BARS to Create a Team of STARS

In today's fast-paced and ever-evolving corporate landscape, organizations constantly seek innovative strategies to enhance employee performance and productivity. But BARS is not new. The concept of the Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS) in performance management has been around for almost six decades. BARS offers a total framework that enables organizations to align performance expectations with specific behaviors, fostering a culture of clarity, transparency, and objectivity.

So, Why Should You Consider Adopting the BARS?

Picture this: John, a recently hired employee, is thrilled to join his new organization. He excelled during his training period and demonstrated a solid eagerness to learn during his initial work days. John quickly adapted to and became comfortable with the easy and intermediate tasks he was assigned regularly. However, as time passed, John was presented with a complex and critical project. Overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task, he realized that he needed to adequately prepare himself by developing the skill sets to handle such challenges. In situations like these, organizations must assist people like John in assessing the critical behaviors required for their job roles and determining their current level of proficiency. This evaluation process is crucial for identifying areas where employees may need additional support and development opportunities.

BARS is an excellent way to evaluate the key behaviors that go beyond mere numbers and ratings, delving deep into the behavioral competencies that define success in a role. It promises to evaluate and develop our most valuable asset: People.

Let's explore why BARS should be on every organization's radar.

1. Accurate and Objective Assessment: By anchoring ratings to specific behavioral indicators, this method ensures that evaluations are fair, consistent, and based on tangible evidence of performance.
2. Enhanced Performance Feedback: Managers can provide targeted feedback that guides people towards continuous improvement and professional growth, fostering a culture of accountability and high performance.
3. Alignment with Organizational Goals: By mapping behaviors to key performance indicators and core competencies, it becomes easier to identify the skills and behaviors that drive success in specific roles.
4. Development and Succession Planning: By identifying and assessing the behavioral competencies required for advancement within the organization, BARS helps you to identify high-potential employees and provide targeted development opportunities. This approach ensures a pipeline of capable leaders who are equipped with the necessary skills to drive the organization forward.

So, How do we do this Rating?

Let's look at an example. Imagine a Customer Service manager in a retail store is tasked with evaluating the performance of their sales team using a BARS approach. Let's consider the job role of a customer service representative in a retail environment.

Step 1: Identify Key Job Responsibilities and Performance Criteria

Identify the key job responsibilities and performance criteria relevant to the specific job role or industry. This may involve conducting a job analysis to understand the essential tasks, behaviors, and competencies required for success in the role. In our retail environment, key job responsibilities may include Build Rapport, Addressing Inquiries, Resolving Complaints, and Promoting Products.

Step 2: Develop Behavioral Anchors

Next, develop a list of behavioral anchors representing observable behaviors associated with each performance criterion identified in Step 1. These behavioral anchors should be specific, measurable, and relevant to the job role or industry.

Let's choose a key behavior from our example. To illustrate, let's focus on the performance criterion of "Addressing Inquiries."

This criterion assesses an employee's ability to respond to customer questions effectively, providing accurate information and assistance in a timely and professional manner. Create a rating scale that defines different levels. For example, "Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert" is a simple way to determine levels. You can choose 3-5 levels and define each Behavioral Anchor for each level.

Let's apply this in our performance criterion "Addressing Inquiries."

Level 0 (Ineffective Response):

• Demonstrates poor listening skills; fails to understand the customer's inquiry.
• Provides inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Displays impatience or frustration when interacting with customers.

Level 1 (Basic Response):

• Listens to the customer's inquiry but may require clarification.
• Provides somewhat accurate information but lacks depth or detail.
• Maintains a neutral tone but may exhibit occasional signs of uncertainty.

Level 2 (Competent Response):

• Actively listens to the customer's inquiry, demonstrating empathy and understanding.
• Provides accurate and relevant information, addressing the customer's needs effectively.
• Maintains a professional and courteous demeanor throughout the interaction.

Level 3 (Exceptional Response):

• Engages in active listening, anticipating the customer's needs and preferences.
• Offers comprehensive and insightful information, exceeding customer expectations.
• Demonstrates exceptional communication skills, fostering positive rapport with the customer.

This part of creating the Behavioral Anchors is crucial for the BARS way of evaluating. Pay attention and be as detailed as possible to list out the behaviors for each level. You might want to include the SMEs in each role to better understand what behaviors matter for the role and how we measure levels with key behaviors.

Step 3: Create a BARS Grid with a Rating Scale

Create a BARS grid that organizes the behavioral anchors for each performance criterion into a structured format. The grid typically consists of a matrix with performance criteria listed along one axis and behavioral anchors listed along the other axis, allowing for easy reference during the evaluation process.

In the image below, I have summarized the Behavioural Anchors for each level and shown how employees can be evaluated based on this.

Using this BARS for skill mapping, supervisors can assess the performance of customer service representatives based on their ability to handle customer inquiries effectively. By observing specific behaviors aligned with each rating level, supervisors can identify areas for improvement and provide targeted training and development opportunities to enhance employee skills and performance. This structured approach ensures consistency and fairness in evaluating skill levels across the customer service team, ultimately leading to improved customer satisfaction and retention in the retail environment.

Where else BARS can be used?

Let's see a few common areas that BARS can fit in very well.

Interviews: BARS can assess candidates' potential fit for a role based on specific Behavioral Anchors aligned with job requirements. Interviewers can use BARS grids to structure their questions and evaluate candidates' responses objectively.

Performance Appraisal: BARS can be used in appraisal systems to evaluate employee performance based on observable behaviors and pre-defined criteria. Supervisors can reference the BARS grid to provide feedback and ratings anchored to specific behavioral examples, enhancing the accuracy and fairness of performance evaluations.

Training and Development: BARS can identify training and development initiatives by identifying areas of improvement based on observed behavioral anchors. Training programs can be tailored to address specific skill gaps identified through BARS evaluations, ensuring targeted development efforts that align with organization goals.

In summary, BARS can be applied across various areas within an organization to support performance evaluation, decision-making, and talent management processes. By anchoring ratings to specific behavioral examples, BARS enhances the objectivity, fairness, and effectiveness of performance assessments while providing valuable insights for employee development and organizational improvement.

Thank you,

Jay.