1. Performance Analysis for
Prepared For
Linda Prosak, CFRE
Chief Development Officer
7201 Wade Park Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44103
Prepared By
Zach Burkhart, Natalie Hanna, Megan Lown, Avery Tan, and Jacqueline Weisenberger
April 20, 2015
HR 352-51
Boler School of Business
John Carroll University

2. Table of Contents
Challenges ...................................................................................................................................... 2
Performance Evaluation Form Challenges................................................................................. 2
Employee Recognition Practice Challenges............................................................................... 3
Potential Solutions .......................................................................................................................... 3
Solutions for Employee Recognition Practice Challenges ......................................................... 3
Bulletin Board........................................................................................................................... 4
Employee of the Month............................................................................................................ 4
Feedback Survey..................................................................................................................... 6
Solutions for Performance Evaluation Form Challenges ........................................................... 6
Self-Evaluations....................................................................................................................... 7
Training Supervisors to Assess Employees............................................................................ 8
Critical Incident Evaluation ...................................................................................................... 8
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 10
Works Cited................................................................................................................................. 12
Appendix A.................................................................................................................................... 14
Appendix B.................................................................................................................................... 15

3. i
Executive Summary
The purpose of this report is to carry out a performance analysis for The Eliza
Bryant Village Community. The report recommends that Eliza Bryant incorporate new
methods of employee appraisals and effective recognition practices for employees. This
will result in a happier, more productive workplace environment for the Eliza Bryant
Employees.
Currently, Eliza Bryant Village is looking to improve employee evaluation
methods. The processes in place are satisfactory to both management and employees,
but both groups agree that appraisals could be improved.
Management at Eliza Bryant Village believes that employee recognition practices
are also satisfactory with room for improvement, but a common employee opinion is that
reward practices are not up to par. Employees voiced their opinion and in general, feel
that there is not adequate recognition in return for work.
Our team recommends the use of self-evaluations, the Critical Incident Method,
or the training of supervisors on performing evaluations to improve evaluation
procedures based on a review of best practices and the professional literature.
Self-evaluations will force employees to reflect on their own performance and
hopefully result in a newfound desire to increase productivity.
The Critical Incident Method will require supervisors to keep a log of high and low
points of achievement for all employees and allow them to reflect on these points during
one-on-one evaluations with employees.

4. ii
Training all supervisors who perform evaluations to grade performance on
universal standards will ensure that employees are being graded similarly despite being
evaluated by different supervisors.
For recognition purposes, our team recommends the use of an employee-
focused bulletin board, an updated version of the Employee of the Month reward, and a
feedback survey to improve employee recognition practices at Eliza Bryant Village.
The use of a bulletin board in a main hallway or lobby will motivate employees to
perform well and maintain that level of efficiency. When an employee receives
Employee of the Month or other award, their name and photo will be added to the board
so that all are aware of that employee’s hard work and dedication to the job.
Our team recommends updating the Employees of the Month award so
employees earn a place on the bulletin board or other public media. Also, each time an
employee wins the award, they also earn a chance to win a gift card which will be raffled
off around Christmas every year. The more monthly awards earned, the higher the
chances of winning.
Lastly, distributing a short survey similar to the one used during this project will
allow employees to voice their opinions and offer feedback regarding
recognition/rewards (See Appendix A). The survey may be used as frequently as
management deems necessary.
This report advises Eliza Bryant Village to consider these suggestions for
advancing evaluation methods and recognition practices to improve employee
performance and workplace satisfaction.

