Design a performance appraisal form for a position or targeted job for which you have some firsthand knowledge. First be clear about the purpose of the assessment process: i.e., will the assessment be used to allocate merit pay, assess training needs, or make layoff and promotion decisions? Next, specify and describe the key competences or attributes that will be assessed. Finally specify the rating format that will be used: Will employees, for example, be compared to some absolute external standard or will they be compared to their peers?