What Criteria Do You Use For Evaluating Your Staff's Performance?

Continuing our recent theme of how to increase office efficiency, today's blog will discuss some actions you can use to evaluate your staff's performance. If all staff had detailed job descriptions, fully knew them and were doing their jobs properly as well as following office policy (assuming you have basic written office policies), you would most likely have an efficiently running office. This would result in higher production and more net for the doctor. Assuming you have some form of job descriptions and office policies, the steps outlined below will be of assistance in evaluating staff performance. If you don't have job descriptions and office policies, or the ones you have aren't up to date and/or aren't really useful, feel free to contact us as we can help you in that area. We have a 400 plus page manual of job descriptions and office policies that you can put into use in your office on an immediate basis, and you can also easily edit it for your specific office use.

How does one give appropriate performance evaluations?

Below you will find a procedure for evaluating job performance on a regular basis. These performance evaluations are vital for future planning and provide fair, timely and objective measurements of job performance.

It is recommended that you conduct at least two evaluations of a new employee during the first year. The first should be done after approximately 90 days of employment and a second evaluation should be done after 9 to 12 months of employment. Thereafter, each staff member should receive a performance evaluation at least twice per year.

Advise the staff member of the time for their scheduled review at least seven days in advance. This gives both of you an opportunity to prepare so that areas of mutual concern can be addressed.

The evaluation will be based on performance in two broad categories.

• professional responsibilities


• organizational responsibilities

Within these categories, specific areas will be assessed.
In the category of professional responsibility, the following areas will be
assessed:

• quality of care


• effectiveness in patient management


• professional development

In the category of organizational responsibilities, the following areas will
be assessed:

• adherence to office policies


• adherence to the general job duties of a staff member (which you
  should have as part of your employee manual)


• adherence to the job duties of their specific job (which should also
  be clearly elucidated, in writing)


• their handling of communication within the office both with staff
  and patients/clients


• interpersonal relationships


• practice development

The data collection phase of the evaluation process will involve the
gathering of information by the office manager from all sources that he/she
deems appropriate. Generally, input will be received from:

• patient comments


• quality control data


• statistical data observation


• documentation regarding compliance with organizational policies


• any documentation regarding their written job duties for their
  specific job as well as for them as a staff member

Needless to say, in order to have this type of information readily available, the office should have systems in place for proper documentation of these areas. This could mean having, at least, the following systems operational: each staff member having a named product or products they are responsible to produce, a means to measure every staff member's production, having an effective quality control system in place, having a good filing system in place for noting patient comments - both good and bad, having job descriptions and office policies in use, and having proper personnel and other Human Resource files that are kept up for each staff member.

Following information collection, the office manager, the doctor and the staff member will complete the performance review forms and a performance review meeting will be scheduled.

STEPS TO FOLLOW FOR THE EVALUATION PROCEDURE

1. The office manager will give the employee a copy of the job duties for the position the employee holds. The staff member will fill in a rating of each point. The office manager will also provide ratings.
   
   SUGGESTED RATING SYSTEM
   
   
   
   1. Place a check mark ( ) next to any item that is deficient and is in need of improvement.
   
   
   2. Place a star ( ) next to any item that rates excellent in performance.
   
   
   3. Leave blank any item that seems adequate, although the goal would be to work toward excellence in these categories.
   
   

1. The evaluation process begins with the orientation of the new employee. During orientation, the employee is made aware of the organizational goals. The individual's job description (both as a staff member and for the professional position held) is discussed and an understanding of job expectations and standards for evaluation is reached.


2. At this meeting, the performance for the previous period is reviewed and the employee is given an opportunity to comment on any area of the assessment.


3. As the review progresses, both the office manager and the staff member should keep notes with regard to areas to work on and goals that are set. In cases of deficiencies where correction seems achievable and reasonable in terms of practice resources, every attempt will be made to work with the employee to effect change.


4. The employee then signs the document. An understanding is reached concerning past performance and expected future performance and an outline of future performance expectations is drawn up and discussed with the employee.

Salary adjustments are not necessarily made at the time of the performance evaluation.

If you conduct the evaluation as objectively as possible, your staff will appreciate the communication and should strive harder to match expectations.

We also invite your feedback to this blog or previous blogs by participating in our
Discussion Forum at the Silkin Facebook Page BY CLICKING HERE.

Larry Silver
President, Silkin Management Group

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