HR: Selection and Evaluation
Selection and Appraisal Project
Megan Gobbo
May 8th, 2014
Recruitment Process
Organization Background
Clare Oaks Retirement Home is a retirement home on 41 acres of land in Illinois, with
both an Independent Living and Assi Healthcare centers. This facility was started in 1971 but
was previously schools for special needs children run by nuns, many of which presently live in
this home. This retirement home, like many have many levels of job positions because of the
variety of resident and facility needs. Jobs range from Nurses to building security to kitchen
staff, but altogether the staff works cohesively to maintain one of the top 5 Star retirement
facilities in the area.
Recreational Assistant Position and Job Description
Even more specifically, the job title of Recreational Assistant is a vital function to the
Dementia unit housed within Clare Oaks. The Recreational Assistant or RA position is a key
component of the organization and currently employs a group of six individuals. The job
description of this position can be seen in index as Exhibit 1. The job description is an essential
first step for the Human Resources team to fill an open position. A job description lays out all the
necessary skills, knowledge and abilities a person will need to have or maintain in order to
complete the job to its’ fullest possibility. This job description is the first way for possible
candidates to get a understanding of the RA position and recognize what they will be required to
do each shift they are on duty. For many, this job may not seem feasible because it works solely
with residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. As the job description shows, there are
many types of therapeutically involved requirements involved. This job is a full-time position
and is non-exempt because within the Clare Oaks facility, only management and administrative
jobs are exempt and salary positions. Additionally, the job description lays out educational
requirements such as Dementia Training and certification in order to work with the patients. This
description gives insight of the environment the dementia unit as well. This unit is a tough unit to
work in and the job description needs to depict the skills, knowledge and abilities needed for this
RA position.
Starting the Process
All job positions for Clare Oaks follow the same procedure in order for an applicant to
apply and an offer to be made to either accept or reject the candidate. This selection process can
be seen as a multiple hurdle approach. There is a job application, interview, ability test and drug
test to overcome. The hurdles are overcome in this order because this order has proven to give
the best results in terms of employees as well as their dedication to the organization. Since the
candidate has gone through such an intensive process, they are more inclined to really want the
position as well as work hard to stay in the organization. The data that is collected from the job
application, the candidate’s resume, interview and evaluation will together create the foundation
of the decision making process. The application and resume will be given to HR in hard copy
form and will be weighted with how the interview goes as well as the evaluation of role-play
portion of process. Communication with the applicant starts from the moment his or her
application is chosen as a possible candidate. One of the HR team members will call any
candidate if their application is accepted. From there, the HR member will explain the remaining
portion of the selection process to the candidate to ensure he or she is fully prepared for anything
they may encounter with interviewing. This phone call would also explain the possibly of an
ability test where the applicant would need a 20-30 minute activity to test their skills knowledge
and abilities in the real environment they possibly will be working in. Human Resources will use
phone messages for all candidate interaction necessary during the selection process. This ensures
the candidate has full disclosure of what is expected from them and gives them the opportunity to
ask any questions they may have. These four aspects of the process will allow the HR team
members and specific unit manager (in this case, Dementia HealthCare unit director) to make
educated, valid and non-discriminatory hiring choices. But before HR can even begin to consider
candidates for open positions, the job position must be posted in order for the recruitment
process to fully begin.
Recruitment
In regards to the specific RA job at Clare Oaks, an opening for this position will be
posted in a few different ways. First and foremost, there will be an in-house job posting before
the job is posted elsewhere. An example of this job posting can be found under Exhibit 2. The
reason this posting is listed before it is posted on internet sites or the newspaper is because hiring
from within, if the employee is cheaper and beneficial to the organization. If an employee has the
skills, knowledge and abilities required by the job description, it would seem beneficial to
promote from within because they are already part of the Clare Oaks culture. Being part of a
retirement home work environment means knowing the residents, the staff and the rules and
regulations that must be followed. Therefore if the HR staff can hire a current employee for an
open position, those factors do not have to be taught, they can simply continue to develop.
