Rater training on performance appraisal

Performance appraisal is a complex process by which an organization can determine the extent to which employees are performing their work effectively. However, this appraisal may not be accurate if there is no reduction in the impact of problems caused by possibly subjective rater judgements. The main objective of this work is to check the effectiveness—separately and jointly—of the four training programmes in the extant literature aimed at improving the accuracy of performance assessment. These four rater training programmes are 1) Performance Dimension Training, 2) Frame-of-Reference, 3) Rater Error Training, and 4) Behavioural Observation Training. We analyzed two studies using different samples (85 students and 42 employees) for the existence of differences in the levels of knowledge of performance and its dimensions, assessment bias, observational accuracy, and accuracy of task and citizenship performance appraisal, according to the type of training raters receive. First, the main results show that training based on performance dimensions and the creation of a common framework, in addition to the combined training programme, increases the level of knowledge of performance and its dimensions. Second, groups that receive training in bias identification and prevention score higher in knowledge of biases than the other groups, whether or not they have received training. Third, participants’ observational accuracy improves with each new moment measure (post-training and follow-up), though not because of the type of training received. Fourth, participants who receive training through the programme that combine the other four gave a task performance appraisal that was closer to the one undertaken by the judges-experts than the other groups. And finally, students’ citizenship performance appraisal does not vary according to type of training or to different moment measures, whereas the group of employees who received all four types of training gave a more accurate citizenship performance assessment.<br>