Performance Evaluation and Appraisal Flashcards
7 cards from real CODESP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Performance Evaluation and Appraisal flashcards as text
Which rating error occurs when a supervisor allows one outstanding trait to positively influence ratings on all other dimensions?
Answer: Halo effect
The halo effect occurs when a rater allows one exceptionally positive characteristic to inflate ratings across all other performance dimensions.
A CODESP-style appraisal system requires that evaluators document critical incidents throughout the year. What is the primary purpose of this practice?
Answer: To provide a factual basis for performance ratings and reduce recency bias
Critical incident logs give evaluators a concrete, time-distributed record that counteracts the tendency to weight only recent events when rating performance.
In a behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS), what distinguishes it from a standard graphic rating scale?
Answer: It anchors each rating point with specific observable behavioral examples
BARS ties each scale point to concrete behavioral descriptions, increasing inter-rater reliability and reducing subjectivity.
An employee disputes their performance rating through a formal grievance. Under best-practice public-sector appraisal policy, what documentation is most critical for the employer to produce?
Answer: Written performance standards communicated prior to the rating period
Pre-communicated written standards are essential because they show the employee knew the expectations against which they were evaluated.
Which approach best addresses the problem of inter-rater reliability when multiple supervisors evaluate employees across different departments?
Answer: Conducting calibration sessions where raters discuss and align their interpretations of standards
Calibration meetings help raters develop a shared understanding of performance standards, reducing variance in how different supervisors apply the same scale.
A public agency wants to use appraisal data to make layoff decisions during a budget reduction. Which legal consideration is most relevant?
Answer: Ratings used for adverse employment actions must be job-related, consistently applied, and defensible
When appraisal data drives adverse actions, the system must demonstrate job-relatedness and consistent application to withstand legal challenge.
What is the main risk of using a forced distribution (bell curve) performance rating system in a small public-sector work unit of eight employees?
Answer: Forcing a distribution may misclassify high performers in a uniformly strong team
Forced distributions assume a normal spread of talent, which may not exist in small, highly-screened units, leading to inaccurate low ratings for genuinely good performers.