BARS technique

The BARS Approach

The BARS approach identifies the essential work performance elements (e.g., interpersonal relationships). The instrument analyzes narrative data and assigns quantitative ranks to each expected behavior. A specific narrative displays “bad” and “excellent” behavior for each category in such a system (Govekar and Christopher, 2007).

The Advantage of the BARS Approach

The advantage of this approach is that it focuses on the intended behaviors that are required to accomplish a specific job or finish a task. A supervisor, for example, developed a BAR scale to assess a nurse’s performance. He measured the nurse’s performance along a precisely defined scale with scale points indicating particular behaviors on the job. In other words, the supervisor made an in-depth understanding of the key tasks that each nurse performs together with understanding specific behaviors depicted by each nurse while conducting key tasks. The supervisor rated such behavior for each nurse and then anchored each behavior to points on the rating scale that showed whether the behavior is excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor (Govekar and Christopher, 2007).

The Outcome of the BARS Approach

The result (outcome) is a rating scale for every task. The key responsibilities of a nurse include following physician’s instructions, being available to meet with physician whenever required, assisting and giving care to patients, collaborating with other nurses to give patients care, instilling hope to patients, and following setup hospital’s procedures.

Area: Nursing Skills

Name of the Nurse-Assessed: Mary Magdalene

Specific Notes Rating Meaning Behavioral Anchors

Ratings and Behavioral Anchors

5 excellent Always follows physician’s instructions, available to meet with physician whenever required, does not become inpatient with difficult patients, assists other nurses with difficult patients, eases patients’ fears, and always follows procedures set up by the hospital

4 very good always follows physician’s instructions, is not impatient with difficult patients, assists other nurses with difficult patients, always follow set up procedures by hospital

3 good always follows physician’s instructions, is not impatient with difficult patients, always follow set up procedures by hospital

2 fair always follow physician’s instructions, sometimes become impatient with difficult patients, rarely does not follow procedures set up by hospital

1 poor occasionally fails to follow physician’s instructions, frequently become impatient with patients, always does not follow procedures set up by hospital

Adjusting BARS for Optimal Results

The appraiser (supervisor) can adjust BARS for optimal results by using higher level rating. In this study, the supervisor used a level five rating to show the nurse’s role in following care orders and hospital’s procedures, collaborating with other nurses, and giving care to patients (Aggarwal and Thankur, 2013). Therefore, the supervisor can use a higher level rating (e.g., a level seven rating) to show higher levels of the identified nurse’ responsibilities and ensure that all these come across in all dealings with doctors, other nurses, and patients, and following hospital procedures.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of BARS

It can be seen that the BARS approach has vital advantages. It is behaviorally based as the system is entirely focused on employee performance; thus removes all uncertainty concerning the meaning of every numerical rating. It is easy to use. It emphasizes on behavior, and its evaluation process is fair. It is fully individualized as the system is designed and used uniquely and individually for each position (Aggarwal and Thankur, 2013). However, the BARS approach has a key drawback as it is time-consuming to build-up. The results from the BARS can assist the nurses or employee in improving over time because the feedback/result is action-oriented. With understanding specific standards of excellence and performance expectations, employees (in this case, nurses) can easily take measures to improve their performance.

BARS as a Preferred Appraisal Method

Typically, there are several performance appraisal methods such graphic rating scales, MBOs, critical incidents, BARS, and others. While HR practitioners tend to avoid some appraisal methods and continue to apply some others, BARS approach continues to attract many HR professionals. Debnath, Lee, and Tandon (2015) explained that although graphic scales are the most broadly applied appraisal method in organizations, BARS is preferred than other methods. HR practitioners increasingly use BARS because of its resiliency and flexibility. Its development process creates a strong sense of fairness among workers, and perception of fairness promotes motivation, satisfaction, and desired behaviors among workers (Debnath, Lee, and Tandon, 2015). BARS is regarded as the most appropriate technique for evaluation of jobs with both soft and hard criteria. It has inbuilt advantages than other performance appraisal methods. Therefore, due to its resiliency than other methods, BARS should be used to be in the evaluation of job performance as it promotes fairness, desirable behaviors, motivation, and satisfaction among employees.

References

Aggarwal, A & Thankur, G. (2013). Techniques of performance appraisal - a review. International journal of engineering and advanced technology, 2(3), 617-622.

Debnath, S., Lee, B & Tandon, S. (2015). Fifty years and going strong: what makes behaviorally anchored rating scales so perennial as an appraisal method? International journal of business and social science, 6(2), 16-26.

Govekar, P & Christopher, J. (2007). Assessing academic advising using behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS). Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/-bquest/2007/BARS7.pdf