Besides an in-house posting, Clare Oaks HR would also have an online posting and a
newspaper posting. Examples of these two posting can be found in Exhibit 3. The posting will be
advertised in the Bartlett Examiner because it is a local newspaper. This type of ad is also
relatively inexpensive for Clare Oaks coming in at about $225 for a half-page ad circulating for 3
weeks’ worth of editions. This newspaper circulates to over 37,800 homes in 6 towns within 20
minutes of the Clare Oaks Retirement Community facility. For online postings, this ad will be on
the ClareOaksRetirement.com website to promote the job opening. Both of these recruitment
techniques give the opportunity for a larger pool of candidates to be found to apply for the RA
position. This approach is known as net widening, because the options for possible candidates
grow when recruitment efforts are expanded. When a larger pool of applicants is reached, HR
has a better chance to find the applicant most fit for the position. Finding an applicant that is
highly qualified is the main goal of any recruitment process. By using newspaper ads and online
sources to recruit, the main goal is to reach many candidates in a quick amount of time. This
tactic can bring in a huge applicant pool with a variety of candidates with different skills,
knowledge and abilities. The HR team must then follow the rest of their recruitment process to
weed out those unfit for the position and push the well-suited applicants on to the next phase of
the hiring process.
Another concept of recruitment which Clare Oaks constantly uses to recruit is the
Employee Referral approach. This approach presents an organization with positive and negative
results. This approach is set up in such a way that employees who refer Full-Time employees
will receive $300 after the 90 day period, and those who refer employee Part-Time employees
receive $150. The 90 day period before payment is in place because this is the employee
probationary period. This avoids the company losing money if the employee referral is
terminated. It is obvious that employee referrals can save money spent on recruitment and can
encourage positive morale within the work community. However, since people by nature
surround themselves with people of similar race, gender and societal backgrounds, these referrals
can cause unintentional discrimination. This discrimination can cause many problems for an
organization meaning employee referrals must stay monitored. Furthermore, referrals must be
another way to widen the candidate pool. Just because the candidate is referred, does not mean
they are the top choice for the job. Making and ethically sound choice for a job position is
necessary in order to avoid suits.
Applications, Resumes and Drug testing
Recruiting the right people can be a lengthy process. There are many aspects of the
recruitment process which can cause issues for an organization if they are not handled in the
proper, legal manner. The application process and screening process must both be legal and nondiscriminatory in order to keep the organization free from suits while providing the company
with the best possible employees. The application is the first hurdle a candidate must face. The
application being used is Exhibit 4. Applications must be valid and legal to protect against
discriminating against the protected classes. The application which is in place for Clare Oaks
Retirement Community clearly states their non-discriminatory position while hiring. The
application that each candidate must fill out includes information about the general personal
history, criminal background, education, references and previous employment of the candidate.
A background check in form of a criminal record in included in the Clare Oaks Application
because this work environment is very sensitive to patient protection. People who have serious
criminal background which are determined to be a possible threat to the community are denied
further consideration. This background information is validated by Clare Oaks running the
applicants’ names through a screening program. This program can vary in cost about $13 per
verification depending on the program an organization runs a background check through. The
HR team, with guidance from the administration, sets standards for the application questions and
procedures to develop a well-rounded community and ensure the highest level of safety for the
patients. The reason behind asking for information such as: where the applicant heard of the open
position is simply for recruitment purposes. The company can compile a list of where people
hear about job positions most often and tailor their advertising to this information. This can help
reduce advertising costs or allow there to be a better focus on which advertising brings in the
majority of the applicants. This application gives insight to the applicant can allows the HR team
to either call that applicant in for a first interview or pass on continuing the hiring process. Each
application will be turned in directly to the HR team and reviewed first by a member of this
team. If the application does not present any red flags, the application is then taken to the
specific area of the job for a director or manager to review. Reds flags from this process would
include not passing a criminal background check or failing to complete the necessary education
level. If the HR team and area director chooses to pass on a candidate they must have a sound
and legal reason for doing so. If they have reviewed their application and found the applicant to
meet and or exceed qualifications, the candidate has overcome this hurdle and moves on in the
selection process.
