Personnel and Organizational Psychology Study

I have always observed three major types of errors during performance reviews. They include halo errors, stereotyping, and leniency errors. The Halo effect is common because some appraisers generalize the specific traits of certain employees. For instance, the halo effect happens when an employee works hard to exceed the sales target, and the appraiser can generalize this result even a year later when the position is occupied by a different employee, and in different areas too. Some evaluators also generalize concepts and models attributed to specific employees to a group of people in response to certain prejudices and labels (Rice University, 2019). Stereotypic is erratic because it can be used to assess an employee based on a preconceived idea. Therefore, it is crucial to avoid stereotypes and assess every employee individually and objectively rather than subjectively to identify their real performance standards and achievements. Lastly, I have experienced leniency errors, which originate from situations in which evaluators give employees a higher than warranted rating, probably because they have developed a liking towards the individual (Anonymous, n.d). Reviewers can be lenient to motivate employees by giving them high ratings and developing an overall liming towards employees.

Managers should review performance using absolute rating rather than relative ranking appraisals. Absolute evaluation is based on gathering objective performance information that is irrespective of the individual stereotypes, leniency, or the halo effect. (Anonymous, n.d). The absolute rating considers performance based on the objective criteria. However, relative ranking appraisals are equally important in producing non-biased results that are based on objective rather than subjective notions (Anonymous, n.d). Nevertheless, both absolute rating and relative thinking are crucial in nurturing a culture of performance among employees since it is a signal that low performance is not tolerated in the organization.

References 

Anonymous. (n.d). Organizational Behavior. University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing.

Rice University. (2019). Organizational Behavior. OpenStax , Rice University.