Patent examiner performance appraisal
- 1. Patent examiner performance appraisal Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 1
- 2. Useful performance appraisal materials for patent examiner: • performanceappraisal360.com/free-ebook-2456-phrases-for-performance- appraisals • performanceappraisal360.com/free-65-performance-appraisal-forms • performanceappraisal360.com/free-ebook-top-12-methods-for-performance- appraisal • performanceappraisal360.com/free-ebook-top-15-secrets-to-set-up- performance-management-system • performanceappraisal360.com/free-ebook-2436-KPI-samples/ • performanceappraisal360.com/free-ebook-top -9-tips-to-writing-a-winning- self-appraisal • Patent examiner job description • Patent examiner goals & objectives • Patent examiner KPIs & KRAs • Patent examiner self appraisal Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 2
- 3. I. Patent examiner performance form Name: Evaluation Period: Title: Date: PERFORMANCE PLANNING AND RESULTS Performance Review • Use a current job description (job descriptions are available on the HR web page). • Rate the person's level of performance, using the definitions below. • Review with employee each performance factor used to evaluate his/her work performance. • Give an overall rating in the space provided, using the definitions below as a guide. Performance Rating Definitions The following ratings must be used to ensure commonality of language and consistency on overall ratings: (There should be supporting comments to justify ratings of “Outstanding” “Below Expectations, and “Unsatisfactory”) Outstanding Performance is consistently superior Exceeds Expectations Performance is routinely above job requirements Meets Expectations Performance is regularly competent and dependable Below Expectations Performance fails to meet job requirements on a frequent basis Unsatisfactory Performance is consistently unacceptable A. PERFORMANCE FACTORS (use job description as basis of this evaluation). Outstanding Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 3
- 4. Administration - Measures effectiveness in planning, organizing and efficiently handling activities and eliminating unnecessary activities Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Knowledge of Work - Consider employee's skill level, knowledge and understanding of all phases of the job and those requiring improved skills and/or experience. Outstanding Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Communication - Measures effectiveness in listening to others, expressing ideas, both orally and in writing and providing relevant and timely information to management, co-workers, subordinates and customers. Outstanding Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Teamwork - Measures how well this individual gets along with fellow employees, respects the rights of other employees and shows a cooperative spirit. Outstanding Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Decision Making/Problem Solving - Measures effectiveness in understanding problems and making timely, practical decisions. Outstanding Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Expense Management - Measures effectiveness in establishing appropriate reporting and control procedures; operating efficiently at lowest cost; staying within established budgets. Outstanding Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Human Resource Management - Measures effectiveness in selecting qualified people; evaluating subordinates' performance; strengths and development needs; providing constructive feedback, and taking appropriate and timely action with marginal or unsatisfactory performers. Also considers efforts to further the university goal of equal employment opportunity. Outstanding Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Independent Action - Measures effectiveness in time management; initiative and independent action within prescribed limits. Outstanding Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Outstanding Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 4
- 5. Job Knowledge - Measures effectiveness in keeping knowledgeable of methods, techniques and skills required in own job and related functions; remaining current on new developments affecting SPSU and its work activities. Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Leadership - Measures effectiveness in accomplishing work assignments through subordinates; establishing challenging goals; delegating and coordinating effectively; promoting innovation and team effort. Outstanding Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Managing Change and Improvement - Measures effectiveness in initiating changes, adapting to necessary changes from old methods when they are no longer practical, identifying new methods and generating improvement in facility's performance. Outstanding Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Customer Responsiveness - Measures responsiveness and courtesy in dealing with internal staff, external customers and vendors; employee projects a courteous manner. Outstanding Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Personal Appearance - Measures neatness and personal hygiene appropriate to position. Outstanding Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Dependability - Measures how well employee complies with instructions and performs under unusual circumstances; consider record of attendance and punctuality. Outstanding Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Safety - Measures individual's work habits and attitudes as they apply to working safely. Consider their contribution to accident prevention, safety awareness, ability to care for SPSU property and keep workspace safe and tidy. Outstanding Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Employee's Responsiveness - Measures responsiveness in completing job tasks in a timely manner. Outstanding Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Unsatisfactory NA Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 5
