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Industry experts have said staff appraisals are an integral part of employer-employee relations, despite the findings of a recent report casting aspersions on their use.

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) says the 'importance of sharing information cannot be overstated' and appraisals should motivate employees towards improving their performance.

Mike Petrook, a spokesperson for the CMI, says: 'What should happen to make them work well is a clear link to be made between the organisation's strategic goals and the individual's own objectives.'

He states that although there should be a formal appraisal once a year, informal talks in the form of one-to-ones should take place once a month.

Despite the comments, a recent report by Investors in People found that many respondents were unhappy with their appraisals.

The research found that 44 per cent of the 2,900 people surveyed believed their appraiser had been dishonest, while 29 per cent of people felt their appraisal was a waste of time.

Only 41 per cent of those questioned believed it was useful.

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