the organizations pay scale is not fair to employees and justifiable to available positions on top performers that may deserve to be promoted. Although an organization is not required to promote employees due to salary caps, but may be lowering moral within the company with the decisions that are being made on available positions in the organization. Finding alternatives to a dilemma will help to make ethical dilemmas be solved. An alternative has the need to minimize harm to stakeholders, uphold values for the situation, and be an excellent solution to the dilemma. Letting the employee know where they stand and how important their role is in the organization will keep the employee motivated to continue doing the great job that is being performed. Notifying the employee on any open positions will help ensure that the employee is kept in mind when a position does come available and that they will have a great pportunity of filling that position. Conclusion Moral and ethical issues in performance evaluations can damage a company if not handled carefully and thoughtfully towards every employee fairly and justifiable. Legal aspects can occur to decisions made incorrectly without support and evidence of the situation. Using a 360 evaluation process can insure that every employee is being treated fairly from sources that work along wit h the employees. Performance evaluations are essential to the everyday process of every employee’s actions and performance within the organization.