What is the BARS method of performance appraisal?

The behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) method of performance appraisal is a system used to measure employee performance by comparing individual behaviors against specific examples anchored to numerical ratings. Each rating corresponds to a particular behavior, providing a clear standard for assessment.

BARS combines qualitative and quantitative measures to provide a more comprehensive and objective assessment of an employee’s abilities and actions. As a result, behaviorally anchored rating scales are not one-size-fits-all. They are meticulously tailored to different job roles, capturing the essence of what success looks like in each unique position.

How does the BARS method compare to other performance appraisal methods?

By comparing BARS with these other performance appraisal methods, organizations can choose the best approach based on their specific needs and the nature of the roles under evaluation.

BARS versus traditional performance appraisals

BARS provides clear examples of behaviors associated with different performance levels, reducing ambiguity.

Traditional performance appraisals often rely on more subjective evaluations, leading to inconsistencies and biases.

For instance, BARS uses specific, observable behaviors to rate performance, while traditional methods might rely on general traits like “attitude” or “teamwork,” which can be interpreted differently by different raters.

BARS versus 360-degree feedback

BARS offers a more structured and objective evaluation by focusing on specific behavior.s

In contrast, 360-degree feedback gathers diverse perspectives from various sources (peers, subordinates, supervisors), which can provide a well-rounded view but may also introduce variability and subjectivity.

For example, 360-degree feedback can offer insights into interpersonal skills from colleagues, but BARS can pinpoint exact behaviors like “responds promptly to customer inquiries.”

BARS versus management by objectives (MBO)

BARS focuses on behaviors rather than outcomes, making it suitable for roles where specific behaviors are critical to performance.

MBO emphasizes achieving specific goals and outcomes, which can be effective for roles with clear, measurable objectives.

For instance, in a sales role, MBO might focus on meeting sales targets, whereas BARS could evaluate how effectively a salesperson follows up with leads or handles customer objections.

BARS versus OKR (objectives and key results) performance management

BARS provides a detailed analysis of behaviors necessary for job performance, while OKR focuses on setting and achieving specific objectives and key results.

OKR is goal-oriented and helps align individual and organizational goals but may not capture the nuances of how those goals are achieved.

For example, an OKR for a marketing team might include increasing social media engagement. In contrast, BARS could assess specific behaviors like “creatively utilizes social media trends” or “effectively collaborates with the content team to produce engaging posts.”

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What are the advantages of using the BARS method?

The BARS method offers several advantages:

Specificity

BARS provides clear examples of desired and undesired behaviors, reducing ambiguity when evaluating employees. Each performance level is anchored with specific behaviors, making it easier for managers to identify and rate performance accurately.

For example, instead of a vague rating like “good communication skills,” BARS specifies behaviors such as “consistently provides clear and concise instructions” versus “frequently misunderstands and miscommunicates tasks.”

Objectivity

BARS minimize rater bias by focusing on observable behaviors. This reduces the subjectivity involved in performance evaluations and ensures that ratings are based on actual performance rather than perceptions or personal biases.

For instance, in a customer service role, rather than relying on a general impression, BARS would rate specific actions such as “resolves customer complaints within 24 hours” against “delays responses, causing customer dissatisfaction.”

Scalability and adaptability

BARS applies to various organizational roles and departments. It is adaptable to different job functions, ensuring that each role’s unique requirements are considered.

For example, BARS can be used to evaluate performance in both technical roles, like engineering, and non-technical roles, like HR, by tailoring the behavioral anchors to each job’s specific tasks and responsibilities.

Ability to track performance changes over time

By providing specific behavioral anchors, BARS makes it easier to track performance changes over time. Managers can see if employees are improving, maintaining, or declining in their performance based on clear, consistent criteria. This historical tracking helps identify trends and make informed decisions about promotions, training needs, or potential disciplinary actions.

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Alignment with job expectations

BARS ensures that the performance criteria are closely aligned with the actual job expectations and responsibilities. Each performance level is designed to reflect what is realistically expected in the role, making the evaluation process relevant and meaningful.

For example, for a marketing role, BARS might include anchors such as “develops innovative campaign strategies that exceed targets” versus “struggles to create effective campaign strategies.”

Supporting developmental feedback

Since BARS uses specific behaviors, it provides employees with clear examples of what they are doing well and where they need to improve. This targeted feedback is more actionable and helpful for employees looking to develop their skills and advance in their careers.

For instance, a BARS-based review might highlight a salesperson’s effective client communication while pointing out the need to improve follow-up procedures.