5. 1
Situational Analysis
Eliza Bryant Village is the Cleveland Home for Aged Colored People, the oldest
African American long-term care facility in the United States. It is a non-profit
organization that offers a compassionate and secure living environment for over 1,200
seniors annually. In addition, Eliza Bryant Village employs over 280 full and part-time
staff members in services including Nursing, Food Service, Housekeeping, Laundry,
Maintenance, Dietary, Activities, Social Services, and Administration.
To gather data regarding the human resources needs of Eliza Bryant, our team
initially set up a meeting with the Chief Development Officer of the organization, Linda
Prosak. During this meeting, we asked a series of questions regarding the current
performance management practices in the organization as well as her goals in terms of
improving these practices. Questions that were asked included: What areas do you
want to improve in? What short-term and long-term goals do you have in mind for your
employees? What tools will you need to accomplish these goals? Do you have
performance appraisals already set in place? Do you have any rewards set in place for
good employee behavior?
Additionally, our team gathered data from some of the Eliza Bryant Employees in
the form of a short survey (See Appendix A). The surveys required them to rate their
satisfaction with current performance evaluations, recognition practices and the amount
of feedback they receive from their supervisors. All items were rated on a scale of 1 to
4. We also asked for suggestions regarding recognition practices that they believe
would be effective in increasing productivity. We obtained thirteen respondents.

6. 2
Challenges
Using the methods mentioned above, we were able to identify the performance
management needs of the organization. This also allowed us to establish a scope for
our research in terms of Eliza Bryant’s objectives for performance management
improvement. The two challenges that we chose to address are the improvement of the
evaluation forms as well as the best practices for employee recognition in the long term
care industry.
Performance Evaluation Form Challenges
After examining the results of the surveys that our team developed, we found that
more than two-thirds of the respondents had indicated that they were satisfied with the
performance evaluations to a certain extent.
However, during the initial meeting, Linda Prosak expressed desire for
improvement in this aspect. She has no complaints with current evaluations, but she
admitted that there is room for improvement. The long-term goal of this improvement is
to turn Eliza Bryant Village into an organization comprised of happy and productive
employees. This can be accomplished by recognizing good behavior and enforcing it.
To achieve this goal, it is important to investigate best practices and make
comparisons with what other non-profit organizations, as well as for-profit organizations,
in this industry are practicing in respect to performance appraisals. Ultimately, this
organization needs to utilize performance appraisals that will allow managerial staff to
establish performance standards as well as universal evaluating methods. The
organization may then identify areas for improvement concerning employee productivity.

7. 3
Employee Recognition Practice Challenges
According to the employee surveys, very few workers are satisfied with the
current recognition program. The ratings of satisfaction regarding the receipt of
feedback varied greatly; namely, the majority rated their satisfaction as either 2 or 3 out
of 4. The survey also included an open-ended question for reward/recognition
suggestions which also supplied a varied list of ideas.
From these results, our team can conclude that employee recognition should be
more clearly established and emphasized among employees and their supervisors.
Recognition is critical to the operations and can only be ignored at great peril
(Pomerance Brick).The need for ongoing feedback and recognition is essential in order
to maintain employee productivity and the organization as a whole as it ensures regular
communication pertaining to the priorities of the company.
Potential Solutions
To address the employee evaluation and recognition practice challenges Eliza
Bryant Village currently faces, or likely will face in the future, our team researched three
solutions to each challenge.
Solutions for Employee Recognition Practice Challenges
Eliza Bryant Village believes it conducts satisfactory recognition practices for
employees when considering it is a non-profit organization that lacks the excess funds
for-profit organizations have at their disposal. Our team researched ways to reward
employees in both non-profit and for-profit industries but only included suggestions
concerning non-profit organizations in this report. The reasoning is that most, if not all,
for-profit practices involve a budget dedicated solely to behavior-rewarding. Eliza Bryant

8. 4
Village does not have a budget dedicated to rewards so it is impractical to make other
suggestions.
Bulletin Board
The first solution for improving employee recognition that our team researched
was a hyped bulletin board to install in the main lobby or hallway. This idea was chosen
due to its relevance to non-profit organizations; it was included on an article’s list of
ways to reward hospital employees (Freed). The board would highlight brag-worthy
accomplishments of top performing employees. Postings would consist of the name,
photo, and possibly a short bio of an employee who did an outstanding job on his/her
tasks; someone who stood out to managers.
The board is a potential solution because it would motivate employees to show
up to work, on time, and be willing to perform at his/her potential. It would also help
improve employee accountability. According to the University of Washington,
recognition is most effective when it takes place on a regular basis and in a variety of
different ways (Washington). The board should therefore be regularly updated and
highlight different employees for performing a variety of skills that demonstrate
employee strengths. It is also important that recognition activities be aligned with the
culture of your unit or department (Washington). Frankly, the board will provide an
incentive to work harder. Placing top performers in the spotlight simultaneously puts
pressure on low-performing employees; this makes it more difficult to “get by” on
mediocre effort.
Employee of the Month

