AU2011100781A4 - A system and method for assessing employee work performance - Google Patents

Abstract

A computer system for maintaining employee performance ratings, the system comprising a storage module configured s to store an employee record comprising employee performance data, the performance data generated in response to an evaluation made by an associated employer. The system further comprising a determination module arranged to evaluate both the stored employee performance 10 data and predefined performance criteria to determine a performance rating for the employee. A publishing module is provided for publishing the employee performance rating which is viewable by authorised third parties via a computer network. C0c En a) U) 0 -a E a) a) a) a/) cu U) -a 0-a Na a)

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Innovation Patent Applicant(s): Lifehistory Pty Ltd Invention Title: A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING EMPLOYEE WORK PERFORMANCE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method for performing it known to me/us: - 2 A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING EMPLOYEE WORK PERFORMANCE Technical Field 5 This present invention relates generally to a system and method for maintaining a performance database and more particularly but by no means exclusively to an employee work performance system. 10 Background of the Invention It is not always easy finding the right person for the job. While interviewing a candidate may go some way to 15 providing a prospective employer with an insight into the candidate's work capabilities and general demeanour, the interview process is not an effective tool for establishing whether the candidate has a good work ethic and will treat the job with respect. 20 The most common way to establish whether a potential candidate has a good work ethic is to contact work referees listed on the candidate's resume. However, the task of phoning referees and discussing a candidate's work 25 history can be very time consuming (particularly when interviewing a large number of candidates). Furthermore, since the referees are nominated by the candidate they will typically provide little insight into the candidate's true work ethic since the candidate is unlikely to 30 nominate referees with whom they have had a less than positive experience. Summary of the Invention 35 In a first aspect the present invention provides a method for maintaining an employee performance database, the method comprising the steps of: utilising performance data associated with an employee to determine a performance rating for the 40 employee, the performance data generated in response to an evaluation made by an associated employer; and - 3 storing the performance rating for the employee in a database accessible to a third party. In accordance with a second aspect of the present 5 invention there is provided a method for maintaining an employee performance database, the method comprising: storing an employee record comprising employee performance data, the performance data generated in response to an evaluation made by an associated employer; io evaluating the performance data and predefined performance criteria to determine a performance rating for the employee; and publishing the employee performance rating, the published performance rating being viewable by authorised is parties via a computer network. In the context of the specification, the term "employee" will be understood as referring to any individual or entity that is either currently employed or has previously 20 been employed by the associated employer. The term may, for example, include within its scope a contractor, small business, or the like. Equally, the rating assigned by the associated employer may be assigned while the employee is currently under their employ or at some later stage 25 after the employee has ceased working for the employer. Furthermore, it will be understood that the term "third party" includes within its scope any party outside of or in addition to the employer/employee confines. For 30 example, the third party may be a prospective employer looking to employ the employee. In an embodiment access restrictions may apply such that only authorised third parties can access the database. 35 In an embodiment the evaluation made by the employer evaluates at least one performance characteristic. In an embodiment the performance characteristics include one or more of worker ethic; timeliness, attention to 40 detail; management skills.

