__________________________________________________ Performance Evaluation
students, especially because it may be their first job evaluation. Be sure to
respond to students' questions and concerns. Help them recognize that the
purpose of evaluation is to identify both job strengths and areas needing
improvement and that remarks about improvement should not be taken as
personal criticism. Teacher-coordinators should deliver evaluation forms to
training sponsors in person; they should not be mailed. Personal delivery stresses
the importance of evaluation and allows teacher-coordinators to review
procedures with sponsors.
5. Schedule and conduct the evaluation interview. Evaluation is conducted to
identify student strengths and areas of needed improvement. Information obtained
is used to structure the next on-the-job training period. Evaluation interviews offer
an opportunity for students, training sponsors, and teacher-coordinators to
understand the ratings and engage in an important part of the training process.
Teacher-coordinators should control the evaluation interview to ensure a positive
atmosphere is maintained. Important strengths and weaknesses should be
discussed, and plans should be developed for the next training period. Each
participant should be given ample opportunity to discuss the evaluation items. A
careful record of the interview should be kept, particularly if information not on
the form is discussed. Teacher-coordinators may want to meet individually with
students and/or training sponsors, in case there is information that either wishes
not to share with the other.
Steps to Positive Evaluation Interviews
While everyone might agree on the importance of evaluation in the training process, the
interview itself can be a difficult procedure for many business people, managers, or
supervisors to conduct. Teacher-coordinators must walk a fine line during the interview,
carefully guiding the atmosphere and content, while also encouraging students and
training sponsors to discuss the evaluation directly with each other. The following ideas
may help make the evaluation interview a positive experience:
1. Make sure the interview is conducted in a quiet, private place which is free of
interruptions.
2. Plan for the evaluation interview by identifying objectives, reviewing student
records, developing suggestions for positive actions, and preparing a preliminary
summary.
3. Explain that the purpose of the interview is to measure student progress and
identify performance which is done well and performance which needs
improvement. Remind students that the purpose of the interview is to help them
improve their on-the-job training performance.
4. Start the interview by putting the student at ease. Remain calm regardless of
student attitude or behavior.
WBL Guide 2002 __________________________________________________ A -- 61