Design a performance appraisal form for a position or targeted job for which you have some first-hand 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?