The possibility of legal scrutiny exists every time a decision is made about an employee. Owners and practice managers of veterinary clinics can protect their practices by conducting regular, professional performance reviews based on well-defined job descriptions. The best defense against allegations of unfair treatment is valid documentation regarding an employee’s performance. Conducting reviews on a regular basis can even deter an employee from pursuing legal action.
The key to valid and effective performance reviews is to tie them to job descriptions. This link makes them inherently valid because there’s a match between the content of the job and evaluation. The benefits don’t stop there.
Basing performance reviews on job descriptions is:
- Good for business. A well-designed performance review improves customer satisfaction, productivity and profitability.
- Good for employees. When done right, performance reviews increase employee engagement, which in turn results in higher productivity and profitability.
Rational. Linking performance reviews to job descriptions makes sense. It’s also easier to evaluate people when ratings are based on the job. - Crystal-Clear. Tying the job description to the performance review is direct and understandable. Managers know how to rate employees and employees understand what’s expected.
Defense against unemployment claims. The best tool an employer can use to defend against false unemployment claims is a well-written performance review that clearly demonstrates the legitimate reasons(s) the employee was terminated.
JuvodHR provides veterinary clinics and small medical offices tools to conduct performance reviews that are linked to job descriptions. Employees are rated using an automated system and the review is organized into three categories; Meets Expectations, Needs Improvement or Exceeds Expectations. JuvodHR also furnishes feedback language based specifically on the outcome of your ratings. A professional report is automatically produced at the end to give to the employee.
Conducting performance reviews every two or three months, linked to the employee’s job description will help your practice improve performance through increased productivity and reduced absenteeism. JuvodHR’s cloud based self-service software makes the process simple, meaningful, and affordable.
This article was contributed by Pam Waits, Ph.D., JuvodHR.
