Performance Management  Performance appraisal 

Performance management is strategically executed. Performance appraisal is often perceived as a dif

Leads to increased performance in the organization.  process for the employee and HR 
Performance management results in improved
communication between the organization, manager Performance appraisal does not address the perc
and the employees. There is frequent gaps as the intent of the employees and HR diffe
communication in the organization that fosters often.   
collaboration in an organization. 
In performance management, rules are clearly
The objectives of the organization are not
defined for the employees. There is an informed
communicated to the employees in appraisals at
discussion about the goals and objectives of the
There is a lack of transparency when it comes to
organization in the process of employee
performance appraisals. 
management. 
Performance appraisals lead to anxiety at times
Performance management reduces the anxiety of because the process is periodic and not continuo
the employees because, employee management Employees often perceive appraisals in a negativ
reviews are a continuous process. The discussion manner because it does not have anything to do
revolves around the productivity of the employee improving themselves to meet the objectives of t
with relation to the productivity of the management organization. In performance appraisals, the
as such. More room for management-based communication is often confined to the manager
discussions.  the employee without discussing what is needed
organization. 
Lack of proper communication: performance app
Appraisals are a part of performance management.
focuses a great deal about the employee’s perfor
Appraisals are more accurate in performance
as such. It does not clearly lay down what is expe
management because of the continuous feedback
from them in the future. The discussion is often l
process. Performance management addresses the
constructive for the employee in performance
problems effectively leading to better appraisals. 
appraisals. 
Performance appraisal are timely and automated
Performance management is timely. Performance
Everything is documented and there are feedback
management is automated. It has all the relevant
forms. After the employee evaluates himself, the
documentation about the employee and managers
manager then gives his feedback. The feedback
can access it any time. They can give training in
related to what the employee has done other than
skillset and other aspects they need to work on. 
him relevant training.  
Performance management leads to better employee There is a lack of employee personal developmen
engagement because employee management focus strategies in appraisals. Since it is only objective
on the personal development of the employee performance review. Appraisals do not deal with
compared to appraisals.  formulating developmental plans. 
Performance management ensures that employees There is a lack of developmental strategies for
 employee performance in the appraisal process.
feel a better sense of belonging compared to
Employees may get cynical and leave the organiz
performance appraisals. 
they don’t see any scope for development. 

Employee Performance Appraisals:

Don't Fear The Process, Set
Standards/dislike
t is a frustrating fact that even poorly performing employees often win lawsuits
for discrimination or wrongful termination. They often claim they didn’t know
what was expected of them, they didn’t know they weren’t meeting job
standards, or they didn’t know that a termination or demotion could happen to
them. EVERY POSITION SHOULD HAVE PERFORMANCE
STANDARDS. To say that written standards cannot be prepared for a position
is to say that the supervisor does not know what to expect of an employee and
that the employee’s work cannot be objectively evaluated.

STANDARDS SHOULD COVER SPECIFIC POSITIONS, NOT BROAD

CLASSES OF POSITIONS. Even though certain employees may have the
same job title, different standards should apply for these employees if
significant differences in operating practices or working conditions exist. For
example, a clerk typist in accounting and one in public relations would perform
different work, probably in different quantities. Only when the duties and
working conditions of positions are identical should a single set of standards
apply.

TASK/RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENTS NEED TO BE REVIEWED BEFORE

OVERALL STANDARDS CAN BE WRITTEN. A task is a major unit of work or
significant component of the job. The task statement should be broad enough
to serve as a significant tool for evaluating an employee’s performance, but not
so broad that it becomes impossible to develop standards for the task.
It is important to avoid overly broad statements such as “does routine clerical
work,” which may, in the case of a clerk, describe the entire job. Statements of
overall responsibility do not give enough help in defining a job. In general,
statements with words such as “supervises,” “coordinates” or “directs” probably
describe overall responsibilities rather than tasks.
STANDARDS SHOULD APPLY TO SPECIFIC, SIGNIFICANT TASKS OF
THE POSITION. If the employee’s responsibilities are expressed in vague,
general language, it will be difficult — perhaps impossible — to write clear,
meaningful standards for the job. Wherever possible, tasks should be
expressed in concrete terms that describe definite actions that the employee
takes.

EVERY TASK SHOULD HAVE ONE OR MORE PERFORMANCE

STANDARDS BY WHICH ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE TASK CAN BE
JUDGED. Standards should specify what level of performance is expected in
relation to a given task, that is, what the employee is expected to do, and how
well he or she is expected to do it. Performance standards should serve as
benchmarks that tell the human-resources professional and employee when
and under what conditions the employee’s performance of the task is
satisfactory.