- 6. B. EMPLOYEE STRENGTHS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Include those which are relevant during this evaluation period. This should be related to performance or behavioral aspects you appreciated in their performance. C. PERFORMANCE AREAS WHICH NEED IMPROVEMENT: D. PLAN OF ACTION TOWARD IMPROVED PERFORMANCE: Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 6
- 7. E. EMPLOYEE COMMENTS: F. JOB DESCRIPTION REVIEW SECTION: (Please check the appropriate box.) Employee job description has been reviewed during this evaluation and no changes have been made to the job description at this time. Employee job description has been reviewed during this evaluation and modifications have been proposed to the job description. The modified job description is attached to this evaluation. G. SIGNATURES: Employee Date (Signature does not necessarily denote agreement with official review and means only that the employee was given the opportunity to discuss the official review with the supervisor.) Evaluated by Date Reviewed by Date Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 7
- 8. II. Patent examiner performance phrases 1.Attitude Performance Review Examples – patent examiner Positive review • Holly has one of those attitudes that is always positive. She frequently has a smile on her face and you can tell she enjoys her job. • Greg is a cheerful guy who always makes you feel delighted when you’re around him. We are fortunate to have Greg on our team. • Thom has an even demeanor through good times and bad. His constant cheer helps others keep their “enthusiasm” – both positive and negative – in check. Negative review • Jim frequently gives off “an air” of superiority to his coworkers. He is not approachable and is rough to work with. • Bill has a dreadful outlook at times which has a tendency to bring down the entire team. • For the most part, Lenny is a personable guy, but when he gets upset, his attitude turns shocking. Lenny needs to balance his personality out and not react so much to negative events. 2.Creativity and Innovation Performance Review Phrases for patent examiner Positive review • Sally has a creative touch in a sometimes monotonous role within our team – the way she adds inspiration to the day to day tasks she performs is admirable. • When a major problem arises, we frequently turn to Jon for his creativity in solving problems. The way he can look at an issue from different sides is a great resource to our team. Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 8
- 9. • Whenever we need a fresh look at a problem, we know we can turn to Julia for a novel perspective. Negative review • Paul’s team feels discouraged as he often “shoots down” creative ideas without any explanation. Paul should be more willing to listen to ideas before he rejects them outright. • Jean does not tap into the creative side of her team and consistently overlooks the innovate employees reporting to her. • Kevin has a difficult time thinking “outside of the box” and creating new and untested solutions. 3.Performance review phrases for decision making – patent examiner Positive performance review phrases for decision making A person with good decision-making skills should be a person: • Be able to make sound fact-based judgments; • Be able to work out multiple alternative solutions and determined the most suitable one; • Be objective in considering a fact or situation; • Be firm to not let the individual emotion and feeling affect on the made decision; Negative performance review phrases for decision making • Be hesitant in making decision and too much cautious in making the final decision which often results in wrong decision; • Apply complex and impractical approaches in solving problems; • Fail to make a short-list of solutions recommended by direct units; • Be paralyzed and confused when facing tight deadlines to make decisions; 4.Interpersonal Skills Performance Review Phrases – patent examiner Positive review Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 9
- 10. • Ben has a natural rapport with people and does very well at communicating with others. • Sally has a knack for making people feel important when she speaks with them. This translates into great opportunities for teamwork and connections to form. • Jack makes people feel at home with him. His natural ability to work with people is a great asset to our team. Negative review • Tim does not understand how crucial good working relationships with fellow team members are. • John has an excellent impression among the management team, yet his fellow team members cannot stand working with him. • Paula seems to shrink when she’s around others and does not cultivate good relations with her co-workers. 5.Problem Solving Skills Employee Evaluation Examples – patent examiner Positive review • Greg’s investigative skills has provided a key resource for a team focused on solving glitches. His ability to quickly assess a problem and identify potential solutions is key to his excellent performance. • Frank examines a problem and quickly identifies potential solutions – and then makes a recommendation as to what solution to pursue. • Rachel understands the testing process and how to discover a solution to a particular problem. Negative review • Joan is poor at communicating problem status before it becomes a crisis. • Bill can offer up potential solutions to a problem, but struggles to identify the best solution. • Unraveling a problem to discuss the core issues is a skill Janet lacks. • Peter resists further training in problem solving, believing he is proficient, yet lacking in many areas. • In his technical role, we turn to James often to solve problems. He seems slow and indecisive when presented with a major issue. Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 10