Along with the hard-copy application, each possible candidate must present the HR team
with resume. It is important to have a resume included in the application process because they
yet another way to look into a candidate and their skills, knowledge and abilities they may have
in order to be qualified for the RA position. By including a resume, more man power for the
application process may be necessary, but the benefits of looking at a resume will far outweigh
any costs an organization may have in order to include a resume. With any resume, the person
reviewing the resume can see if a candidate can write and how well they can write. Since writing
is a key component of the RA position, this is valid hurdle for an applicant to jump over. An RA
must write precise notes about patients as well as keep detailed records about their progress,
therefore making written communication an important skill set to have. The benefits which come
from a resume include seeing candidate’s originality and professionalism. These benefits of a
resume can be predictors of how well a candidate will perform on the job as well as who they are
as a person. A resume can also provide an opportunity for an HR team to notice red flags and
screen and weed out candidates who are not qualified for the RA position. Candidates meeting
qualifications and having the proper skill-set are the drivers for screening through applications
and resumes. Yet another reason why a resume is seen as necessary for Clare Oaks is simply
because the application is sterile meaning it is generic and a resume can offer more detailed
information about a candidate that can help verify their skills, knowledge and abilities they have
for the position.
In addition to the resume and application, Clare Oaks Retirement Community requires a
drug test to be conducted. The reason and importance of a drug test is because of the patients
which an RA will be in contact with each shift. A drug test is an expense for an organization but
when employees are so hands-on with patients, it is the necessary precaution in order to maintain
a safe retirement community. According to www.americandrugtestingconsortium.com, drug
testing for company employees cost on average $45 per person. For some companies $45 per
drug test may be quite a high price to pay, but for Clare Oaks which is a multi-million dollar
company, this investment insures that the employees are drug free when they start their new
position. Requiring drug testing demonstrates that the company has a strict no illegal drug use
policy that must be maintained throughout the duration of employment. Not being under the
influence of illegal drugs allows for employees to be able to fully execute their job and give the
patients the best possible care. Drug testing is a hurdle within the selection process which every
employee must jump over. Failing this portion of the process will automatically decline any
further consideration of a give candidate for the RA position. The benefits of drug testing clearly
outweigh any costs an organization may face.
Interview Process
One of the last hurdles for an applicant to face in the selection process is the actual
interview a person will have before they are offered the job. The interview process is a key
aspect of the selection process. For Clare Oaks the interview process is two-pronged: an HR
team member will conduct the first interview and if the candidate remains qualified, a job
specific manager or director will conduct the second interview. These two interviews will take
place no more than 7 days apart from one another. In the case of the RA position, the second
interview would be conducted by the Dementia HealthCare unit director. For Clare Oaks’
selection process, a second interview is necessary because an area specific director has the
opportunity to interact with possible candidates and have a say in who is best fit and qualified for
the open position. The interview is a chance for candidates to reveal their true character and
highlight their skills that would make them an asset to the organization. An example of an
interview guide and process with specific questions tailored to a Recreational Assistant position
can be seen on Exhibit 5. This interview guide has multiple questions that could be used during
either interview. This interview guide is tailored to the RA position because it takes the goals and
requirements of the job description and creates questions pertaining to each different competency
laid out for the position. By doing this, the questions remain very concrete and job specific.
Desired possible answers or themes can be found in the “Notes” portion of Exhibit 5. While it is
important to make the candidate feel comfortable during the interview process, it is also
important to keep the questions legal and valid. Valid, in this situation, means a legal and
justifiable process to help test the skills, knowledge and abilities of the candidate. Each of the 12
competencies for the Recreational Assistant position were established as necessary in the job
description and therefore candidates must be tested on proficiencies such as “time-management”,
“patience”, “ethics”, and “organization”. Because each competency relates to the job in some
way or another, the questions are validated. Because there are two prongs to the interview
process, a candidate has the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities to multiple people and
prove they are qualified for the job. The HR staff member who conducts the first interview as
well as the area director can work together in order to compare notes and choose the most
qualified applicant. Because the interview portion of the selection process is so important, the
HR team would have to conduct training for any area director giving an interview. Proper
training for those going through the interview process is necessary in order to avoid
discrimination or suits. With interviewing, all questions would need to be legal and justified.
Training could include basic questions which are illegal to ask, issues to avoid, Affirmative
Action issues, ADAAA etc. While training employees on proper ways to interview candidates
may require time and resources, the training is beneficial to the employees and the organization
in general. This hurdle of the process can be a true assessment of how the applicant will perform
on the job.
