HR Oops! Employees Unclear on Performance Expectations Common sense would suggest that for employees to do what is expected of them, they have to know what is expected. It's surprising, then, that when Gallup asked employees to rate their agreement with a statement to they understand what is expected of them on the job, only half said they strongly agree. Far smaller groups strongly agree that their managers help them set performance goals (13%) and work priorities (12%). The lack of clarity goes beyond job descriptions. A full understanding of expectations also includes knowing how one's tasks contribute to the organization's success and engaging in dialogue with one's managers ab how to contribute In this last area, research suggests that female employees operate at a disadvantage. A review of performance evaluations found that performance feedback for men and women differed. Praise for men more of mentioned specific accomplishments, whereas women were praised in general terms (e.g., "You had a great year"). Managers reviewing men's performance tended to identify specific technical areas for developme whereas women tended to be told simply that they needed to improve their communication style. Of course, all areas of development are important, but focusing on technical skills makes it easier to identify assignme and promotions for development, a focus on communication skills rarely suggests any such opportunities. To the extent that this is occurring in organizations, it is harder for female employees to apply feedback in a v that enables them to contribute more to the organization's performance. For women and men alike, performance feedback is most helpful when it is specific and focuses on behaviors. For example, instead of comments about "communicating effectively," useful feedback would addre particular communication issues, such as listening behaviors, interruptions, tone of voice, and so on. Even better would be some measurable actions, such as taking a course in public speaking and then serving as the le presenter in several client meetings. Questions 1. What problems will an organization experience if its employees don't fully understand what is expected of them? 2. For the developmental purpose of performance management, a company might search through its database of performance feedback to find employees with accomplishments that make them good candidates for projects or promotions. How would specific (instead of general) feedback support this purpose