In an embodiment the evaluation comprises completing a questionnaire including at least one question pertinent to the performance characteristic(s). 5 In an embodiment the question(s) are multiple choice with each answer being assigned a particular score. In an embodiment the method further comprises automatically generating the questionnaire based on a job 10 characteristic associated with the employee. In an embodiment the performance rating is determined by evaluating the scores resulting from the evaluation. is In an embodiment the method further comprises evaluating bonus criteria in order to determine a bonus score, both the bonus score and the score resulting from the evaluation being evaluated to determined the performance rating. 20 In an embodiment the performance characteristics vary depending on at least one of the employee's job type, pay level and duration of employment. 25 In an embodiment a prospective employer or employee or other interested party pays a fee to access and search the database for employee ratings. In an embodiment the prospective employer/employee/ 30 interested party has access to the database for a period dependent on the fee paid. In an embodiment the rating is a star rating. 35 In an embodiment the database is maintained by a network entity separate to the employer. In accordance with a third aspect the present invention provides a method for making employee performance 40 evaluations, the method comprising the steps of: evaluating the performance of an employee; - 5 communicating the results of the evaluation to a computing system, the results being processed by the computing system based on performance criteria to determine a performance score and/or rating for subsequent 5 storing in a database accessible to third parties using a network enabled computer device. In an embodiment the evaluation evaluates at least one performance characteristic. 10 In an embodiment the performance characteristics include one or more of worker ethic; timeliness, attention to detail; management skills. 15 In an embodiment the evaluation comprises answering questions automatically generated by the computing system based on a job characteristic associated with the employee. 20 In an embodiment the questions are multiple choice questions with each answer being assigned a particular score. In an embodiment the performance rating is determined by 25 evaluating the scores resulting from the evaluation. In an embodiment the performance characteristics vary depending on at least one of the employee's job type, pay level and duration of employment. 30 In an embodiment the performance rating is determined by additionally evaluating a bonus score automatically generated by the computing system. 35 In an embodiment the centralised computing system prompts employers to make the evaluation at prescribed time periods. In accordance with a fourth aspect the present invention 40 provides a web server coupled to an employee performance database storing employee performance ratings derived from - 6 employee performance data provided by an employer responsive to an employee performance evaluation, the web server being configured to publish the employee performance ratings such that the published ratings are s viewable by third parties over a communications network. In accordance with a fifth aspect the present invention provides a method for recruiting staff (e.g. employees, contractors, businesses or other engaged party), the io method comprising the steps of: utilising a graphical user interface to search the database in accordance with the third aspect, to locate employee records matching a specified search criteria; displaying matching employee records on the graphical i5 user interface, each returned record including the associated employee performance rating. In accordance with a sixth aspect the present invention provides a recruitment apparatus comprising a web server 20 in accordance with the fourth aspect; a graphical user interface operable to allow a prospective employer to: (a)search the database to locate employee records matching a specified search criteria; 25 (b)display the resultant employee records, each returned record including the associated employee performance rating. In accordance with a seventh aspect the present invention 30 provides a system for maintaining employee performance ratings, the system comprising: a determination module arranged to utilise performance data associated with an employee to determine a performance rating for the employee, the performance 35 data generated in response to an evaluation made by an associated employer; and a database accessible to prospective employers and arranged to store the employee performance ratings. 40 In accordance with an eighth aspect the present invention provides a computer system for maintaining employee performance ratings, the system comprising: a storage module configured to store an employee record comprising employee performance data, the performance data generated in response to an evaluation s made by an associated employer; a determination module arranged to evaluate both the stored employee performance data and predefined performance criteria to determine a performance rating for the employee; and io a publishing module publishing the employee performance rating, the published employee rating being viewable by authorised third parties via a computer network. is In an embodiment the evaluation made by the associated employer evaluates at least one performance characteristic. In an embodiment the system is further configured to 20 automatically generate a questionnaire for completion by the employer based on an employee job characteristic, the questionnaire forming at least part of the evaluation. In an embodiment the automatically generated questionnaire 25 includes at least one question which is specific to the job characteristic. In an embodiment the performance data reflects answers to the questionnaire. 30 In an embodiment the questionnaire includes multiple choice questions with each answer being assigned a particular score. 3s In an embodiment the determination model determines the rating by evaluating the resultant scores. In an embodiment the performance rating is determined by additionally evaluating bonus point criteria. 