Personality Assessment and Ability Test
For this selection process, there will not be a physical personality test given to any
applicants who seek a position within the Clare Oaks Community. Personality tests will be
conducted through the resume, application, and interview process. While personality tests may
provide an organization with insight to a person’s personality, work ethic, and overall attitude,
more often than not, if not used correctly, these tests are invalid. Many people have figured out
what answers are “correct” in the eyes of an HR team. This test is simply a waste of resources
and time for Clare Oaks as an organization. There are many other forms of testing the
qualifications of a candidate which make better use of an organization’s time and money.
Personality tests often produce “fakers” which can delay or impair the selection process.
Psychology Professor Dr. Richard Griffith states, 30% of respondents change their answers to
achieve significantly high scores (Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Human Resource
Management). “Fakers” can be bad to have in a dementia unit because in times of struggle their
true personality may shine through causing harm to a patient or the overall mood of the unit. It is
important for an applicant to appropriately change their demeanor to accommodate to patients
with dementia. Statistics such as these are common and many companies, including Clare Oaks
Retirement Community, op out to using this test to aid in the selection process.
The final hurdle along the selection process is an ability test. The only ability test the
candidate will have to go through is a role-play test interacting with patients. Reasons for taking
this approach would include finding answers to the following questions: How well do they work
with others on their team? How well do they work with the residents? Can they come up with
activities to fill time? What happened when something did not go as planned? Do they keep
residents engaged? What type of attitude does the candidate have throughout the ability test? The
attitude the unit director and current RA will look for is high energy and creativeness. Both of
which are in the job description and can display the candidate’s high level of interest and
dedication to the position. The ability test that an RA will go through will give insight for the HR
and Dementia HealthCare unit director as to how true a match the applicant is to the Clare Oaks
Community and Dementia HealthCare unit. We will have the candidates prepare an activity 2030 minutes in length to work with the residents. This is show how well they can change due to
the environment they are in. This will show how well they display confidence in front of a group.
This is also an indication of what a common shift will consist of if the applicant were to be
chosen for the Recreational Assistant position. For this ability test, a few different people would
need to be present in order to make the most informed candidate choice. One person who must
be present for the ability test is the Dementia HealthCare unit director. This director is in charge
of the Dementia unit and works with the patients for hours and hours each day of every week.
Their perspective and knowledge of the skills necessary for the job are beyond the knowledge of
any other employee. The Dementia director will be able to pick of up little mistakes or strengths
that a candidate may demonstrate. Additionally, a current Recreational Assistant will need to be
present for the ability test to assess how well the applicant preforms their 20-30 minute activity.
The current RA can help the candidate if he or she runs into any difficulties and can help with
patient names or needs. Having two people’s perspectives on how an applicant preforms during
their ability test gives stronger validation as to whether the candidate fits in with the environment
and is qualified to handle the Dementia unit patients. Both the current RA and the Dementia
HealthCare unit Director will complete an ability test performance review which is presented in
Exhibit 6. Having this ability test review can allow the HR team and Dementia unit director to
return to candidate’s performance at a later date if necessary. This also creates validity amongst
the process and can control any issues of discrimination or questions that may come from
choosing not to hire an individual. In order for a person to be qualified for the job, their ability
test review must have a majority meets performance, above performance or exceeds performance
in competencies. The ability test review allows for the 12 competencies of the job description to
be tested and evaluated. These competencies have been a constant speculation throughout the
entire selection process from the job description to final hurdle of the ability test. This constancy
will provide a valid selection process for both parties involved: the organization and any
applicant who seeks interest in the position. After the ability test takes place, the two employees
conducting the interview can come together to compare notes and then share reviews with the
applicants discussing both strengths and weaknesses of his or her presentation. From here, the
area director and HR personal meet in order to review the ability test results and interview results
in order to execute a job offer or decide to continue looking at other applicants.
Appraisal Process
Clare Oaks Retirement Community performance appraisals will be conducted yearly on
the employee’s anniversary of employment. This performance appraisal will be conducted by
the area director. The type of appraisal used is one which supervisors rate their employees. This
form of performance appraisal is used because in the industry which Clare Oaks is recognized,
there is a hierarchy and this demands results to be shown to those in higher positions.