STANDARDS SHOULD REFLECT A FULLY ACCEPTABLE OR A

SATISFACTORY LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE. Standards should be
attainable and should reflect what is expected of a fully trained and competent
employee. Standards must be high enough for the work unit to accomplish its
objectives and low enough for competent employees to reach them.

STANDARDS SHOULD BE EXPRESSED PRECISELY. The more precisely

standards are stated, the easier it will be to evaluate performance and give
employees guidance on what is expected of them. For example, “responds to
requests for estimates in accordance with established deadlines”

. What is a training needs assessment?

A training needs assessment (TNA) is an assessment process that
companies and other organizations use to determine performance
requirements and the knowledge, abilities and skills that their employees
need to achieve the requirements
There are three key areas that are considered accurate assessors of those
needs:
Skill proficiency of employees

Employees' frequency of skill usage

Level of employees' skills crucial to job performance

One of the outputs of the training needs assessment is a list of who needs
what kind of training. For instance, your company may find that the IT
department is failing to keep up with the industry standards and needs to
undergo training that increases their knowledge about the latest
technological innovations. Or maybe the IT interns are coming on full-time
and require mentoring to become a competitive and productive part of the
company.
TNA aims to answer some familiar questions: why, who, how, what and
when. Here's a look at the descriptions of the questions and what analysis
can to answer them.

Middle Managers Need

1. The ability to hire well. “If a manager is not interviewing and selecting people
well, he may be stuck with employees who don’t last or aren’t a good fit,” says
Russ Elliot, founder of the Conscious Culture Group.
2. Excellent communication skills. “The best managers consistently engage every
direct report in ongoing one-on-one dialogue about the work that needs to be
done by that person,” says Bruce Tulgan, author of The 27 Challenges Managers
Face.
3. The ability to delegate. It is ineffective and exhausting for a manager to try to do
the work of every person who reports to him. “Sometimes it is difficult for
managers to relinquish control,” says Barbara Moy, SHRM-CP, manager of
people and culture at CaseWare International Inc.
4. Performance management proficiency. “Middle managers must have the ability to
hold people accountable and also provide them with encouragement and
incentives,” says organizational consultant Melinda Stallings, SHRM-SCP.
 5. Collaboration skills. To be seen as team players, managers must be able to both
lead people and work well with them, Stallings says.
6. Solid decision-making skills. “Teach individuals how to problem-solve and weigh
the probabilities and outcomes of pursuing a decision strategy with regard to the
overall organizational strategy,” Stallings says.

Differences Between employee Training and Development

The major differences between training and development are as under:

1. Training is a learning process for new employees in which they get to

know about the key skills required for the job. Development is the
training process for the existing employees for their all round
development.
2. Training is a short-term process i.e. 3 to 6 months, but development is a
continuous process, and so it is for the long term.
3. Training focuses on developing skill and knowledge for the current job.
Unlike, the development which focuses on the building knowledge,
understanding and competencies for overcoming with future challenges.
4. Training has a limited scope; it is specific job oriented. On the other
hand, development is career oriented and hence its scope is
comparatively wider than training.
5. In training, the trainees get a trainer who instructs them at the time of
training. In contrast to development, in which the manager self-directs
himself for the future assignments.
6. Many individuals collectively attend the training program. Development
is a self-assessment procedure, and hence, one person himself is
responsible for one’s development.

Part 2
What is Recruitment? 
Recruitment is the process in which people are offered selection in an organization. It is

when prospective employees are searched for and are then encouraged to apply for

jobs within the organization. This is just one step in the process of employment however

it is a long process that involves a series of tasks, starting with an analysis of the job
requirements and ending with the appointment of the employee. Specific tasks involved

in the process of recruitment include: 

 Analyzing job requirements 

 Advertising the vacancy 
 Attracting candidates to apply for the job 
 Managing response 
 Scrutinizing applications 
 Shortlisting candidates 

Recruitment activities are typically performed by Human Resource practitioners, either

internally or externally. Internal recruitment sources are promotion, transfers,

retrenched employees, contact or references, ex-employees, retired employees, etc.

External recruitment sources are recruitment through advertisement, campus

recruitment, recruitment by employee exchanges, recruitment by third parties, internet

recruitment, unsolicited applicants, etc. 

What is Selection? 
Selection is the process of identifying an individual from a pool of job applicants with the

requisite qualifications and competencies to fill jobs in the organization. This is an HR

process that helps differentiate between qualified and unqualified applicants by applying

various techniques.  

