However, I did not want to pay full retail prices for a copy that would sit on the shelf once the project was completed. So I was intrigued by the possibility of only paying for the software based upon how much I used it. I retrieved the story and had some of my fears confirmed. Maybe I wasn't paranoid enough. Writing employee evaluations is one of the hardest tasks performed by any supervisor.
Good supervisors agonize over the appraisal process.
Sleepless nights go into the decision of which words of encouragement balance the words of constructive criticism. To the employee, each phrase means something. The document contains information that could kill a career, be evidence in a law-suit or change the course of the employee's life. If you cringe at the thought of having to testify in court about an evaluation you prepared, just think of the situation if you describe how you entered that information in a computer over which you had no control. As I wrote last month, the key is that professionals have an affirmative duty to protect the clients' confidences.