CODESP Performance Evaluation and Appraisal 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which appraisal error occurs when a supervisor's rating of an employee is influenced by comparing that employee to the previous person rated?
- Recency error
- Contrast effect (Correct answer)
- Leniency error
- Primacy error
Correct answer: Contrast effect
The contrast effect causes ratings to be distorted upward or downward depending on the performance level of the person rated immediately before.
Question 2: A probationary period performance review in the public sector is primarily used to:
- Determine salary step increases for all employees
- Assess whether a new hire meets standards before gaining permanent status (Correct answer)
- Satisfy collective bargaining agreement timelines
- Establish baseline data for future succession planning
Correct answer: Assess whether a new hire meets standards before gaining permanent status
Probationary reviews allow agencies to evaluate new employees against job standards before granting civil service protections and permanent status.
Question 3: The 'critical incident' method of performance evaluation requires supervisors to:
- Rate employees on a predetermined numerical scale
- Record specific examples of notably effective or ineffective behaviors throughout the rating period (Correct answer)
- Compare each employee to a single standard performer
- Distribute ratings according to a bell curve
Correct answer: Record specific examples of notably effective or ineffective behaviors throughout the rating period
Critical incident documentation involves logging specific behavioral events that represent the extremes of performance, providing concrete evidence for ratings.
Question 4: Recency error in performance appraisal occurs when:
- A supervisor bases ratings primarily on events close to the evaluation date (Correct answer)
- A new supervisor inherits ratings from the previous supervisor
- Ratings are completed months after the observation period ends
- The employee's newest skills are given more weight than tenure
Correct answer: A supervisor bases ratings primarily on events close to the evaluation date
Recency error causes the appraisal to reflect only recent events rather than the entire evaluation period, distorting the overall performance picture.
Question 5: Which principle is MOST important to ensure legal defensibility of a performance appraisal system?
- Ratings must be completed within 30 days of hire
- Appraisals must be based on job-related, observable criteria (Correct answer)
- All employees must receive the same numerical rating initially
- Supervisors must attend annual diversity training before rating
Correct answer: Appraisals must be based on job-related, observable criteria
Courts have consistently held that appraisals must be grounded in job-relevant, observable criteria to withstand legal challenges under Title VII and ADA.
Question 6: A performance improvement plan (PIP) is BEST described as:
- A confidential record maintained only by the HR department
- A structured document outlining expectations, timelines, and support for an underperforming employee (Correct answer)
- A peer-review process used for high-potential employees
- A summary of disciplinary actions taken against an employee
Correct answer: A structured document outlining expectations, timelines, and support for an underperforming employee
A PIP formally communicates performance deficiencies, sets measurable improvement goals, and provides resources and a timeline for achieving them.
Question 7: Which of the following BEST describes inter-rater reliability in performance appraisal?
- The consistency of an individual rater's scores across time
- The degree to which different raters assign similar scores for the same performance level (Correct answer)
- The correlation between appraisal scores and salary grades
- The alignment between appraisal ratings and written narratives
Correct answer: The degree to which different raters assign similar scores for the same performance level
Inter-rater reliability measures whether multiple supervisors evaluate the same behaviors consistently, which is essential for fairness across an organization.
CODESP Performance Evaluation and Appraisal 2
Which appraisal error occurs when a supervisor's rating of an employee is influenced by comparing that employee to the previous person rated?