Supervisors rating and evaluating their employees allow the area which they work to be
appraised with one set of standards from one director. An example of this appraisal can be seen
in Exhibit 7. For the Recreational Assistant, the Dementia HealthCare unit director would
conduct the yearly appraisal. The area director conducts the performance appraisal because they
are in charge of these employees and have the best understanding of the work they do on a day to
day basis. The area director is also someone an employee may feel comfortable with to talk to
about their performance and develop a plan to grow. To aid in the yearly performance
evaluation, employee performance notes will be taken each week by the area director in order to
keep track of both good and bad performance behaviors of the individual. An example of this
weekly diary can be seen as Exhibit 8. This weekly diary is very simple and easy to maintain for
a variety of reasons. Firstly, an area director has to keep track of multiple employees therefore a
basic template is an easy option to keep files of an employee up to date and as accurate as
possible. This weekly performance diary will display any incidents good and bad which an
employee may face. Keeping an accurate record of each employee may take some time and effort
for the director but the advantages that come from having this information for the performance
appraisal each year will truly benefit the time and effort a director puts into the record keeping.
Each employee’s performance will partly be measured by all the good and bad incidents that a
director reports throughout the given year of employment. All of this information provides
critical aspects of the negative and positive outcomes of and RA’s work. These dimensions are
essential to an patient care facility because the care of the patients must be top notch and
therefore the employee’s work ethic, skills, abilities, and attitude must top notch at all times as
will. A few minor mistakes every so often are understandable but there are standards in place
which will help determine if an RA has had too many mistakes. For Clare Oaks the standards
which qualify as a “negative strike” against an employee include neglect, tardiness, illegal
behavior and dishonorable actions. For a given yearly appraisal in most cases an employee is
allowed the “3 strikes rule” which means unless there are extenuating circumstances, after the 3rd
large mistake is reported the employee is reviewed by the area director and an HR team member
and may possibly be terminated. There is such a strict policy because when there are other lives
at stake it is unlawful and unfair to allow ill-suited employees to interact with any patients. With
the performance diary, the actual performance appraisal process is enhanced and can be better
executed.
The performance appraisal for the Recreational Assistant position will be based on both
behavior-based and results-based criteria. For an RA position, behavior-based criteria is
important to the job performance evaluation because how an employee conducts themselves on a
day to day basis will help determine which behaviors are the employee’s strengths and which
behaviors need to be enhanced in order to uphold the best care and safety for the patients in the
Dementia HealthCare unit. Behavior-based traits being tested are things such as oral
communication, personal connections with patients, proper ethical decision making skills, and
problem solving and leadership skills. All these skills pertain to the RA job and job description
because any employee working as an RA has certain skills, knowledge and abilities they need to
maintain and develop while working in this position. In further, Results-based criteria will also
be used for the performance appraisal process. Providing results as an RA is a key component to
the job as well developing certain characteristics and behaviors. Part of the job description
includes attaining results and meeting goals and deadlines to create better and more positive
experiences for the patients in the Dementia care unit. Results that are described in the job
description which need to be evaluated are the amount of proper treatment plans an RA may put
in place for a patient to enhance his or her stay in the retirement home. For each patient, a proper
plan of action is necessary and part of the RA job requirement is to create this plan of care,
organize and conduct activities to enhance and meet patient’s specific physical or psychological
needs. Even more, a crucial aspect of taking care of patients with dementia is caring for them
during times of sun-downing. When the sun sets each day, patients often lose even more control
of many of their senses and act out in many different ways. This relates to the RA performance
appraisal because more often than not, sun-downing, is when employees either thrive or crack
under the pressure. Moments during sun-downing can cause and RA to be put in a good or bad
situation, where choices must be made and an RA’s skill, knowledge and abilities of the job are
put to the test. Results-based and behavior-based criteria combined provide for verifiable and
valid appraisal process.
The Performance Appraisal for Clare Oaks Retirement Community is both used for
administrative purposes as well as many developmental uses. The appraisal sheds light on
employee performance in a given area of the organization. This performance can be an indication
of where the organization is thriving as well as where the organization is lacking and has room to
grow. Growth and development along with administrative uses of an appraisal will create a wellrounded, steady work environment.
