Staff Assessment & Review
by Jim Estep
The following is Play #42 in our Elder’s Playbook.
Elders should consider staff reviews as a matter of pastoral care. We are furthering the formation and development of the ministry team, not criticizing or passing judgment. In fact, without a formal and routine process of review, it can degenerate into a personality contest. Ken Blanchard, leadership expert, has said, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” Elders ought to provide suitable assessment of the staff, designed to assist them, not find fault. Assessment should become part of the church’s leadership culture, a tool for improvement, not done simply in response to complaint or when a perceived need arises.
Performing Staff Assessment
Brevity: A common error of staff assessment comes in the form of overload, attempting to evaluate everything about a staff member’s service to the organization. Initial assessment methods should endeavor to provide a basic insight to the performance of staff, which can be further pursued should it be necessary.
Frequency: Some recommend frequent evaluations, such as monthly or quarterly, while others see the greatest benefit in annual evaluations. Whatever frequency is chosen, keep it consistent and regularly-scheduled. Establish and keep the routine. It could coincide with the church’s employment contract renewal schedule.
Multiple sources: Relying on only one voice, or one kind of information on which to base the assessment may not be fair to the staff member. For example, taking the word of a disgruntled individual without seeking other’s opinions on the staff member’s performance is unfortunate and unfair.
Before You Review Staff …
The core reason we review staff is for enhancement, improving their service in the congregation and Kingdom. In order to appropriately design a process of staff assessments for our congregation, elders must understand the basic cycle of staff reviews. The cycle has four stages:
① Establish a basis for assessment. What are you measuring the staff’s performance against? A simple bulleted list of expectations can be used to provide a basis for assessing their performance. Perhaps something as simple as the job description could be used as this basis; the outcomes of previous reviews would also be appropriate.
② Conduct the assessment. How do you actually know if a staff member is doing their “job?” They have the basis for evaluation, but how do you actually measure it? Elders can rely on observation, conversations, input from individuals either provided impromptu or requested from volunteers. Candidly, staff members can also provide self-assessment, providing reflection on their own performance for the elders’ review.
③ Review the assessment data. Elders are now in a position to compare the expectations of the staff position with the actual performance of the staff member. How does the real compare to the ideal? Typically this is a mixture of results, with staff members exceeding expectations in some areas, while barely meeting or under performing in others. Elders can itemize the pros and cons of the staff member’s performance.
④ Response to assessments. Elders can now be prepared to render a decision; how to respond to the staff member’s assessment. This is crucial, since it is a part of turning the vision of the congregation’s ministry into reality.
Possible Responses to Staff Assessment
Elders need to determine the outcome of the staff review. Reviews typically have four general responses to give: Reward, Relocate, Retrain, or Release.
Reward: If a staff member’s performance is acceptable or even above average, perhaps the easiest response for elders is to acknowledge this in a tangible way. It could be a raise in the staff member’s salary, but could also be a one-time financial gift, extra time off for that year, or even some sort of recognition, like a plaque. Such rewards are both emotionally and spiritually uplifting. Remembering to openly reward and acknowledge exceptional service within the church establishes an atmosphere of encouragement and support for service.
Relocate: Elders may discover that a staff member has competencies better suited to a different area of ministry; “right person, wrong position.” The best response would be to relocate them within the congregation. Relocation does not equate to either promotion or demotion, since it may be a lateral move to another ministry in the church. This response requires the elders to acknowledge the staff member’s competencies and abilities, but equally acknowledge his or her effectiveness will be enhanced in a different position or set of responsibilities. The most important question at issue is the health and effectiveness of the church; personal preferences, embarrassment, etc., cannot be driving reasons here.
Retrain: When a staff member’s performance is poor, substandard, elders may, at times, react and default to termination. However, the more beneficial option is to retrain the staff member. Elders may commit to a more long-term, invested strategy to aid in the development of the staff member’s abilities and skills. This is coaching more than correction. It may involve providing a mentor for instruction, modeling, training, and equipping so as to raise performance to an acceptable level. It establishes “job targets,” specific goals to help improve their service, step-by-step measures to help them improve. If the staff member’s performance reaches an acceptable level, the matter has been resolved in a very pastoral fashion, and the church has retained a valuable member of the ministry team.
Release: Perhaps the option that is least favored by elders is release. Keep in mind, however, that release may be temporary, such as a leave of absence; conditional, such as pending the accomplishment of specified performance targets (akin to a “probation”-like status); or may be permanent, that is, a termination of employment.
