Performance appraisal is a formal process that evaluates an employee's job performance and identifies areas for improvement. It usually involves periodic interviews between an employee and their supervisor to examine strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for skills development. The goals of performance appraisals are to provide feedback, identify training needs, document performance criteria for rewards/consequences, and facilitate communication between employees and management. An effective performance appraisal system should be participatory, focused on job performance, and use feedback to motivate employees and support their development.