40 In an embodiment the bonus point criteria relate to data - 8 stored by the employee record independently of employee evaluations. In an embodiment the performance characteristics vary 5 depending on at least one of the employee's job type, pay level and duration of employment. In accordance with a ninth aspect the present invention provides a computer implemented system for making employee io performance evaluations, the system comprising: a data recording module operable to record results of an employee performance evaluation; and a communication module operable to communicate the recorded results as performance data to a centralised 15 computing system for determining a performance score or rating based on the recorded results, the performance score being published on a website accessible by authorised third parties. 20 In accordance with a tenth aspect the present invention provides a method for making performance evaluations, the method comprising the steps of: storing an employee record comprising employee performance data, the performance data generated in 25 response to an evaluation made by an associated employer; evaluating the performance data and predefined performance criteria to determine a performance rating for the employee; and publishing the employee performance rating, the 30 published performance rating being viewable by authorised parties via a computer network. In an embodiment, the evaluation may additionally be based on bonus point criteria which relates to non-subjective 35 data stored by the system. In accordance with an eleventh aspect the present invention provides a system for maintaining entity performance ratings, the system comprising: 40 a determination module arranged to utilise performance data associated with an entity to determine a - 9 performance rating for the entity, the performance data generated in response to an evaluation made by an authorised party; and a database accessible to third parties and arranged 5 to store the entity performance ratings. In accordance with a twelfth aspect the present invention provides a computer program code which when executed by a processor implements the method according to any of the io aforementioned aspects. In accordance with a thirteenth aspect the present invention provides a computer readable medium comprising the program code of the twelfth aspect. 15 Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the 20 accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic showing a basic system configuration in accordance with an embodiment; Figures 2a and 2b are diagrams showing various 25 process flows, at a system level, between individual system elements and users, in accordance with an embodiment; Figure 3 is a flow diagram illustrating method steps for storing employee work history data, in accordance with 30 an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a flow chart showing the process flow for various users of the Figure 1 system; Figure 5 is a block diagram of a server arranged implement an embodiment of the present invention; 35 Figure 6 is an example screen shot of a graphic user interface for the web server shown in Figure 2; and Figures 7, 8 and 9 show further example screen shots of the user interface displaying work history ratings for a particular employee. 40 - 10 Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment In an embodiment the present invention provides a database accessible by third parties (termed the "Work History" 5 database) which is arranged to store employee performance data that is indicative of an employee's performance in a current or past job. In a particular embodiment the performance data is generated based on a performance evaluation made by an employer (either past or present) 10 and stored in the form of a star rating. The rating is then published via a web server. A number of distinct advantages arise from such an embodiment. Firstly, the knowledge that an employee's work history is being recorded and published means that an employee is more 15 likely to maintain a high work ethic, since a poor star rating may jeopardise future employment prospects. Other benefits arising through use of the system, from an employers perspective, may also include better training of staff, communication of expectations, discipline, 20 supervision and accountability. From a prospective employer's perspective, the work history database can be a valuable tool for screening candidates when looking to recruit as they no longer need rely simply on written or verbal reference from referees nominated by the 25 candidates. Thus, better candidates will be considered for recruitment meaning reduced staff turnover. Finally, hard working and diligent individuals who have been assigned a performance rating by a previous employer will find that they are more employable since a high rating 30 will be seen favourably by the prospective employers. The employee will also benefit from having a well documented and accurate record of their work history and performance for future salary review and future employment. In other words, embodiments not only ensure that current employers 35 are not being mistreated by their employees, but also provides prospective employers with an invaluable tool for screening candidates that have consented to having their work history recorded. 40 - 11 BASIC SYSTEM CONFIGURATION With reference to Figure 1, there is shown a schematic illustration of a system 100 arranged to implement an 5 embodiment of the present invention. The system 100 includes a web server 102 which maintains an employee database 104 storing employee work history data in the form of a performance rating or score provided by a past or current employer. The work history data is stored in io association with an employee record (also referred to herein as "base record"). In an embodiment, the employee record may include an employee identifier (e.g. name, date of birth, drivers license, tax file number etc.) as well as their contact details. In an alternative embodiment, 15 the employee identifier may comprise a unique number or code assigned by the system and referred to hereafter as a "work history identifier". Employee records stored in the database 104 can be searched and retrieved, via a webpage or website hosted by the web server 102. Current 20 employers 106, potential employers 108, employees 110 and candidates (i.e. employees out of work, or employees currently holding a job but looking for new work) 111 can each