How Can I Manage Appraisal Delays When Management Is Unresponsive?

I need your suggestions...!!!

I am working in a small company (KPO) where around 80 associates are working on different projects. Currently, there are no seniors in the HR department, so I am responsible for handling all activities related to HR.

Appraisal Cycle Concerns

Regarding appraisals, the company has a July to July appraisal cycle. In this cycle, my role seems to be non-existent as management has not discussed anything with me, possibly due to my lack of experience in this area. Approximately 20 members are eligible for appraisals.

As we are already at the end of August, there have been no discussions with the associates regarding their appraisals. They are all looking to me for answers, and if I approach management, they simply ask me to wait for further instructions.

I seek advice on how to persuade the associates to be patient and wait for the appraisal process or how to encourage management to expedite the process.

Thanks

You are in a situation where you are not in a position to force the management to conduct appraisals or provide dates for employee appraisals. This is a common occurrence in many organizations. My request is that you refrain from pressuring or persuading management regarding the appraisal process. Simply inform the employees that the appraisal discussions have already taken place and are currently in progress.

Thank you.

Thank you for your valuable reply. Yes, you are correct that I am not in a position to force the management. However, I can't lie to the associates that it's in process. It's already been a month, and if I say so, they will ask me for the particular dates of the appraisal, and they will not believe me for anything in the future.

Thanks & Regards

Since you work in a company with only 80 employees, it can be considered a small company. Your management may be holding town hall meetings or other gatherings. Encourage employees to address this issue directly. It's important to handle it diplomatically rather than deflecting responsibility.

The company's management seems unprofessional. Management should not be indecisive when it comes to HR processes. I have doubts about the learning opportunities available here. Therefore, consider passing the time and moving on after about 1.5 years.

Thanks,
Dinesh V Divekar

You need not lie to anyone (the management didn't tell you to tell others it's being done). You have to tell the associates what you have been told:

Please wait, the management will do appraisals in due course. I have asked, and they asked me to wait. If any of them wish, they can surely take it up directly with the management. It's a small setup after all.

Thank you for your valuable replies. I have informed the associate that you can either individually or as a group send an email to management, and they will respond to you. Consequently, they sent an email and received a reply from management stating that it will happen by next week.

Thanks

Regards

Just a word of caution, Roopa. The management may not be happy to hear that you have asked them to approach the management as a group and send a group email, etc. In the future, do not make that suggestion. The employees will figure out that sending out a common email would be a good idea. But it coming from you may (depending on how warped the management's attitude is) put you in their bad books. It's somewhat like HR helping them gang up on us/form an unofficial union, etc. Your other suggestion, telling the associates that they can take it up directly with the management if they wish (individually), is proper, and no one can logically be annoyed with you for that suggestion.

It is a good discussion. I found some of the suggestions to be very good.

Management Concerns

1. The management is very unprofessional.

2. Don't provoke your associates to email or raise their voice against the management; otherwise, you will be put in hot water.

3. Sending a message to all the associates that there is a delay for some reason and to wait for some time is okay, but it is only a short-term remedial solution.

4. Talk to the management and convince them that they should make a quick decision.

Understanding the Appraisal Process

You need to first understand if the appraisal process in your organization leads to salary increments, weeding out non-performers, or identifying the development needs of employees. Whichever activity is chosen, cost reduction will likely be the obvious focus of management, especially when business is in decline. Any well-managed company thus examines the financial aspects of business first and then decides whether to delay or defer certain processes. Processes are, after all, meant to manage the business and have no sanctity in isolation.

As an HR executive, your interest in ensuring that a process is followed in letter and spirit, though genuine, may sometimes be impractical. You must appreciate the business scenario and manage the situation diplomatically. This is one of the roles for which you were hired.

Regards

Dear Anonymous,

Wonder why you have to hide your name for this simple thing...

1. There is nothing here to say management is unprofessional. Many (if not most) small companies are postponing appraisals as they do not plan (or cannot afford) to raise salaries in the current scenario. In addition, they may be busy with important things.

2. The point is, as the HR head of the unit, she should not be seen doing something akin to setting up a union. People get into trouble for that. Individual employees going and asking about their appraisal would have a different impact in a small company compared to the entire group going together. In fact, one option (if not already done) is to send an email to the management informing them that all the employees are coming to me and asking me for dates of the appraisal. I do not have an answer since you do not know when it will happen. Please let me know what I should tell them.

Clarification on Management's Approach to Appraisals

I want to say one thing clearly—my management is not unprofessional; it is very professional in all aspects. As Saswatabanerjee mentioned, they are postponing appraisals because they do not plan (or cannot afford) to raise salaries in the current scenario. Last year, appraisals were completed by this time, but this year, it is getting delayed. The issue here is the lack of proper communication with associates.

Thanks to all.

Regards

Good participation from seniors. The spirit of valid points being exchanged is appreciable. Well, for Roopa and those interested, many organizations have a tough time in the current economic situation in adding to salary expenses. Hence the delay. However, this is not an excuse for the management to delay the appraisals, especially in IT services - KPO/BPO.

Consequences of Delaying Appraisals

A mild fear needs to be seeded regarding the consequences of not conducting the appraisals. Practical examples from several engineering organizations are shared below:

1. Capable hands fear nothing, and thus, they leave for better companies, crippling growth.

2. Create a negotiation platform for the delay and increase the value of the hike. For instance, when they are destined for a regular increment of Rs 2000/month, they may ask for Rs. 5000/month. This will put more burden, and as time passes, they will validate their request and turn harsh, with too many details of profits made by the organization being dug out.

3. The worst situation is when they stage a strike or refuse to work.

A good management team can avoid all this trouble if they keep respecting HR functions in total.

Regards, Nalina.K [Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Thank you to everyone who has replied with valuable suggestions to my query. We received performance appraisals in the month of October.

Minimum Hike for Employees with 1-2 Years of Experience

My query again is, what is the minimum hike (%) that an employee can get if they have 1-2 years of experience? As I mentioned, ours is a very small firm. I am asking this question because some of the senior associates are not satisfied with their hike.

Thanks