The question was:

I am looking for examples to guiding managers on how to perform employee performance evaluations? Something not terribly complex but not beginner stuff either. I need some scenarios that would make a good discussion exercise for “how would YOU rate this person and why?

A lot of managers find performance evaluations hard because they don’t take the time up front to define clear performance benchmarks. The key part of a performance benchmark is to specify 5-7 MEASURABLE Accountabilities — Things you want to employee to actually get done.  For more see:

Another important part of a performance benchmark is to specify the required skills and competencies. If an employee has weaknesses in an area that matters for their job, it will be clear that they have a gap and need to take actions to address their weakness.

So, if the manager and employee both have a clear idea of what results must be created and what skills must be developed, the performance evaluation becomes straightforward. Did the employee deliver the results or not?

If there is room for interpretation, then the accountabilites were not measurable or clear in the first place! For most managers, it is challenging the first time they try to create clear accountabilities. Why? Because they don’t really have a clear idea what they want from the employee. Or, maybe, they don’t have a clear idea what their boss wants from them!