access the web page, via a computer device over communications network 112. In the illustrated 25 embodiment, the communications network 112 is in the form of the Internet. In an embodiment, and with additional reference to Figure 3, a basic process flow for storing work history data 30 involves an initial step of an employer (or other allowed party) making a review of a current employee's work performance (step 302). As will be described in more detail below, the review may involve answering a questionnaire that includes questions pertinent to one or 35 more performance characteristics such as an employee's work ethic, attitude, dress, timeliness and any other performance characteristics relevant to that person's job type. The questions may be made up of either objective or subjective questions, or alternatively may comprise a 40 mixture of both subjective and objective questions. For example, in one embodiment the questionnaire may be in the - 12 form of a Likert-type questionnaire whereby employers specify their level of agreement to a particular statement using a point scale. The point scale may, for example, be a five point scale whereby a score of "1" represents a s strong disagreement to the statement and "5" represent a strong agreement to the statement. Alternatively, the questionnaire may include a number of multiple choice questions where a particular answer is assigned a rating (e.g. option "a" equates to a point score of "1", whereas 10 options "e" equates to a point score of "5"). More detail relating to evaluation of points and applying weightings will be described in subsequent paragraphs. In an embodiment the same set of questions will be asked is of the employer irrespective of the employee's job description. Such questions may be generic questions like, for instance, does the employee turn up to work on time, etc. In an alternative embodiment, the web server may automatically present different questionnaires based 20 on an employee job description specified by the employer. For example, it may not be appropriate to establish whether an office clerk has good management skills, whereas this may be an essential performance characteristic for an office manager. Individual 25 questionnaires corresponding to various stored job descriptions may be stored as questionnaire data in memory 504 (see Figure 5) for subsequent retrieval and presentation by the web server 102. 30 In an alternative embodiment, employers may manually choose or create at least some of the questions to include in the questionnaire. For example, the employer could select questions from a global question set provided by the web server 102. For example, assuming that the 35 questionnaire must include a total of twenty questions under four different categories (e.g. timelines, personality, integrity, reliability), the employee may be able to select five questions from at least one category which are pertinent to the employee's job description (the 40 remaining 15 questions being automatically selected by the system). In an embodiment, the categories may - 13 also/alternatively be selected by the employer. Again, the individual questions relating to each category may be stored as question data in memory 504. A number of example scenarios are given in subsequent paragraphs. 5 At step 304, the scores are tallied and a point score is determined by a determination application residing on the web server 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the employer answers twenty questions having a maximum point 10 score of 100. In this case, a score of "100" represents a perfect employee, whereas a score of "20" represents an extremely poor employee. Bonus points are also on offer. The bonus points are automatically evaluated by the determination application based on bonus point criteria 15 (i.e. independently of any assessment made by the employer), to thereby provide a further level of fairness to the system. In the illustrated embodiment, depending on the bonus evaluation, a total of ten points may be either added or subtracted from the questionnaire point 20 score. The bonus point criteria may, for example, relate to the length of time that the employee has worked in their current role, the number of positive client/colleague references, the number of performance ratings given for the current job position, the average 25 rating for the current job position and the average work history star rating across all recorded positions (also referred to as base records). Again, example scenarios are provided in subsequent paragraphs. The total score (i.e. questionnaire score and bonus score combined) is 30 then processed by the determination application to determine an employee performance rating; in the embodiment described herein, a "star rating". Where a five star rating is utilised, for example, the determined score will be divided by 20 (since a total of 100 points 35 is attainable) and the resultant number applied as the star rating. If the resultant number is not a whole number then the closest whole number will be used for the assigned rating. It will be understood by persons skilled in the art that other rating mechanisms and outputs are 40 equally applicable depending on the desired implementation. The resultant score or rating is - 14 subsequently stored in the database 104 in association with the corresponding employee record (step 306). In an alternative embodiment, the questions asked of the employer and/or their answers to the questions are also 5 stored in the database 104 in association with the resultant score/rating for viewing by the third party. Figures 2a and 2b both show, at system level, various data flows between each of the different users and system 10 elements, in accordance with an embodiment. FURTHER DETAIL OF SYSTEM ELEMENTS With reference to Figure 5 there is shown a schematic is diagram of a web server 102 suitable for use with an embodiment of the present invention. The web server 102 is in the form of a server computing system which may be used to execute applications and/or system services associated with storing, searching and retrieving employee 20 records in/from the employee database 104. The server 102 preferably comprises a processor 502, read only memory (ROM) 504, random access memory (RAM) 506 and input/output devices such as disc drives 508, keyboard 510, mouse 512, display 514, printer 516 and communications device 518. 