The term ‘selection’ comes with the connotation of placing the right person in the right

job. Selection is the process in which various strategies are employed to help recruiters

decide which applicant is best suited for the job. Some activities include: 

 Screening 
 Eliminating unsuitable candidates 
 Conducting an examination (aptitude test, intelligence test, performance test, personality
test, etc.) 
 Interviews 
 Checking references 
 Medical tests 

The selection process is a largely time-consuming step in an employee’s hiring

experience. HR managers must carefully identify the eligibility of every candidate for the

post, being careful not to disregard important factors such as educational qualification,

background, age, etc. 

The Difference Between Recruitment and Selection 

The difference between recruitment and selection can be understood by comparing the

two processes against the same characteristics or factors. See the chart below. 

Comparison  Recruitment  Selection 

An activity of searching for potential candidates and A process of selecting the

Meaning 
encouraging them to apply.  job. 

Positive – seeking out an increase in the applicant Negative – seeking out wa

Approach 
pool.  one ideal candidate is ide

Inviting more candidates to apply for a vacant

Objective  Choosing the most suitab
position. 

Key Factor  Advertising the job.  Appointing the candidate.

Sequence  First.  Second. 

Vacancies are notified by the organization through The organization makes a

Process  various sources, then an application form is made (submitting a form, writing

available to candidates.  to deem whether they’re a

Specifications  The recruitment policy specifies the objectives of The selection policy consi

recruitment, providing rules and regulations for the by which the evaluation of
 implementation of the recruitment program. 

Recruitment only implies communication of

Contractual Selection involves the cre
vacancies and open positions – therefore, no
Relation  between the employer and
contractual relation is established. 

Method  Economical.  Expensive. 

Interview technique

Phone interview technique

When applying for jobs it's likely that a phone interview will be an employer's second
point of contact after email communication. A phone interview is where an employer,
often a recruiter or hiring manager, calls you to go over the position and get a feel to
see if you would be a good fit for the job. It's not uncommon to have multiple phone
interviews before being invited to an in person interview.

Video interview technique

With the increased efficiency of video software, we are seeing more and
more employers turning to video interviews as a way to quickly vet candidates. Video
interviews consist of an applicant video calling an employer and discussing the position.
A video interview helps an employer note a candidate's mannerisms, preparedness, and
appearance more comprehensively than during a phone interview. Employers are also
increasingly relying on pre-recorded video interviews, where a candidate records
themselves answering interview questions. This gives the employer the convenience of
being able to watch the video at any time.

In-person interview technique

In person interviews consist of a candidate meeting with an employer usually in the

office. The employer will then interview the candidate to see if they would be a good fit
for the position. In person interviews allow employers to better assess two things. In
person an employer will be able to gauge if you will fit in to the climate and culture of the
office. And in person an employer will be able to see if you really want the job, as they
will be constantly monitoring your enthusiasm about the role. Remember an employer
wants someone who's passionate and not just looking for a paycheck.
Group interview technique

Group interviews are when an employer has multiple candidates interview together.

Group interviews are extremely efficient for employers as they are able to vastly reduce
the time they spend interviewing. Companies also conduct group interviews to assess
how well candidates can work together. Group interviews can be especially challenging
for candidates as they tend to be stressful, however performing well in them indicates to
employers that you are able to perform in high stress situations.

Panel interview technique

Panel interviews are a twist on traditional interviews. Panel interviews consist of a

candidate being interviewed by multiple interviewers at once. Employers hold panel
interviews for a variety of reasons. Like group interviews, panel interviews are often
stressful, showcasing to employers how well you will perform under pressure. Panel
interviews also show employers how well you can navigate group setting and handling
of different personalities.

Advantage of interview: There is some objectives or advantage of interview which are

stated below:

1. Easy correction of speech: Any misunderstanding and mistake can be rectified

easily in an interview. Because the interviewer and interviewee physically present
before the interview board.
2. Development of relationship: Relation between the interviewer and the
interviewee can be developed through an interview. It increases mutual
understanding and co-operation between the parties.
3. Selection of suitable candidate: Suitable candidates can be selected through
interview because the interview can know a lot about the candidate by this
process.
4. Collection of primary information: Interview can help to collect the fresh, new
and primary information as needed.
5. Sufficient information: Sufficient information can be collected through
the interview process. Because the interviewer can ask any question to the
interviewee.
6. Time saving: Interview can help to save time to select the best suitable
candidate. Within a very short time communication can be accomplished with the
interview.
7. Less costly: It is less costly than other process of communication. It is very
simple, prompt and low cost method of communication.
8. Increasing knowledge: Any interview increases the knowledge of both the
interviewer and the interviewee. They can interchange their views and ideas.
9. Explore cause behind the problem: In business, executives need to solve
different types of problems. To explore or to find out the actual reasons behind
the problem interview method can be used.
 10. In depth analysis: Through planed interviews detailed information can be
collected which enables proper analysis of a problem. Abstract factors like
attitudes, feelings, opinion etc. Can be successfully evaluated or analyzed
through interviews.

