Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS)

Behaviorally anchored rating scale is a measuring system which rates employees or trainees according to their performance and specific behavioral patterns.

Behaviorally anchored rating scale definition (BARS)

Behaviorally anchored rating scale is a measuring system which rates employees or trainees according to their performance and specific behavioral patterns.

BARS is designed to bring the benefits of both quantitative and qualitative data to employee appraisal process as it mechanism combines the benefits of narratives, critical incidents and quantified ratings.

How to measure BARS

BARS is designed to bring the benefits of both qualitative and quantitative data to the employee appraisal process by comparing an individual’s performance against specific examples of behaviour which are then categorized and appointed a numerical value used as the basis for rating performance.

The first step is to write CIT (Critical Incident Techniques) which compares an individual’s performance against specific examples of behavior that are tied to numerical ratings of 5 to 9.

Then the employer needs to develop performance dimensions which have to rechecked. Next step envolves scaling the critical incidents which leads to developing the final instrument.

Benefits of BARS

Behaviorally anchored rating scale can help improve organization’s performance beacuse they:

• Are reliable as the appraisals remain the same even when different raters rate them.

• Have clear standards upon which an employee is appraised.

• Are very accurate in the appraisal method and therefore increase reliability.

• Give an objective feedback.