9. 5
Eliza Bryant currently awards an Employee of the Month, but the award is not
coveted because the winner is not publicized. Employees surveyed as part of this
project noted that they would prefer for the awards to be publicized. We advise the
continued use of an Employee of the Month award, but an improved version of one.
The employee being recognized each month for his/her performance is chosen
by supervisors. They should be rated based on their work process, most notably their
creativity and the innovation they bring to their work methods (Brun). This winner’s
name will then be put into a drawing for an end-of-the-year gift card raffle. If an
employee wins four months out of the year, his/her name is put in the drawing four
times. The raffle would be a $25, or similar amount, gift card of management’s choice
and would prove as incentive for winning the award.
Data from our survey shows that employees respond well to receiving a
monetary bonus for their hard work. Most agreed that they were more likely to complete
the survey for the chance to win the Starbucks gift card raffle we offered for the drawing
winner. The decision was made to only host one raffle at the end of the year because
Eliza Bryant is a non-profit organization and lacks the extra funds necessary to provide
a gift card more frequently.
This idea was chosen from an article that lists over 50 ways to reward hospital
employees (Freed) . The article also suggests letting patients write kind words about the
top performing employees and posting the letters on the board (Freed).
A common survey response from Eliza Bryant Employees to the question
regarding “suggestions for recognition” was simply receiving a “Thank you” from a

10. 6
manager. In a study at Wichita State University, this response was also one of the top
incentives ranked by employees (Nelson).
The Employee of the Month award gives every employee the chance to be
recognized in front of the organization, which will improve morale and stimulate
productivity (Jacobe). Our team hopes this will increase job satisfaction and
commitment to perform at a higher level.
Feedback Survey
The survey provided in Appendix A was used to gather feedback from employees
regarding both performance appraisals and recognition practices. This gave them an
opportunity to voice their opinions and, in a roundabout way, reward them with the
chance to offer suggestions to performance challenges.
Our team believes this survey can be used as a reward because it allows
employees to feel recognized. In his article on employee recognition, Jean-Pierre Brun
explains that recognition may be mutual, one-way, or non-existent (Brun). The use of a
feedback survey will promote mutual recognition; in addition to rewarding employees by
offering them a chance to suggest ideas, management may also be rewarded if the
feedback from employees is positive.
A couple survey respondents also agreed that asking employees for their
opinions could be an option for recognition. They would feel respected and more
appreciated in the workplace.
Solutions for Performance Evaluation Form Challenges
Overall, both the management and employees at Eliza Bryant Village seem
satisfied with current performance evaluation appraisals. However, despite being

11. 7
satisfied, management is curious to discover ways to further improve evaluations. Our
team researched three suggestions to advance performance appraisals.
Self-Evaluations
Most evaluations require two key players: the evaluator and the employee being
evaluated. This is certainly a critical technique for effectively evaluating employees;
however, it is not the only option. Many organizations choose to include self-evaluation
in their appraisal processes. Our team recommends including self-evaluations in
addition to other evaluation methods, such as the Critical Incidents method which will be
discussed following the self-evaluation topic.
Evaluations performed by a supervisor can be effective due to their ability to
point out the strengths and weaknesses of an employee from the perspective of
someone who observes his or her work. For this reason, these types of evaluations are
very useful. Self-evaluations also have the ability to point out strengths and
weaknesses, but from the perspective of the employee rather than the supervisor. By
utilizing both evaluation methods, employers can compare an employee’s
understanding of his or her performance with the supervisor’s, noting the similarities and
differences between the two.
Additionally, self-evaluations offer the opportunity for employees to contemplate
their careers, goals, and future plans. An article published to Forbes mentions that, by
reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses, employees can take note of where they
are in their career in comparison to where they wish to be (Quast, 2015). Self-
evaluations can be used to develop S.M.A.R.T. goals for each employee to be used in
growing their career (Halogen Software). Based on these discoveries, they can