- 11. 6.Teamwork Skills Performance Appraisal Phrases – patent examiner Positive review • Harry manages his relationships with his coworkers, managers, and employees in a professional manner. • Tom contributes to the success of the team on a regular basis. • Ben isn’t concerned about who gets the credit, just that the task gets accomplished. • Mary is a team player and understands how to help others in times of need. • Peter is the consummate team player. Negative review • Bill does not assist his teammates as required. • Ryan holds on to too much and does not delegate to his team effectively. • Bryan focuses on getting his own work accomplished, but does not take the time to help those members of his team who are struggling to keep up. • Peter was very good at teamwork when he was just a member of the team, now that he is in a supervisory role, Peter has lost much of those teamwork skills. • Lyle works with the team well when his own projects are coming due and he needs help, but once those are accomplished, he does not frequently help others on their projects. Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 11
- 12. III.Top 12 methods for patent examiner performance appraisal: 1.Management by Objectives (MBO) Method This is one of the best methods for the judgment of an employee's performance, where the managers and employees set a particular objective for employees and evaluate their performance periodically. After the goal is achieved, the employees are also rewarded according to the results. This performance appraisal method of management by objectives depends on accomplishing the goal rather than how it is accomplished. ----------------------------- MBO Features MBO emphasizes participatively set goals that are tangible, verifiable and measurable. MBO focuses attention on what must be accomplished (goals) rather than how it is to be accomplished (methods). MBO, by concentrating on key result areas translates the abstract philosophy of management into concrete phraseology. The technique can be put to general use (non- specialist technique). Further it is “a dynamic system which seeks to integrate the company's need to clarify and achieve its profit and growth targets with the manager's need to contribute and develop himself”. Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 12
- 13. MBO is a systematic and rational technique that allows management to attain maximum results from available resources by focusing on achievable goals. It allows the subordinate plenty of room to make creative decisions on his own. ----------------------------- 2.Critical Incident Method In this method, the manager writes down the positive and negative behavioral performance of the employees. This is done throughout the performance period and the final report is submitted as the assessment of the employees. This method helps employees in managing their performance and improves the quality of their work. ----------------------------- Disadvantages of critical Incident This method suffers however from the following limitations: • Critical incidents technique of evaluation is applied to evaluate the performance of superiors rather than of peers of subordinates. • Negative incidents may be more noticeable than positive incidents. • It results in very close supervision which may not be liked by the employee. • The recording of incidents may be a chore for the manager concerned, who may be too busy or forget to do it. • The supervisors have a tendency to unload a series of complaints about incidents during an annual performance review session. ----------------------------- 3.Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) The BARS method is used to describe a rating of the employee's performance which focuses on the specific behavior as indicators of effective and ineffective performance. This method is usually a combination of two other methods namely, the rating scale and critical incident technique of employee evaluation. ----------------------------- Rating scales for BARs Each behavior can rate at one of 7 scales as follows (you can set scales depend on your requirements) • Extremely poor (1 points) • Poor (2 points) • Below average (3 points) • Average (4 points) • Above average (5 points) • Good (6 points) • Extremely good (7 points) ----------------------------- 4.Behavioral Observation Scales (BOS) Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 13
