Grow As We Grow (B): Performance Appraisal at Jocata
Jocata Financial Advisory and Technology (Jocata) is a start-up which started its software development operations in India in 2011. Sundari Vedula (Sundari) the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Jocata was in her office on one of the Saturday morning in mid-March of 2015. Few of Jocata’s employees were also present in the office, despite being a weekend, discussing with their Team Leads and peers. This was the time for the annual performance review at Jocata, based on which their increments and promotions would be decided. Some of the employees were busy filling up their review forms and taking feedback from their Team Leads about their performance, skills and behavior. Sundari too was going through the completed performance review forms that she had received from some of her colleagues. She would then repare a summary and along with the management team would rate each employee, based on which they would be appraised. However, since the first performance appraisal process, Sundari had faced and still continues to face few challenges with regards to the content of the review forms, the employees’ goal congruence with the company’s mission, employees’ hesitation to share feedback about peers and Team Leads and managing the growth of underperformers. While the management strived to improve its processes and find solutions to these challenges, some still stay unresolved.
Performance Review and Appraisal
Jocata conducts the performance appraisal of its employees every year. For the purpose, it has three types of reviews – the confirmation review, the midyear review and the annual review – to check the individual performance of the employees and conduct their performance appraisals or promotions. The confirmation review is done 6 months after the employee joins the organization................
Challenges and Jocata’s Response
When Jocata conducted the performance appraisal of its employees for the first time in 2012, it provided its employees with the performance review forms (Annexure I), which required the employees and their immediate supervisor/Team Lead to fill it. The form consisted of various questions related to each area of the employees’ job like technical skills, initiatives, communication skills, etc. The employee was required to rate his/her own performance in each of the areas on a scale of 1–3 (1 – Exceeded expectations, 2 – Met expectations and 3 – Needs improvement). The employee then would give the filled up form to the immediate Supervisor/Team Lead; and while discussing with the employee about his/her performance in each of the listed areas, the Team Lead would rate the employee..............
The Outcome
Performance appraisal is the tool to help the management in taking decision about the appraisal/ promotion of an employee, and also helps in setting out goals for the employees for the year to come. While Jocata tried to address the challenges in various terms within its performance appraisal processes, new challenges come with every passing day...........
Assignment Questions
I. What are the steps in appraising performance? What are the various methods of performance appraisal? What is the method used by Jocata for the performance appraisal of its employees?
II. What are the general standards and problems in the performance appraisal process? What were the problems faced by Jocata in its performance appraisal process?
III. ................
Exhibits
Exhibit I: Sample Summaries of the Employee Ratings From Annual Performance Review Form (2012)
Annexures
Annexure I: Annual Performance Review Form - 2012
Annexure II: Annual Performance Review Form (2015)