UNIT – I Lesson 1 HRM – AN OVERVIEW Lesson Outline Nature of ...

Objectives
The objectives of Assessment Centers are:
a) For measuring potential for first level supervision, upper management
positions and also higher level management positions.
b) For determining the training and development needs of employees
c) For selecting recent college students for entry level positions
d) For making early determination of potential and
e) For assisting in implementing affirmative action goals.
Inspite of time consuming costly affair, assessment centre has the following merits:
a) The assessment is based on the direct observation of a relatively large
sample of the assesses’ behaviors.
b) The assesses’ behaviours are observed in simulated situations which are close
to the actual workplace and
c) Since assessment is based on composite, pooled judgements of several raters,
personal biases, false inference are minimized.
360 Degree appraisal
Yet another method which could be used to appraise the performance of an
employee is to use 360 degree appraisal. To start with, this method was used in 1992 by
the General Electric Company, USA. Now in India Wipro Corporation, Infosys
Technologies, Thermax, Thomas Cook etc. are adopting.
In 360 –degree appraisal, appraisal of an employee is done by his superior, his
peers, his subordinates clients and outsiders with whom he interacts in the course of his
job performance. In this appraisal, besides appraising the performance of the assesses, his
other attributes such as talents, behaviour, values, and technical considerations are also
subjected to appraisal.
The role of HR department in 360 – degree appraisal is that of facilitator. The
department consolidates the appraisal inputs, identifies the point of consensus, and
provides feedback to the appraised so as to overcome weaknesses as pointed out in the
appraisal.