Every appraiser worth their salt has gone through crushingly busy business periods where they couldn’t even spare a moment to breathe! Whether you work as property appraisers or handle annual performance appraisal cycles – the “boom” mostly tests your skill in striking the perfect balance as an appraiser. With a long list of things to do, documents to procure, and processes to initiate, it is natural to feel overwhelmed.

If you are struggling to stay afloat, here are some actionable tips that will help you tame the performance appraisal tide:

Create & Follow A Timeline

One of the easiest ways to ensure thoroughness in your evaluation is through carrying it out consistently.

For instance, if your company carries out performance appraisals in March, then continue following this schedule. In fact, follow it up with a strictly enforceable timeline so that everyone crosses the finish line on time. Thus, continuing with the previous example, if March marks the annual performance appraisal cycle, develop a timeline where the administration wraps up the performance management process by June/July.

This consistency is particularly useful in periodic reviews such as employee performance appraisals. It can also help commercial appraisers/valuers as it maps out a well-defined flow, along with an end date that is a function of the starting date.

Prepare In Advance

Almost in continuation with the previous advice, consistent and time-bound appraisals lays the foundation for preparedness. It ensures that the property or AMC or employee appraisal does not spring up unannounced only to wreak havoc in its wake. And since you already know that you would be assessing the property/equipment/employee, you can always proactively forward the paperwork well in advance so that the appraisee can have it ready for you at the time of the appraisal.

If the employees are aware that the performance appraisal typically kicks off in March, they will file all the performance reports well in advance. Similarly, property appraisers can allow homeowners plenty of time to collect all the documentation or carry out the obvious repairs.

Eventually, the appraisee must have prior knowledge about the appraisal to smoothen the appraisal/performance management process.

Stick To A Standard Format

Sometimes, a simple, standardized appraisal form is all it takes to manage the busy business periods. When it comes to tried and tested techniques, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Go through the several employee appraisal or property appraisal formats and modify these to meet your requirements. Do not limit yourself simply to the inputs; you could even draw inspiration from these standard outlines to generate positive and negative performance review examples that you can incorporate in your reports.

And while you’re at it, do away with the cumbersome pen and paper channel and switch to digital, cloud-based media.

Mark All The Turn Times

Of course, we are way past the habit of marking dates on calendars. But when you are tightly packed and at the helm of a busy business, the calendar will be your best friend. Thus, marking out the dates will keep you a step ahead of the deadlines. Depending on the schedule and turn times, you could even levy rush fees for all the last-minute commercial and employee appraisals.

Maintain Communication & Transparency

Just because you need to stick to timelines does not necessitate blazing through the performance management process. As an employee or commercial appraiser, you must dedicate enough time to discuss your feedback and findings at length.

Furthermore, appraisers will have to transparently communicate all the progress/findings at every stage of the appraisal. While it may be exciting to watch the end draw closer, the last phase of any appraisal is the most critical, considering that this is where you share the feedback and start measuring the reform corresponding to the areas of development.

Keep all communication channels open and ensure transparency in performance appraisal and development – this will make it easier for you to carry out the evaluations effortlessly.

Keep Previous Appraisals In Mind

Historic employee/property/AMC data can make it easier to carry out appraisals in the future. Plus, it also makes it easier to measure and quantify progress or improvement.

Hence, in addition to reporting on the present-day variables, you must also pay heed to the previous performance or status reports. It is quite possible that the assessment in the last few instances may shed light on something that you may have accidentally glossed over. Similarly, it could be a victim of bias or inaccuracy – a trait that you can develop and work on to make the appraisal more valuable.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, having a robust performance appraisal system at your disposal is the first step towards streamlining performance management and appraisal. It leaves just enough room for parties to operate collaboratively and with the help of automation. From property appraisers to performance review managers, everyone can gain from the multifunctional abilities of such a platform. With these tips in mind, you will enjoy smooth sailing even through the busiest of appraisal periods. So happy sailing!.