Peer Appraisal definition
Employee assessments conducted by colleagues in the immediate working environment i.e. the people the employee interacts with regularly. Peer appraisal processes exclude superiors and underlings.
Peer appraisals are a form of performance appraisal which are designed to monitor and improve job performance.
Peer appraisals can be broken down into specific measures. Peer ranking involves workers ranking each member of the group from best to worst, either overall or on various areas of performance or responsibility. In peer ratings, workers rate colleagues on performance metrics while peer nomination is a simple nomination of the ‘best’ worker either overall or on performance metrics.
Commonly-cited advantages of the peer appraisal process include insight and knowledge – workers have their ‘ear to the ground’ and are often in the best position to appraise a colleague’s performance. Peer appraisal also encourages a more inclusive team dynamic as colleagues gain a deeper insight into the challenges their colleagues face, and encourages development of a shared goal as workers realise they must impress their colleagues and respond to their ideas, concerns and needs.