- 14. It is defined as the frequency rating of critical incidents which the employee has performed over a specific duration in the organization. It was developed because methods like graphic rating scales and behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) depend on vague judgments made by the supervisors about employees. ----------------------------- 5.360 Degree Performance Appraisal Method The definition of this performance evaluation method is that, it is a system or process wherein the employees receive some performance feedback examples, which are anonymous and confidential from co-workers. This process is conducted by managers and subordinates who, through 360 degrees, measure certain factors about the employees. These are behavior and competence, skills such as listening, planning and goal-setting, teamwork, character, and leadership effectiveness. ----------------------------- Advantages of 360 degree appraisal • Offer a more comprehensive view towards the performance of employees. • Improve credibility of performance appraisal. • Such colleague’s feedback will help strengthen self-development. • Increases responsibilities of employees to their customers. • The mix of ideas can give a more accurate assessment. • Opinions gathered from lots of staff are sure to be more persuasive. • Not only manager should make assessments on its staff performance but other colleagues should do, too. • People who undervalue themselves are often motivated by feedback from others. • If more staff takes part in the process of performance appraisal, the organizational culture of the company will become more honest. ----------------------------- 6.Checklist and Weighted Checklist Method The checklist method comprises a list of set objectives and statements about the employee's behavior. For example, leadership skills, on-time delivery, innovation, etc. If the appraiser believes that the employee possesses the trait mentioned in the checklist, he puts a tick in front of it. If he thinks the employee doesn't have a particular trait he will leave it blank and mentions about it in the improvement column. Weighted checklist is a variation of the checklist method where a value is allotted to each question. The value of each question can differ based on its importance. The total score from the checklist is taken into consideration for evaluating the employee's performance. It poses a strong threat of bias on the appraiser's end. Though this method is highly time-consuming and complex, it is widely used for performance evaluation. ----------------------------- Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 14
- 15. Advantages and disadvantages of weighted checklist • This method help the manager in evaluation of the performance of the employee. • The rater may be biased in distinguishing the positive and negative questions. He may assign biased weights to the questions. • This method also is expensive and time consuming. • It becomes difficult for the manager to assemble, analyze and weigh a number of statements about the employee’s characteristics, contributions and behaviors. ----------------------------- 7.Graphic Rating Scale Method Graphic rating scale is one of the most frequently used performance evaluation methods. A simple printed form enlists the traits of the employees required for completing the task efficiently. They are then rated based on the degree to which an employee represents a particular trait that affects the quantity and quality of work. A rating scale is adopted and implemented for judging each trait of the employee. The merit of using this method is that it is easy to calculate the rating. However, a major drawback of this method is that each characteristic is given equal weight and the evaluation may be subjective. ----------------------------- Advantages and Disadvantage of the rating scales Advantages of the rating scales • Graphic rating scales are less time consuming to develop. • They also allow for quantitative comparison. Disadvantages of the rating scales • Different supervisors will use the same graphic scales in slightly different ways. • One way to get around the ambiguity inherent in graphic rating scales is to use behavior based scales, in which specific work related behaviors are assessed. • More validity comparing workers ratings from a single supervisor than comparing two workers who were rated by different supervisors. ----------------------------- 8.Comparative Evaluation Method Two ways are used to make a comparative evaluation, namely, the simple ranking method and the paired comparison method. In the simple or straight ranking method the employee is rated by the evaluator on a scale of best to worst. However, the evaluator may be biased and may not judge the overall performance effectively in the absence of fixed criteria. This kind of evaluation may be more opinion-based than fact-based. Under the paired comparison method, the overall performance of one individual is directly compared with that of the other on the basis of a common criterion. This comparison is all evasive and not job-specific. While some employees emerge as clear front runners, there are others who seem to be lagging behind. This is not a popular evaluation system as employers do Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 15
- 16. not want to encourage discrimination. This is useful in companies which have a limited number of promotions or funds. ----------------------------- Steps to conduct paired comparison analysis • List the options you will compare (elements as A, B, C, D, E for example). • Create a table 6 rows and 7 column. • Write down option to column and row; A to row second, cell first from left and A to row first, cell second from left; B to row third, cell first from left and B to row first, cell third from left etc; column seventh is total point. • Identify importance from 0 (no difference) to 3 (major difference). • Compare element “A” to B, C, D, E and place “point” at each cell. • Finally, consolidate the results by adding up the total of all the values for each of the options. You may want to convert these values into a percentage of the total score. ----------------------------- 9.Forced Choice Method In this method, the appraiser is asked to choose from two pairing statements which may appear equally positive and negative. However, the statements dictate the