Disadvantages of interview: There are some limitations of the interview process. It is

not free from defects. The disadvantages of the interview are discussed below:

1. Incomplete process: Suitable candidate can not be selected by interview only.

The written test is more important than the interview.
2.  No record: In the case of the interview some confusion may be arisen in the
future as, there is no evidence actually that have been discussed at interview.
3. Lack of attention: Much attention is required for a good interview. But
sometimes it is observed that both the interviewer and the interviewee are less
attentive. That is why real information cannot be collected.
4. Disappointed: Interviewee may be disappointed while she or he faces the
interviewer’s questions which are not related to the field. That is why suitable
candidate may be neglected.
5. Time consuming: Time constrain is one of the major limitations of the interview
process. Preparation for the interview, taking interviews and interpretation of the
responses required much time, which makes the interview method time
consuming.
6. Biases of interviewer: Always there is a possibility that the interview process
can be influenced by the biases of the interviewer.
7. Costly: Generally interview method is expensive.
8. Inefficiency of the interviewer: Interview is a systematic process of data
collection. The success of an interview depends on the efficiency of the
interviewer. This inefficiency of an interviewer can lead to misleading results.
9. Not suitable for personal matters: Personal matters may not be revealed by
interview method.

What is Face Validity?

Face validity, also called logical validity, is a simple form of validity where you apply a
superficial and subjective assessment of whether or not your study or test measures
what it is supposed to measure. You can think of it as being similar to “face value”,
where you just skim the surface in order to form an opinion. It is the easiest form of
validity to apply to research. However, it doesn’t general include much (if any at all) in
the way of objective measurements. Therefore, it is often criticized as the weakest form
of validity.

For example, IQ tests are supposed to measure intelligence. The test would be valid if it
accurately measured intelligence. Very early IQ tests would often have pictures of
missing items, like a missing tennis ball from a court, or a missing chimney from a
house. At face value, the test was thought to be valid and fair to speakers of languages
other than English, because pictures are a universal language. However, the test was
actually biased against the poor, who may not have ever seen a tennis court. It was also
biased against people from some Christian countries who thought a cross was missing from the roof, not
a chimney

Assessment Centre definition

Assessment centres are places where individuals are judged on their future ability to
perform a particular role. Assessment centres used to be more common for senior
positions, but with the increasing number of applicants per role, they have become
more common across the board. Graduate positions often involve some form of
assessment centre.

Assessment centres may be more commonly called assessment days, particularly

when they take place at a non-specific location, e.g. a hotel.

Assessment centres vary widely in duration, format and content. More intensive
assessment centres may last two days, with an overnight residential stay. A range of
different activities are included in assessment centres to appeal to a variety of
candidates, and may include written assessments, personality tests (including Myers-
Briggs), exams and role play.

Group activities may also form a part of assessment centres, including group business
exercises, where each person takes turns playing the senior figure – this is more
prominent when recruiting for positions where leadership skills are important.

Candidates are normally reimbursed for their travel and overnight expenses when
attending assessment centres, particularly in the case of larger firms or when the
assessment centre is part of a normal recruitment drive e.g. a graduate scheme. If no
offer of reimbursement is made, applicants should contact the HR department at the
earliest possible opportunity to clarify

Content Validity
Content validity is an important research methodology term that refers to how
well a test measures the behavior for which it is intended. For example, let's say
your teacher gives you a psychology test on the psychological principles of sleep.
The purpose of this test is to measure your knowledge or mastery of the
psychological priniciples of sleep, right? If the test does indeed measure this,
then it is said to have content validity -- it measures what it is supposed to
measure.
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
This is a projective test that is used to help people express their feelings in a
non-threatening manner. This is done by having people create stories about
ambiguous characters, scenes, and situations. People are shown ambiguous
pictures and then asked to make up stories about them. This allows the person to
"project" their own feelings and interests onto the picture. So rather than saying, I
feel really angry, the person may indicate that the person in the picture looks
really angry and upset about something.

