Human Intelligence: The Bell Curve
bell curve in appraisals
Bell Curve in appraisals signifies a generic trendline or evaluation pattern that the Company intends following for the purpose of systematic, objective and a meaningful performance assessment through a 'forced-rating' method.
Theoretically and practically, in fairly large and large organizations with substantial headcount of people, any management would like to see a scientific trendline of performers, i.e. absymally low to outstanding performances. That's normally the case.
A bell curve would signify that there are extremely low performers (say, 10-20%u0025) and outstanding promotable performers (say, 10-20%), the bulk of the performers being at the peakline of the bell curve who are good to very good performers.
Bell curve is used by HR to demonstrate or illustrate to all the functional heads or managers how appraisal ratings should be spread over in accordance with bell curve. Otherwise, most appraisers either would rate people much higher than they deserve or some may be hyper-critical and would rate most people very low. To bring in a semblance of an order, the bell curve pattern is show.
Illustratively, it is to show appraisers that, say, not more than 10% should be promoted in each department and that at least 10% must be weeded out for low performance; the rest being rated from average, good to very good.
Normalization in PAM via the bell curve compliance is the process of bringing in forced-rankings/ratings so that appraisers normalize ratings to fit the bell curve. That is, appraisers who are too lenient or too strict must become more objective in their appraising subordinates/peers, etc.. When normalization happens, ratings/rankings will look very uniform and objective, being spread over the bell curve, as desired by the management.
The advantages of bell curve PAM are:
1. It brings objectivity to the PAM process
2. It helps in normalization of the appraisal process
3. It lends itself to predictible performance patterns
4. It guides appraisers on how to follow an uniform rating process/pattern
5. It helps appraisers from abstaining in 'playing God', Horne's
effect, 'hypercritical effects' or 'playing central tendancy' in appraisal
ratings.
6. It helps management in planned attrition and in predicting
promotions/job enlargements/job enrichments/rewards/incentives, etc.
7. It may help in retention since it showcases an objective appraising
methology/pattern.
8. It systematically identifies high performers for commensurate rewards
and identifies low/weak performers for training/forced attrition.
9. On a predictive index, it provides a bird's eye view of the uniform,
systematic performance patterns across grades/levels/functions in the
organization.
Disadvantages :
1. It seems rigid and impractical, especially for small/medium. It may
reduce organizational flexibility.
organizations since it does not allow flexibility even for one-off cases.
2. It does not promote 'performance adjustments'
3. It makes 'extreme raters" sceptical since it does not allow them to rate as they wish causing anxiety or discontentment
4. It may be difficult to simulate/follow since outstanding performers or
weak performers may not essentially be 10%-20% (say), year-on-
year.
5. The methodology may not be easily understood by all appraisers
6. Training inadequacy in appraisers may yield disastrous results
7. Implementation may be difficult since HR has to ensure constant
compliance.
8. Being a 'forced-distribution' method, it may face dissent from
appraisers
9. It may not adjust well with skill/managerial demand-supply situations
More points could be added in both. Hope this will suffice for the moment
