02/09/98 EMPLOYEE REPORT CARDS--WITH HELP FROM THE WEB

EMPLOYEE REPORT CARDS--WITH HELP FROM THE WEB

IT'S JANUARY--TIME ONCE again for those dreaded employee performance reviews. Dilbert wouldn't have much sympathy, but managers can agonize over these reviews as much as their charges do.
Don't fret. This month, KnowledgePoint in Petaluma, Calif., launches its first-of-a-kind performance-review preparation service (at www.performancereview.com).
The idea is to help managers write better reviews faster. For $9.95 a review, or $89.95 for a year's use, managers can choose from a variety of customizable review templates, fill out performance-rating forms, and watch while the software automatically writes rough drafts of evaluations or goals.
The system is programmed to be sensitive to fragile egos: It always puts the positive comments first. Once the rough draft is delivered, it's up to the manager to fashion a more personal review. Test user Marc Surette, president of LANcomp Corp. in Piscataway, N.J., is a fan. ''Performance reviews are a pain,'' he says. ''I wish I'd had this for all the years I was a manager.''
By Steve Hamm
EDITED BY AMY CORTESE