Performance appraisals systematically evaluate employee performance to understand abilities and potential for growth. Advantages include promotions for efficient workers, compensation packages, developing training programs, validating selection procedures, improving communication, and motivating employees. Limitations are that raters can form impressions based on some characteristics, rate based on a single quality or with excessive strictness or lenience, see all employees as average, let personal biases influence ratings, let past performance influence present ratings, and let recent behavior influence ratings more than past performance.