Appraisal

A good appraisal scheme is an annual process, with regular intermediary meetings. It should:

• Review past performance, highlighting successes and exploring reasons for non-achievement.
• Identify the resources needed for future success - training, materials, staff - and how to secure and deploy them.
• Set targets for performance for the next year - for the individual employee, but in full accord with overall business and development plans.
• Avoid issues of pay. If you have performance-related pay, this should be dealt with as separate exercise against previously established criteria.

Run an appraisal system properly and you will have well-motivated staff who are signed up to your organisation's objectives. Delegate as far as possible and give employees control over their own work lives.

Training and development

Training is far more than just imparting new skills and knowledge. A good training and development plan:

• Identifies current skill and experience shortages, and proposes ways of overcoming them.
• Relates to both individuals and groups of employees, and is culturally sensitive to the organisation.
• Recognises that employees have both short-term needs and long-term aspirations.
• Helps the charity plan for the future, by identifying what staffing requirements will be, and how far these can be developed in-house.
• Is flexible and regularly reviewed.
  

Find out more about other staff issues and examples in the In more depth section.