January 25, 2013

Benefits of Paperless Performance Reviews

This is the time of year when many companies conduct performance reviews as a part of determining pay increases and annual bonuses. The traditional performance review is paper-based with employers, managers and HR departments each getting a paper copy.

Switching to paperless performance reviews can add up to a major reduction in paper waste and costs for paper, toner and printer cartridges, particularly at large companies. There are some other great benefits to going paperless with your employee reviews.

· Increased confidentiality Paperless performance reviews eliminate the risk of someone discovering a review left sitting on a printer or out on a desk.

· Faster process Many of the software programs that are available for creating paperless performance reviews allow HR departments or management to create forms that greatly shorten the length of time needed to write reviews.

· Simple changes and commenting. If a last minute change is necessary prior to a performance review, an electronic form can be amended or edited very quickly without the need to reprint (and waste more paper). At companies that require or permit employees to leave comments on their own performance, these can be easily added to electronic document.

· Easier record-keeping Employees and HR departments can easily retain copies of their performance reviews on their computers.

There are several software programs and web-based services that can help you create paperless reviews, including:

Paperless Kitchen wants to know: Does your company use paperless performance appraisals? What are your thoughts on the process? If you own the company, what system do you use?