Discuss why having current job descriptions is so critical to effective job performance appraisals.

Before you
answer this question, you have to define a job description and performance appraisals.

A job description outlines the expectations of an organization for a specific role. It
describes the duties and responsibilities of that position.

Performance
appraisals are yearly assessments of an employees conduct. Appraisals are done to determine if
the employee has been doing their duties accordingly. It creates an opportunity for the manager
to engage with the employee, give positive feedback, and learn about inefficiencies in the
system. For example, the accountant did not balance the books on time because the management
took long to approve some accounts.

Having current job descriptions is
important for effective performance appraisals because it provides a basis for objective
decision making. The employee is assessed according to facts. For example, if the job
description states that the business development officer should make cold calls and follow-ups,
and they fail to do so, they should be judged based on this data.

Some
managers conduct performance appraisals based on opinions and emotions. Such appraisals often
result in unfair judgments because the manager can be biased towards certain
personalities.

The company should encourage managers to use job descriptions
for performance appraisals because it is the best way to assess an employees level of
competence.