Common rating errors that distort performance appraisals
- Where people give a very high evaluation to the people they consider similar to themselves. Again many of them think of themselves as effective. Consequently, if the other people are like them they must be effective too. Some reports do argue that the impact is too strong. Sometimes it may be wrong and when similarity is based on the characteristic like sex and race then this is discriminatory.
- When the appraiser compares an individual not against an objective standard but the other workers, then dissimilarity error occurs.
- An experienced performer who works with brilliant people may be regarded as lower than knowledgeable simply because of the dissimilarity.
- Raters make diffusional errors when they tend to use only one part of a rating s-scale. Identically this is leniency error. When the reviewer rates everyone at the top, this is called strictness. Also, when the rater favors everyone near the middle of the scale this is a central tendency.
- The assessors frequently let their ideas of one quality color their opinion of others, for instance, a person who speaks well might be seen as helpful because of the overall good impressions meant by the only one quality. Again a person who is sometimes behind the schedule and this is usually seen as lacking in stimulation. When the bias is in a favorable direction then this is termed as a halo error. Moreover, when the negative ratings occur then this is termed as horns error. Similarly, the halo error shows the employees that they do not need to enhance their efforts in any field in the process. On the other hand horns, errors can cause frustration and defensiveness to the employees.