The importance of Performance Appraisal in Working Life - from an Employee’s Perspective

Today an appraisal is an indispensable tool in the workplace, which allows the employer and employee to embrace company's strategies and to achieve its goals. In the best case, the result of a good performance appraisal will provide new and innovative ideas to managers, as well as raise the level of motivation. This will also have a positive effect on well-being, as it will improve employee satisfaction in the workplace.

In this thesis the focus will be on the employee´s perspective. The primary aim was to examine the public's opinion of a performance appraisal and determine its real importance in working life. The aim was also to investigate potential differences between the various professional sectors.

This research was conducted using a quantitative research method. An electronic questionnaire was sent to employees from various profession fields. The theoretical framework focuses on the basic theory of well-being, interaction, feedback and performance appraisal.

The study was successfully accomplished and on schedule. The result of this study led to the conclusion that employees were in general satisfied with the performance appraisal and its quality. It seemed that employees felt performance appraisal to be an effective tool for personal development and career advancement. The results led also to the conclusion that the majority of workers felt that performance appraisal is important to their working life.