Clip and Copy: Evaluating employees

Letting staffers know where they stand—early and often—helps them succeed and keeps your office running smoothly.

"If you only do perfunctory employee reviews—that is, you sit down with each employee once a year for a few minutes—you're probably not presenting the whole picture and you may be leaving problems unaddressed," says Keith Borglum, a consultant with Professional Management and Marketing in Santa Rosa, CA.

Borglum recommends quarterly, written reviews using a form like the one below, from Medical Practice Forms: Every Form You Need to Succeed, by Borglum and his colleague Diane M. Cate.

A normal review would result in most items being rated "satisfactory," with a few "excellent" and one or more "needs improvement." Items rated "unacceptable" require follow up and may lead to termination.

Copy the document, and use the reverse side to write changes needed from underachievers, as well as what will be done to bring about those changes, how the employee will be rewarded for improvements, and what will happen if poor performance continues. If, say, a receptionist is abrupt with patients, you might rate her "unacceptable" in "conducts self in a professional manner with patients," and indicate on the reverse that:

• She needs to attend a class on improving communication skills.

• If there's no improvement, she'll be placed on probation for three months.

• If there's no improvement after that, she'll be terminated.

• If the problem is remedied, she'll qualify for future raises.

With a new hire, Borglum suggests monthly evaluations for the first three months, then quarterly appraisals.

—Gail Garfinkel Weiss
Senior Editor

To view the form in Word you must have Word 2000 or better. If you don't have this program you can download the free Microsoft Word 97/2000 Viewer. (You cannot edit an open document in Word Viewer. However, you can copy text to the Clipboard to paste it in other applications).

Other forms and patient handouts are available in the Clip and Copy section of our Web site at www.memag.com .

Gail Weiss. Clip and Copy: Evaluating employees.

Medical Economics

Aug. 22, 2003;80:74.