performance of the employee. An excellent example of this can be "works harder" and "works smarter". The appraiser selects a statement without having knowledge of the favorable or the unfavorable one. This method works in companies where the appraiser shows a tendency to under-evaluate or over-evaluate the employees. Also, it is very costly to implement and does not serve the purpose of developing the employees. It can also frustrate the appraiser as he does not know which is the right option. ----------------------------- 10.Forced Distribution Method In this method, the appraiser rates employees according to a specific distribution. For example, out of a set of 5 employees, 2 will get evaluated as high, 2 will get evaluated as average while 1 will be in the low category. This method has several benefits as it tries to eliminate the leniency and central tendency of the appraiser. However, its biggest drawback is the fact that it encourages discrimination among the employees. Another major problem with this method is that it dictates that there will be forced distribution of grades even when all the employees are doing a good job. ----------------------------- Advantages and disadvantages of forced Ranking Advantages: • They force reluctant managers to make difficult decisions and identify the most and least talented members of the work group. • They create and sustain a high performance culture in which the workforce continuously improves. Disadvantages Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 16
- 17. • They increase unhealthy cut-throat competitiveness; • They discourage collaboration and teamwork; • They harm morale; • They are legally suspect giving rise to age discrimination cases. ----------------------------- 11.Essay Evaluation Method In the essay method of evaluation the appraiser writes an elaborate statement about the employee who is being evaluated. He mentions the employee's strengths and weaknesses. He also suggests ways to improve his performance and appreciates the good qualities. This essay can be prepared by the appraiser alone or together with the employee. As the criteria for evaluation is not defined, it helps the appraiser to focus on the areas that actually need improvement. This open-ended method accords flexibility and eliminates rigidity which is observed in criteria-driven evaluations. However, it is a highly time-consuming and subjective method, and may not necessarily work for the benefit of the organization. ----------------------------- Essay evaluation is a non-quantitative technique This method is advantageous in at least one sense, i.e., the essay provides a good deal of information about the employee and also reveals more about the evaluator. The essay evaluation method however, suffers from the following limitations: It is highly subjective; the supervisor may write a biased essay. The employees who are sycophants will be evaluated more favorably then other employees. Some evaluators may be poor in writing essays on employee performance. Others may be superficial in explanation and use flowery language which may not reflect the actual performance of the employee. It is very difficult to find effective writers nowadays. The appraiser is required to find time to prepare the essay. A busy appraiser may write the essay hurriedly without properly assessing the actual performance of the worker. On the other hand, appraiser takes a long time, this becomes uneconomical from the view point of the firm, because the time of the evaluator (supervisor) is costly. 12.Performance Test and Observation Method This method deals with testing the knowledge or skills of the employees. It can be implemented in the form of a written test or can be based on the actual presentation of skills. The test must be conceived by the human resources department and conducted by a reliable evaluator who has in- depth knowledge about the field of the test. There can be bias if the performance is evaluated on the presentation of skills. However, a written test can be a reliable yardstick to measure the knowledge. Tests will also enable the management to check the potential of employees. However, if the human resources department decides to outsource the compilation of the test, it may incur additional cost for the organization. Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 17
- 18. Fields/positions related to performance appraisal: The above performance appraisal can be used for fields as: construction, manufacturing, healthcare, non profit, advertising, agile, architecture, automotive, agency, budget, building, business development, consulting, communication, clinical research, design, software development, product development, interior design, web development, engineering, education, events, electrical, exhibition, energy, ngo, finance, fashion, green card, oil gas, hospital, it, marketing, media, mining, nhs, non technical, oil and gas, offshore, pharmaceutical, real estate, retail, research, human resources, telecommunications, technology, technical, senior, digital, software, web, clinical, hr, infrastructure, business, erp, creative, ict, hvac, sales, quality management, uk, implementation, network, operations, architectural, environmental, crm, website, interactive, security, supply chain, logistics, training, project management, administrative management… The above performance appraisal also can be used for job title levels: entry level, junior, senior, assistant, associate, administrator, clerk, coordinator, consultant, controller, director, engineer, executive, leader, manager, officer, specialist, supervisor, VP… Job Performance Evaluation Form Page 18