To begin, the administrative uses of the performance appraisal which are most important
include promotions and dismissals of employees. Administrative uses of an appraisal may also
include compensation, downsizing and layoffs. For the company to be successful and
productively use a performance appraisal, they must use the appraisal and the weekly
performance diary to promote or dismiss current employees. If an employee has an overall
positive track record, with few to no written or verbal notices for wrongdoings they can have the
opportunity to be promoted. Similarly, when an employee consistently underperforms or makes
mistakes and those mistakes are recorded, it makes the dismissal process of an employee easier
and valid. This process provides good support for both the promotion and dismissal of
employees with supporting documents to maintain a valid and ethical appraisal approach. The
administrative team can look at the performance appraisal to verify the goals of the employees
and the departments they work in. If the performance appraisals are positive and demonstrate
how well a unit is functioning, the organization can create even more goals for the unit and
organization to achieve. When the performance appraisals are negative, the organization can
make the proper changes necessary so the issues do not reoccur. An organization can use
negative appraisals rid themselves of employees who underperform and cause issues for the
company. There is no reason to keep employees who constantly fail to meet expectations and
meet goals. By keeping an employee who negatively impacts the organization, the organization
will be less effective. If the organization utilizes the appraisal correctly the employees of the
company will be compensated, promoted and dismissed properly whenever necessary.
More importantly, for Clare Oaks, the developmental uses of a performance appraisal are
found more beneficial to the cohesiveness of the organization. The factors of developmental uses
of this appraisal include: Identifying strengths, identifying areas of growth, development
planning, and coaching/career planning. Any organization no matter the size or success has room
for development and improvement. Development of an organization can allow companies to
reach goals and increase ranking scores in the organization’s given industry.
The first developmental use of a performance appraisal is identifying strengths. The
performance appraisal indicates which aspects of the job an employee is doing correctly and
more often than not, they are exceeding expectations in this area. In regards to the RA position,
there are many possible strengths one could have in this position. These will be documented on
the performance appraisal under the competencies or evaluation of meeting/exceeding/failing
each requirement. For example, an RA can have the strength of being creative, or organized. The
performance appraisal designed for this position takes each of the 12 competencies found in the
job description and tests how well the employee executes this competency. One person’s
strengths are often seen as an opportunity to teach others because of the results which come from
that strength. When someone implements something in the right manner, it can be beneficial to
try teaching others that same technique in order to have more good results. For example, if an
RA is very patient, the residents may respond better to the way they are treated and in return be
in a better mood. If more RA’s can learn to make patience a personal strength, the resident’s
“good” mood can become more stable. In a retirement home setting, the patient comes first, so
being patient with the resident allows the organization to meet their overall goals.
The next developmental use of a performance appraisal is identifying areas of growth.
This process is something which every company and employee has room for. Change is good
and can allow so many great things to develop if given the proper nurture and attention. When an
employee such as an RA has room for growth, it should not been seen as a negative thing in the
work place. An RA will face many different obstacles each shift they come to work, it is how
they beat these obstacles that create an area for improvement. For example, taking into
consideration a second competency such as creativeness: an RA does an activity and none of the
patients enjoy it or respond to it, this then becomes an area for growth. Creative activities are
key to maintain a “happy” dementia unit and many time an RA can struggle to keep the patients
fully engaged, but the way they react to situations and adapt to the current situation makes this
struggle an area for growth. Each performance appraisal asks for the director’s suggested areas
of growth in order to better the employee and the area they work in.
The third developmental use of an appraisal is development planning. This planning
would stem from compiling all the information a director collects from doing a performance
appraisal for their employees. It would seem beneficial and valid to take the performance of all
the employees in a given position and area to create a plan of development. Individually it is
important to develop, but it is also important to develop as a team in order to have consistency in
a unit. If a director, who conducts the appraisals, notices trends he or she can develop a strategy
the highlight the strengths and fix any weaknesses an employee has individually, or as a team
unit. Developing a plan will show the organization’s administrators, current clients and potential
clients that Clare Oaks takes their role in patient care seriously and wants the best results
possible for the residents.