12. 8
determine what works and what needs improved. Because job satisfaction is positively
correlated with good performance, it is important for employees to be satisfied with their
work; in addition to determining strengths and weaknesses, self-evaluations can also
act as a form of self-reflection to determine satisfaction in the workplace. For these
reasons, we recommend adding self-evaluations to Eliza Bryant’s appraisal process.
Training Supervisors to Assess Employees
A performance evaluation itself is only as accurate as the manner in which it was
used. It is crucial for supervisors who evaluate employees to be trained how to conduct
evaluations or the results may be worthless.
An article from the Society for Human Resource Management website agrees
that managers must be trained to assess employees (Tyler). Untrained managers are a
risk because their assessments may contribute inaccurate data which is then used to
make bad decisions for compensation, planning, and reductions in workforce (Tyler).
There are some common appraisal errors, such as the tendency to rate everyone
in the middle of a scale or to let irrelevant factors influence performance grades, that will
be eliminated by the use of training (See Appendix B). Supervisors will also learn tips
like using nonjudgmental language when assessing an employee to avoid being vague
but efficiently and appropriately addressing issues (Business Management Daily).
In addition to ensuring that assessments are completed accurately, training Eliza
Bryant supervisors will also guarantee that employees are being appraised by the same
standards, regardless of the supervisor conducting the assessment.
Critical Incident Evaluation

13. 9
The Critical Incidents method involves identifying outstanding events and events
that need improvement throughout the year. Once again, it involves more work on the
manager’s end, but it is much more accurate than a typical evaluation. It involves more
on the managers end because they are doing more than checking things off a form or
rating an employee on a numerical point scale. Instead, managers are writing down
actual incidents (good and bad) that have occurred throughout the year. A key aspect
of Critical Incidents is that it focuses on employee behaviors not characteristics. Critical
Incidents makes it much easier to give feedback and allows the employees to improve
given the feedback from their managers (Flanagan). It also allows the employees to be
more involved in the process which may in turn make them feel more attached to the
company and what it has to offer.
Critical Incidents can also be recorded by the employees themselves, if the
employees are well trusted. This takes the time-consuming aspect away from the
managers, and allows the employees to self-identify the places where they have
excelled, and the times that they needed more work on a given situation. This may be a
good idea if the managers are not always present to record all of the incidents. It is
important that the Critical Incidents are recorded as they happen instead of being
discussed at the annual evaluation. If it is put off until the yearly review there will be a
loss of detail and the review will not be as accurate or helpful. Since data is gathered
throughout the whole year, it gives a more accurate description of the overall work an
employee has done instead of rushing at the last minute to sit down and go through a
quick review (Flanagan).

14. 10
There are cons to be aware of when using the Critical Incidents Method. Firstly,
it delays feedback. Since incidents are gathered throughout the year it is easier to put
all the emphasis on that, but it is just as important to inform and educate the employees
on the end result of those situations, both good and bad. Another downfall with Critical
Incidents Method is that not all good and bad behaviors are equal. For example, an
employee may have 12 outstanding incidents, and only one unsatisfactory incident so
the manager may assume that he or she is an outstanding employee. But, if the one
unsatisfactory incident cost the company a great deal, you could conclude that that one
bad incident was the equivalent of maybe six outstanding incidents. In order to make
sure this does not occur it is possible to provide numerical values to each positive or
negative behavior.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the objective of this report is to make recommendations for Eliza
Bryant’s performance management so that the goals of the organization align with the
personal and professional goals of the employees. To meet this objective in an effective
manner, we found that Eliza Bryant should update the employee performance
appraisals to incorporate behavior-based standards instead of the more subjective
measures that are currently in place. We also noted that self-evaluations can be a
useful way to evaluate individual strengths and weaknesses in hopes of establishing
future goals. Self-evaluations can also indicate employee satisfaction, another major
goal in the organization.
In addition, Eliza Bryant should incorporate effective recognition practices for
employees, providing them with the motivation they need to reach their goals as well as

15. 11
the goals of the organization. The three suggestions discussed in the report (bulletin
boards, employee of the month and feedback surveys) are just some of the ways to
engage employees on a regular basis to ensure that standards remain high across the
organization.

