What is peer appraisal?
Peer appraisal is a type of feedback where employees write a review of their fellow co-workers during performance evaluation. The system is designed to monitor and improve performance. It is usually carried out by the same team of colleagues. Supervisors and managers are usually excluded from the peer appraisal process.
What are the types of peer appraisal?
Peer review can be conducted in many different forms depending on learning objectives, the disciplines and the technologies available. The most prevalent types of peer assessment might be as follows:
1. Single blind
The employee does not know the identity of the peer who is reviewing him/her.
2. Open peer appraisal
All participants during or after the review process know the identity of the employee and the peer/reviewer.
3. Collaborative peer appraisal
In order to submit a unified performance appraisal, two or more peers work together.
What are the advantages of peer appraisal?
The method of peer appraisals benefits both – the well-being of employees, as well as the organization's overall performance management system.
1. Improves the accuracy of performance review
The peer appraisal procedure tends to be more accurate because of involvement of employees and not only the upper management. For example, it examines the progress of an employee in accordance with a set of criteria that can lead to discipline.
2. Promotes accountability of tasks
Employees who receive feedback on their performance, from peers, gain valuable insights into their strengths and areas of development. The peer appraisal process thus becomes more visible by drawing feedback from our peers. Once the feedback is received, employee tend to be more responsible towards their peers’ feedback in terms of improvement.
3. Encourages employee recognition
Since the employees are briefed about their co-workers' achievements, potential employees who otherwise could be ignored by management are recognized.
4. Boosts team building virtue
If peers offer feedback to each other consistently, they cultivate relationships based on transparency and drastic sincerity. In time, they begin to understand the strengths and blind spots of each other.