Walmart Performance Assessment

There is an array of key components and factors involved in making an organization a successful business. One of those elements consists on evaluating employee’s performance; this sole component is critical in determining how effective is the organization’s productivity and which are the necessary steps to ensure proper functioning. “The performance appraisal may be one of the few times during the year where an employee and the reviewer, typically the employee's supervisor, can sit down and have a lengthy face-to-face discussion about all aspects of the job” (Joseph, 2016). Employees’ performance assessment serves as an instrument to gather important information as to which areas of the job description are being performed according to standards

and which must be improved.

Periodicity in this process is vital; this ensures that personnel issues, productivity and mission are evaluated in a consistent and timely manner. The most important resource of a company is its human resource, therefore ethical decisions as to the way this resource is managed, will ultimately determine if the company will have a long lasting success in the industry.

Topic/ Issue Identification

In order to remain as one of the most competitive organizations in the retailer world, Walmart has to evaluate its workforce performance on regular basis in order to make sure they are performing at the required level. Ignoring or diminishing the importance of performance management can prevent employees and the organization itself, from growing and advancing. It is said that the lack of frequent job reviews and evaluations among Walmart’ employees is affecting the organization overall performance. This week’s case study presents several issues regarding the way they company approaches these appraisals. The purpose of this analysis is to address this problem and suggest a better approach for Walmart

when it comes to assessing their employee’s work. “Performance interviews are conducted at least twice a year, so that the progress of employees is regularly monitored” (Thompson, 2015). By knowing that Walmart evaluates their workforce performance every six months, it is easy to think the organization practice a culture of “minimum effort evaluation” among its workforce. In fact, Walmart’s managers probably also lack training and knowledge on how to perform these evaluations. For an organization of this magnitude, there is much to improve within the process than just a simple job reviewing. The first issue is that a periodical assessment has to be made not just to evaluate the way the employee works, but to give clear guidelines about the standards under which employees will be evaluated. Every company has an ethical responsibility to ensure that good work conditions are present, so its mission can be fulfilled and its employees count with the tools and the opportunities to perform to the exigencies. The challenge with these evaluations is not just to implement the changes suggested by them, but the longevity of the implementation and the proper tailoring of solutions.
Analysis / Evaluation
As other organizations, Walmart has ethical obligation to its employees, investors, providers and customers, having the responsibility to make sure the organization is well functioning to meet the organization overall goals. Walmart’s culture of continually growing can be compromised by the lack of an appropriate management system. The lack of ongoing performance management and appropriate and timely feedback is affecting employees and the organization daily business. Among other issues, “Walmart experiences a variety of performance problems. However, some of the most significant are as follows: 1.Lost productivity because of tardiness and absenteeism 2.Inaccuracies or errors in recording or reporting 3.Negativism or hostility in customer relations or workplace relations” (Thompson, 2015). Walmart’s lack of a constant performance management is not allowing managers to tackle these problems before they become out of control. Ongoing employee evaluation is a critical time in which managers can correct performance problems, redirect employee’s behavior; understand the reasons for tardiness, lack of motivation, identifying possible issues that are preventing employees to perform as wanted. There is a variety of solutions Walmart can implement towards remedying these problems. For example, the company can change the assessment frequency; a quarterly evaluation will allow the employee to feel that the employer cares about the worker’s wellbeing. A more frequent evaluation will help to build and maintain trust between employer and employee, thus creating reciprocity of benefits; will create conditions to allow all employees to maximize their contributions and will allow Walmart to improve the general public perception about the way this company treats its employees. There is not ethical value in demanding employees to perform to certain standards if the company itself does not ask the employee what the organization can do to help the person to become a better team member, to improve general work conditions and to treat employees with dignity and respect.
Recommendation
In this case, Walmart’s evaluations are clearly lacking regularity and competence. Walmart has evaluations on its employees twice a year. A six months period, does not allow the employer to take immediate measures or to make adjustments, if needed. Employees struggle when there is a gap in their manager’s management practices, because they aren’t clear on what their manager considers important and valuable about their performance. Problems can grow over a six months period, or an employee’s personal situation could be interfering with a good performance, but if the evaluation is made only twice a year, the company is losing precious opportunities to tackle those issues in a timely manner. A shorter period assessment, like a quarterly evaluation will allow the organization to have a current and more realistic picture of its employee’s situation and, it will allow managers to have a more consistent record of the development of its supervisees. These assessments must have a minimum questionnaire that every manager can use as a tool to identify issues with the employee. This standardized basic part of the assessment can serve as a way to document the progress or deterioration in the employee’s performance and the ethical responsibility of the company in suggesting ways to improve or implementing the changes case by case. This will help to have a more productive follow up evaluation because discussed issues can be readdressed and reevaluated, improvement can be rewarded and acknowledged by managers and overall performance tested. Additionally, it is important that the company’s managers receive also a proper training, as to how to use adequate evaluation strategies and tools; if this training does not take place, employee’s evaluations will not have the ideal results.
After reviewing and acknowledging its own deficiencies, Walmart has to establish a performance management system that aligns employee’s performance with the organization’s needs. Ongoing monitoring provides the supervisor the opportunity to check how well employees are meeting determined standards and to make changes if it is necessary. The next step is to evaluate employee performance in order to make decisions about where to invest resources such as salary, promotions, areas of strength and areas that need further development. Walmart can also promote self-evaluation among employees as a way for them to acknowledge and evaluate their own performance. “When we don’t monitor employee performance, or encourage our employees to monitor their own performance it is like we give a pretty clear signal that they and their performance aren’t terribly interesting useful or significant” (Henshaw, 2011). Through continuous evaluation, supervisors can identify unacceptable performance at any time during the appraisal. Managers can also use this period to provide feedback, coaching and teaching them how to improve their performance.
Other recommendation for Walmart is to reward employee’s performance. Effective managers understand the importance of using rewards as incentive for employees to do their job as required. Recognizing employee’s contribution motivates them to not only perform their job at a higher level but also inspires them to advance, which at the end of the day, will benefit the organization. It is also very important to keep in mind to document the performance management process. Keeping record of the performance management process would allow managers to compare earlier results with actual performance, and see if the objectives are being met. If this is done correctly, there should not be any concerns with Walmart’s performance management issues.
Learning outcomes
A lack of ongoing and appropriate performance management system can compromise any organization well-functioning and advancement.

Performance management issues can be fixed by maintaining close supervision, setting high standards, but also focusing on developing employee skills needed to reach them. A good manager is the one who helps their employees to identify and to focus on their most important objectives, goals, and desired outcomes; is the one who identifies the strong abilities in the individual, and shows a clear path to follow. Companies’ ethical focus, -and Walmart is not the exception- should be not only reviewing employee’s performance, but helping them to grow at all levels, creating an environment that energizes and motivates human beings and

teams.
In my organization performance management or yearly “observations” are used to evaluate our capacity to perform our job as required and if we are meeting organizational goals. Performance management time is viewed as an opportunity to recognize what has been done well, what needs improvement or change and how we can work on bettering our performance. Even though, at some point for managers these assessments may be a complex and stressful periods, the truth is a well conducted performance management, will result in a positive experience from which employees and managers can learn in a very productive way.