Why staff appraisals are good for business

Appraisals force the manager to focus on what's important, says Nergish Wadia-Austin, CEO of Phab Standard. Managers can, and do get busy. The easiest place to slip up is to let go of the follow-ups! Most managers can and do fall into this pit occasionally, inadvertently taking their eye off the revenue generation ball. Appraising individual performance based on facts and numbers generated is helpful to all: the business, the manager, the employee and the customer. Appraisals develop the turnover. Without quarterly assessments of performance a manager can't identify where exactly the weakness in revenue generation is coming from, when it comes to individuals. Does it come from a lack of skills? Is it coming from the inability to recall the consultation? Is it that there is no scripted consultation? The power returns to the manager when they are able to identify exactly who is performing on all cylinders and who isn't! They show the manager the training gaps. Another area that is helped by appraisals and reviews is the ability to identify, plan, book and execute training for the year ahead. Training budgets are never enough but at least the results of reviews guides the manager to the most urgent training needs! Appraisals keep the employee interested in business improvement of their column. The employee feels involved and in control of their career growth, thereby, helps to develop a sense of pride in what they are doing. They guarantee customers an improvement of standards in the customer care they receive at each and every visit. Appraisals put money in the till, utilising the existing foot fall rather than allowing staff to blame stagnation on a lack of footfall. If the review is conducted thoroughly, the manager gets to identify additional, surprising skills individuals may have and start using them in their business. After all, the whole point of the appraisal/review process is to generate more money from each productive team member, thereby improving profits! Why else would you spend valuable time doing them? Nergish Wadia-Austin has created a resource, the Hair & Beauty Management Helpline, where anyone in management can access confidential, pragmatic solutions and practical knowledge. Anyone from managers of salons, spas, barbershops, to self employed hair, beauty and nail professionals can purchase 15 minute units at www.phabstandard.com