The last important developmental use of a performance evaluation is coaching and career
planning. This aspect of the performance appraisal can occur in a variety of ways. The feedback
which an employee receives is one possible form of coaching. The area director takes notes
weekly on an RA and these notes are also possible coaching opportunities. If a director makes
note that an RA’s energy level has lowered over the duration of their employment, they can look
into what may be driving low energy levels at work. From there, the area director and employee
can develop a plan to fix the issue at hand. This coaching approach can lend a hand to better
employee performance and overall patient care which is the ultimate goal. This appraisal process
also allows for employees to look to their future and create goals for their career. The appraisal
process under developmental uses pushes employees and area directors look past their current
state, but look to how to make the future with the organization better and develop as a team. In
general, the developmental uses of a performance appraisal clearly provide assistance any
organization that uses the information properly.
The final aspect in describing the performance appraisal being used for the RA position at
Clare Oaks is the method being used to appraise the employee performance. For this given job
position the method in place for this performance appraisal is the Category Rating Method. This
method uses three key aspects: graphic rating scales, checklists, and forced choices. By looking
at the performance appraisal in Exhibit 7, one could see the graphic rating scale that is used.
Each employee is evaluated on how well they either meet or fail to meet given areas of
evaluation. This information gives the director concrete insight as to whether or not the
employee is developing and maintaining the skills, knowledge and abilities the job description
requires. Additionally, the performance appraisal has a checklist aspect to it as well. This section
of the evaluation is important because if allows a director to keep track of which competencies
the employee is hitting and which competencies they have room for improvement with. The way
this performance appraisal is set up also so that the director has to make forced choices for a
portion of the evaluation. The director must look at the performance and notes of the employee
for the past year and choose one of the given measures of achievement. By forcing a choice,
every RA is being evaluated with the same possible outcomes. This can provide the director and
HR team with useful information as to which employees are excelling and which are struggling
to meet the requirements set in place for their job. Creating an equal playing field will provide a
valid appraisal process causing fewer issues amongst employees when the appraisal is used
administratively to promote or dismiss employees.
This performance appraisal does also have an essay section for the director to fill out and
provide feedback to the employee. The essay portion of the appraisal is using a narrative method
approach. This section of the performance appraisal allows dialogue to be conveyed and allows
the director to fully expand upon the work ethic, work habits and job performance. The RA
receiving the evaluation should take time to read the narrative and strive to meet any
expectations which the director lists. This narrative can also open the door to verbal
communication amongst the RA and the area unit director. Growing communication can only
help strengthen a unit and provide the best care possible because the employees are motivated to
work to their full potential and have support and feedback from their superior.
For every RA, the feedback of this appraisal will be simple and effective. The RA and
Dementia HealthCare unit director will meet after the appraisal has been conducted in order to
go through the appraisal. This process will be an opportunity for an employee to obtain insight
on their current status in reaching and maintaining the skills, knowledge and abilities which the
position calls for. This feedback process should be a time to work as a team to either make more
goals, or develop plans to reach current goals that an employee may need help executing. The
feedback may be both negative and positive but an employee should work with the information
they are given in order to remain in their current position or work harder to advance within the
Clare Oaks facility. Feedback often is a motivator for employees to work harder, do better and
produce better results there the feedback process is necessary and undoubtingly valuable.
The performance appraisal is a function used to measure how well each employee is
doing as well as benchmarks where a company is as whole. It should not be very difficult for
employees to understand why they are evaluated in this fashion because the layout of the
performance appraisal is directly related to the qualifications and skill sets required as seen on
the job description. The performance appraisal is basically broken in three sections and allows
the employee to be “ranked” or evaluated in three different ways. Each of these measures plays
an important role in the evaluation process and have an equal weight when an employee may be
considered for administrative issues such as promotion, dismissal, and compensation. They either
test the RA’s ability to demonstrate the competencies necessary for the job or lay out a
developmental performance improvement plan. By giving the employee an understanding of
what level they reach for each individual competency and further explaining how to improve
upon using these skills in the work place, the performance appraisal is a guide to help an
employee on an individual level as well as provide an area unit director with specific information
regarding how well their unit is working as a whole in order to serve the patients at Clare Oaks
Retirement Community.