Interview Errors
1. Allowing pre-interview impressions of the applicant to influence conduct in the interview

Preconceived beliefs and judgements based on information obtained from the resume and cover letter can influence
the tone of the interview.  Interviewers are in charge of the flow of the interview, and can easily set the tone using
verbal and non-verbal communication.  When one allows preconceived beliefs about the characteristics of the
applicant to lead the interview in a negative or positive direction, the applicant’s responses and reactions will be
affected as well.

2. Asking questions that are unrelated to the job

This wastes time and does not produce any valuable information with which to rate or evaluate the candidate’s
qualifications.   Be careful not to ask questions of a personal or lifestyle nature.  Basing hiring decisions on factors
unrelated to the job can put employers in a legally vulnerable position.

3. Talking too much

The purpose of the interview is to gather as much relevant information about the candidate as possible.  When
interviewers spend too much time describing the job, and/or talking about themselves or the organization, valuable
time is lost.  The key to being a good interviewer is in being prepared and listening. 

4. Not allowing enough time

Because “time is money”, employers will often cut interviews short before all questions are asked and/or the
candidate is allowed ample time to answer.  This does the organization a disservice.  By allowing 45 minutes to one
hour for an interview, the likelihood of gathering meaningful information increases. 

Definition reliability
If a test is unreliable, then although the results for one use may actually be valid, for another
they may be invalid. Reliability is thus a measure of how much you can trust the results of a
test.
Tests often have high reliability – but at the expense of validity. In other words, you can get
the same result, time after time, but it does not tell you what you really want to know.
Stability
Stability is a measure of the repeatability of a test over time, that it gives the same results
whenever it is used (within defined constraints, of course).
Test-retest reliability is the repeatability of test over time to get same results with the same
person and needs to be done to assure the stability of a test. Stability, in this case, is the
variation in the scores that is taken. Problems with this include:
 Carry-over effect: people remembering answers from last time.
 Practice effect: repeated taking of test improves score (typical with classic IQ tests).
 Attrition: People not being present for re-tests.

Unstructured interview definition

Unstructured interview, also called non-directive interview, refers to an interview concept without
any set format in which questions are nor predetermined so the lack of structure enables the
interviewer to ask questions which come to his/her mind on the spot.

This type of interview process resembles an open minded, informal, friendly conversation

Advantages and disadvantages of unstructured interview

Unstructured interview encourages maturity and open type of communication. It also develops a
personal sense of responsibility. Since the interviewee feels relaxed he/she might disclose relevant
information that would under stress be forgotten.

The unstructured interview also provides the possibility to wander off the subject, to share too much
unrelated information which can lead to excluding specific information the interviewer wants/needs
to know. They also take more time than a structured interview.

Defining Self-Concept
Self-concept is generally thought of as our individual perceptions of our behavior, abilities, and
unique characteristics—a mental picture of who you are as a person.1
For example, beliefs such as "I am a good friend" or "I am a kind person" are part of an overall self-
concept.

Theories
Like many topics within psychology, a number of theorists have proposed different ways of
thinking about self-concept. According to a theory known as social identity theory, self-concept
is composed of two key parts: personal identity and social identity.
Personal identity includes the traits and other characteristics that make each person unique.
Social identity refers to how we identify with a collective, such as a community, religion, or
political movement.
Psychologist Dr. Bruce A. Bracken suggested in 1992 that there are six specific domains related
to self-concept:

 Social: the ability to interact with others

 Competence: the ability to meet basic needs
 Affect: the awareness of emotional states
 Physical: feelings about looks, health, physical condition, and overall appearance
 Academic: success or failure in school
 Family: how well one functions within the family unit 3

Humanist psychologist, Carl Rogers believed that there were three different parts of self-concept:

 Self-image, or how you see yourself. Each individual's self-image is a mixture of different
attributes including our physical characteristics, personality traits, and social roles. Self-image
doesn't necessarily coincide with reality. Some people might have an inflated self-image of
themselves, while others may perceive or exaggerate the flaws and weaknesses that others
don't see.
 Self-esteem, or how much you value yourself. A number of factors can impact self-esteem,
including how we compare ourselves to others and how others respond to us. When people
respond positively to our behavior, we are more likely to develop positive self-esteem. When we
compare ourselves to others and find ourselves lacking, it can have a negative impact on our
self-esteem.
 Ideal self, or how you wish you could be. In many cases, the way we see ourselves and how we
would like to see ourselves do not quite match up.