By leveraging these advantages, organizations can enhance performance management processes, ensuring fair, accurate, and actionable employee evaluations.

Consult these behaviorally anchored rating scale examples, covering multiple departments and skills.

What are the disadvantages of the BARS method?

Despite its benefits, the BARS method has some disadvantages:

Time-consuming implementation

Developing the BARS scale is labor-intensive and requires considerable time and effort. The process involves defining key performance dimensions, generating critical incidents, and scaling the incidents, which can be quite detailed and prolonged.

For example, a thorough job analysis is needed to gather a comprehensive list of behaviors, and then subject matter experts must collaborate to categorize and rate these behaviors accurately. This detailed work ensures the scale’s validity but can be a significant initial time investment.

Resource-intensive

BARS requires collaboration from multiple stakeholders, including HR specialists and subject matter experts. Creating a BARS requires input from those who understand the job well, such as employees currently in the role, their supervisors, and sometimes even clients or customers.

This collaboration can be resource-intensive, involving coordinating meetings, discussions, and consensus-building among various parties. Additionally, getting detailed feedback and approval from all stakeholders can be a lengthy process, demanding both time and effort from everyone involved.

Rigidity

BARS may lack the flexibility to adapt to rapidly changing job roles or environments. Once developed, it can be challenging to modify.

As jobs evolve and the behaviors critical to performance can change, updating a BARS scale can be as time-consuming as creating it initially. This rigidity can be problematic in dynamic industries where roles and responsibilities frequently shift.

For example, a BARS developed for a customer service role five years ago may not accurately reflect the current responsibilities or technologies used in that role today.

By understanding these disadvantages, organizations can better weigh the benefits and limitations of implementing the BARS method in their performance management systems.

What are the steps in developing BARS?

Creating BARS is a relatively simple process, though time-consuming for large organizations. In most cases, people operations are in charge of developing the BARS. HR or management may handle the actual assessments.

Ideally, the collaboration between management and HR provides more ideas and perspectives for more relevant BARS. Including employees themselves in the process when possible is also a good idea.

Below are the behaviorally anchored rating scale steps for any team:

Identify critical behaviors

Gather specific examples of effective and ineffective behaviors related to job performance.

Create a list of performance dimensions

Performance dimensions are the actions and behaviors needed to fulfill a role’s expectations. You may already have a list of job responsibilities; the next step is to dig deeper and categorize those traits and expectations into a list that you can transform into BARS.

Develop behavioral anchors and scales

The most distinct part of BARS is developing the anchors. The goal is to create highly relevant scenarios for the subject and their role, along with five behaviors representing different competency levels.

Assign numerical values to these grouped behaviors, creating a scale that ranges from low to high performance.

Pilot the BARS

Conducting a test run is a good idea before going all in on a new performance measuring system. Starting with a small sample group allows you to iron out issues before a full-scale launch.

Validate the scale with subject matter experts to ensure its accuracy and relevance.

Conduct BARS evaluation

With the BARS created and process tested, you can now administer employee performance ratings across the board. Whether HR or management is conducting the reviews, they choose the behavioral anchor that most closely represents the reviewee for each scenario.

Make improvements

After the pilot run and subsequent evaluations, continue to make adjustments and expand the scope of your scales. Reusing core BARS can help monitor trends and individual growth, but exploring other skill sets will provide additional valuable data.

Simply conducting reviews and giving scores is only part of the job. Using those results to improve employee performance and the process itself is critical.

What are some common challenges in implementing the BARS method?

Common challenges include:

• Development complexity: Creating a comprehensive BARS scale requires significant effort and expertise
• Training needs: Ensuring that managers and evaluators receive adequate training to use the BARS method effectively
• Behavior identification: Accurately identifying and defining critical behaviors can be difficult, especially for complex roles

How can organizations overcome these challenges?

Organizations can overcome challenges by:

• Collaborating with experts: Engaging subject matter experts and HR professionals in the development process
• Implementing comprehensive training: Providing thorough training for managers and evaluators on how to use the BARS method
• Continuously reviewing: Regularly reviewing and updating the BARS scale to ensure it remains relevant and accurate

Implement BARS with Deel Engage

BARS assessments are one of many ways to measure employee performance.

The Deel Engage software suite offers a versatile infrastructure for managing employee performance using BARS or 360-feedback, goal-based, or competency-based systems.

The flexibility of our system gives people operations departments all the tools they need, from performance review software to training management, and career development, and much more.

Handle all your processes in one platform—from performance reviews and follow-ups, training, employee development plans, and creating, managing, and tracking BARS assessment.