The value of assessing performance in the workplace

SitesPower Training institute is a training institute for Information Technology and Management fields based in Dubai and with a branch in Sharjah. Its approved by the Ministry of Education UAE and an approved and accredited institute by the awarding bodies whose courses and trainings we deliver.
My role at SitesPower training institute is a trainer for the following courses, ICDL, Microsoft Office (2007-2010), and Business. Therefore I’ve a lot of tasks and activities.
In this assessment I will address the subject of Motivating to Perform in the Workplace.

The value of assessing performance

Performance assessment is one of the most important activities in the organizations, whether government or private companies, because of its important role in the development of employees performance and developing their skills, which contributes to the goals of the organization and personnel alike.
Evaluation in the government companies is different than the assessment in the private sector, where the government companies uses a standard evaluation system under which all employees in this company from the General Manager to all staff in the lower ranking. Also the assessment in the private sector is different from one company to another, where the evaluation is subject to many factors like the number of employees, the nature of its activities and its position in the market.
The Definition of Performance assessment
“Performance assessment: is a system of review and evaluation of individual or a teamwork performance during the year”.
There are two categories of assessments: formal and informal.
The formal assessment is a method of measuring an individual and teamwork performance by using specific tools within specific periods of the year. Formal assessment usually occurs semi-annually or annually.
The informal assessment is a method of measuring an individual and teamwork performance by casually watching their behaviors or using other informal techniques like oral communication, conversation by the telephone or by e-mail messages.
SitesPower Training Center uses performance assessment system of both types: formal and informal, for many purposes:

Ensuring the employees achieved the objectives that assigned to them.
Determine the employee’s need for advanced training courses within their specialties and that meet customer requirements.
Setting up the training plans for the next year, and assign them to the employees.
To find out who deserves of the employees increasing in the salary.
To let employees know formally how their current performance is being rated

The formal performance assessment in my company takes the following process:

Identifying the objectives for the employees

Determine the assessments criteria for the employees

Setting up the timeframe for the deadline of the objectives

Checking the achievements of the objectives

Evaluate the Performance

The first step in the performance assessment process is identifying the objectives for the employees, so that each one knows the objectives he should achieve in specific time.
The second step: determine the assessments criteria for the employees, like the required skills, behaviors, and the commitment to the general objectives of the company.
The third step: setting up the timeframe for the deadline of the objectives. Therefore each employee should achieve the objectives within specific time.
The forth step: Checking the achievement of the objectives to be sure the employees commitment to their objectives, and they work on the plan that set up by the management.
The last step: evaluate the performance of the employees. Comparing between the objectives that specified by the management, and the objectives that achieved by the employees.

Techniques used for performance assessment
SitesPower training center uses the following techniques to evaluate employee’s performance formally.
Candidate’s feedback
The candidates evaluate the trainer after the course delivered by him. And also they evaluate the employees related to the customer service (such as the Education consultants, customer representative). The remarks mentioned by the candidates very important for the management to evaluate the employees.
Interview
The manager can evaluate employee’s performance also through the interviews, where he discusses the objectives which assigned to the employee. The manager can know the positives and negatives in the employee performance during the year.
Manager may use the checklist during the interview to make sure the goals that have been accomplished and the goals that have not yet been completed, and to identify the reasons for non-completion. And also to know the obstacles that faced the employee, and the factors that affected the performance and caused not accomplish these tasks.
There are other techniques can be used by the manager to evaluate employee’s performance informally such as:
Through launch break: sometimes my manager meets me during the launch break, and asks me about the tasks and responsibilities he assigns to me.
By telephone.
By an e-mail.
Motivating the team to improve performance in the workplace
The factors that influence people behavior in the workplace
People behave in the workplace in different ways depend on various of factors, some of these common factors existing in all companies, so that people behave in the same way. Some factors, however, be different from one place to another, according to people’s believes, cultures and their living conditions. Therefore we can say that the people also in our workplace behave according to these factors, such as:
Their personal characteristics: Patience, ability to work under pressure of the work. Some employees work every day full day and evening classes, some of them deliver deferent courses.
Their commitments to the training center and its objectives: All the employees in SitesPower training center have responsibilities to achieve the objectives of our training center, because the benefits will back again to them in different facilities. SitesPower started its activities in Dubai with one office, but now it has main office in Dubai and branch office in Sharjah. Also the number of training center candidates became double.
Their goals and needs: A large number of employees who worked in the SitesPower training center began their work with little bit of skills, but they worked dramatically where they improved their skills and they acquired additional expertise, and they became certified, then after that they got a great chances in a big companies with high features.
Their drives and Motivation to the work: Our manager uses different ways to motivate the employees in the work and encourage them to develop their skills, and to urge them to achieve specific goals.
Goal-Setting Theory
Goal setting involves establishing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-targeted (S.M.A.R.T) goals. Work on the theory of goal-setting suggests that it’s an effective tool for making progress by ensuring that participants in a group with a common goal are clearly aware of what is expected from them.  
According to this theory, it can be said that the training center SitesPower uses the theory of goal setting as a way to motivate employees and urged them to work. Some of the ways uses by SitesPower training center:
Monthly bonuses worth AED 250 for their commitment to the timing of the job not exceed the duration of the delay for more than fourteen minutes.
Monthly bonuses for the instructors of 3% on the training courses they deliver.
Annual salary increases, according to the results of the annual performance assessment, and extent to achievement of the goals set in advance.
Supporting the employees with specific training courses to enable them achieving their objectives.
The value of feedback in the workplace
The important of feedback
Feedback may be defined as “information about past behavior, delivered in the present, which may influence future behavior.” (What Did You Say?: The Art of Giving and Receiving Feedback by Charles and Edith Seashore, Douglas Charles Press, North Attenborough, MA (1992.)  
Feedback in SitesPower training Center is very important, because it’s evaluating the employee’s performance to be sure that they are oriented to the training center’s goals. Some of the purposes of the feedback are:

Evaluating the satisfaction of the trainees of training courses results.
Evaluating the experience and the skills of the trainers.
Providing the employees with the required training courses.
Planning the training courses to match the requirements of the employers.
Ensuring the quality in the services provided to the trainees and to overcome on the competitors.

The types of feedback
SitesPower training center has different ways for the feedback some of them are:

The trainees evaluation of the performance of the trainer after the end of the training session. It’s important feedback about the trainer performance during the training course.
Quality Manager’s report on the performance of the employees in general and the trainers in particular, which are prepared after interviewing with them, and asking them about the tasks assigned to them and the extent of their achievements, as well as through the permanent monitoring and surveillance of their performance.
Monthly report provided by the Department of Accounting and extracted from a fingerprint machine for the commitment of the staff working hours.
The yearly assessment of the employees performance by the general manager, assistant manager and quality manager to assess their achievements of the training center goals.