16. 12
Works Cited
Brun, J.-P. (2008). An analysis of employee recognition: perspectives on human
resource practices. International Journal of Human Resource Mangement, 716-
730.
Business Management Daily. (2015). 10 Secrets to an Effective Performance Review.
Retrieved from Business Management Daily:
http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/glp/25459/Performance-Review-
Examples.html
Flanagan, J. (1954). The Critical Incident Technique. Psychological Bulletin, 327-359.
Freed, D. H. (1999). Fifty-Two Effective, Inexpensive Ways to Reward and Recognize
Hospital Employees. Health Care Manager, 20-28.
Halogen Software. (2015). Tips for creating effective employee evaluation forms.
Retrieved from Halogen Software: Strategic Talent Management :
http://www.halogensoftware.com/learn/how-to/tips-for-creating-effective-
employee-evaluation-forms
Jacobe, D. (2003). Employee Recognition and the Bottom Line. Gallup Poll Tuesday
Briefing, 1.
Nelson, B. (2002). No-Cost Employee Recognition. ABA Bank Marketing, 14.
Pomerance Brick, W. (2012). Employee Recognition Programs Critical to Workplace
Culture. Public Manager, 6-8.
Quast, L. (2015, January 13). "Self-Evaluations: The Key to Career Development.".
Retrieved from Forbes.

17. Tyler, K. (2012, December 1). Train Managers, Maximize Appraisals. Retrieved from
Society for Human Resource Management :
http://www.shrm.org/publications/hrmagazine/editorialcontent/2012/1212/pages/1
212-performance-appraisal-training.aspx
Washington, U. o. (2015, April). Employee Recognition. Retrieved from Human
Resources: https://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/roles/mgr/ee-recognition/

18. Appendix A
Employee Feedback Survey
Please rate each item on a scale of 1-4.
1 = very dissatisfied 2 = dissatisfied 3 = satisfied 4 = very satisfied
1. How satisfied are you with current evaluations? (Do you feel your work performance is
graded fairly?)
1 2 3 4
2. How satisfied are you with employee recognition programs? (Are there adequate
rewards/incentives offered?)
1 2 3 4
3. How satisfied are you with the amount of feedback given by your supervisors?
1 2 3 4
4. How likely were you to complete this survey knowing that there was a gift card raffle?
(1= very unlikely, 4= very likely)
1 2 3 4
What suggestions do you have for improving employee recognition practices? (E.g. Employee of
the month reward, gift card raffles, other ways to recognize exceptional behavior, etcAppendix

19. Appendix B
Common Appraisal Problems
Unclear Standards: ambiguous traits and degrees of merit can result in an
unfair appraisal
 Base the performance review on duties and standards from a job analysis
 Make it clear ahead of time what your performance expectations are
 Use a standardized performance review procedure for all employees
 Make sure the reviewers have frequent opportunities to observe the
employee’s performance
 Either use multiple raters or have the rater’s supervisor review the
appraisal results
 Discuss the appraisal results with the employee
 Let the employee provide input regarding the assessment
 Indicate what the employee needs to do to improve
Halo Effect: the influence of a rater’s general impression on ratings of specific
qualities
Central Tendency: involves supervisors sticking to the middle of the rating
scales, thus, rating everyone approximately average
Leniency or Strictness: supervisors have the tendency to rate everyone either
high or low
Bias: the tendency to allow individual differences such as age, race, and sex to
affect the appraisal ratings employees receive.