EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AS A MECHANISM FOR SUPPORTING MOTIVATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This paper examines how performance appraisal supports motivation and professional development, focusing on how feedback and subsequent decisions translate into learning actions. The approach is qualitative, based on semi structured interviews with 63 people from private organisations and public institutions. The results indicate that evaluations perceived as clear, consistent and action-oriented are associated with higher levels of engagement; clear and timely feedback is more easily translated into development plans. Digital/AI tools are accepted when they are explained in a way that users can understand and when they protect personal data. The contribution of the paper consists of operational recommendations: clear criteria and scales, rubrics with behavioural descriptions, more frequent and evidence-based feedback, explicit integration of results into development plans, and responsible use of digital tools in assessment.