25 The communications device 518 connects to the communication network 112. It will be understood that, depending on the communications network, the communications device may connect the web server 102 to a computer network, telephone line, an antenna, a gateway or 30 any other type of communications network. Disc drives 508 may include any suitable storage media, such as, for example, floppy disc drives, hard drives, CD ROM drives or magnetic tape drives. The web server 102 may use a single disc drive 508 or multiple disc drives. In addition to 35 the hardware, the server 102 also comprises an operating system, such as WindowsT or UnixT". The operating system provides an environment for executing software applications. In this regard, the server 102 implements a server application 522 comprising a recording module for 40 recording employee records, a determination module for determining ratings (based on, where applicable, - 15 performance criteria stored in memory) and a publishing module for publishing the determined performance ratings, all of which interact to host the work history web site. The server 102 also implements a display module 526 5 programmed to control a graphical user interface displayed on the web site which allows users to access the employee database 104 (e.g. to create employee records, store performance data, search employees, search work wanted advertisements, etc). An example screen shot of a graphic 10 user interface 600 provided by the web page is shown in Figure 6. The determination module 524 (as previously described) is also included for determining the employee performance ratings/scores based on the performance data received from the employers (and optionally any bonus is point criteria applicable). The determination module may also implement various algorithms for applying weightings to various scores or categories based on, for example, an importance factor assigned by the employer. 20 Employers 106, potential employers 108, employees 110, candidates 111 and any other authorised party can access the web server 102 using any form of network connected user computing device. The user computing device may be in the form of a personal computer comprising typical 25 hardware and software for communicating over the network 112. A browser application residing on the personal computer is operable to allow a user to access the work history web page and interact with the user interface, as will be described in more detail below. It will be 30 understood by persons skilled in the art that the user computing device may take the form of any computing device including a personal digital assistant (PDA), blackberry phone, a wireless computing system or any other suitable computing device. 35 MORE DETAIL OF PROCESS FLOWS Creating Employee Work Ratings At Figure 4 there is shown, in more detail, a process for 40 creating and uploading work history data on the database 104. With reference to the top left hand portion of the - 16 process flow diagram 400, an employer 106 initially joins the work history system by accessing the web page (step 404). Once the employer 106 has provided sufficient enrolment data and paid the necessary licence fee (see 5 steps 406 to 408), the employer 106 confirms employee details for all employees that have agreed (if required) to have their records and work history uploaded on the database 104 (steps 410 and 412). A user name and password may be provided to the employer 106 at this time 10 for future access to the web server system. At step 414, the employer 106 proceeds to make a review of each employee. In the illustrated embodiment, the review involves answering a series of multiple choice questions is that are associated with the employee's work performance. The answers are processed by the determination module of the server application to calculate a star rating, as previously described (steps 416 through 422). In the illustrated embodiment, a five star rating means that the 20 employee has achieved the highest work history score and therefore is a model employee. Once the rating has been calculated it is stored by the system in association with the employee record and optionally published (step 424). As mentioned above, step 424 may also involve storing the 25 various questions and answers answered by the employer. In an embodiment, the ratings are indexed by searched engines such that a search based on the employee's identifier (e.g. name, work history ID, etc) will return their star rating and any other relevant data stored by 30 the database(step 426). As new employees are recruited, existing employees have come up for review (e.g. as they end their probationary period), or at any suitable time, the employer 106 may log 35 back into the web server (using their user name and password) to either create new employee records and ratings, or update existing records and ratings (See steps 430 to 434). For example, after a predetermined period (e.g. every three months) the employer may be required to 40 update each employees work rating. In one embodiment, the web server 102 maintains a log as to when each performance - 17 assessment was last carried out and sends an automatic reminder (e.g. via e-mail) to the employer 106 when the predetermined period has expired. The employer 106 can log onto the system at any time to update the employee 5 details to show that their employment has been terminated (see step 416). It will be understood that multiple ratings may be assigned by the one employer over the course of the employee's employment. This is an affective way of keeping an historical log of an employee's 10 performance. A benefit of this is that employee's can learn from any negative rating and then improve on their rating over the course of employment. Another benefit is that the employee will have a well documented record of their work history for salary reviews and future 15 employment. When a search is done on the employee, the web server 102 may be operable to show only the last rating applied, or show any number of historical ratings, depending on the desired implementation (see figures 7 through 9 for example screen shots showing search results 20 for a particular employee). For example, users searching the system may have to pay an additional fee in order to view the historical ratings. It will also be understood that in certain embodiments, 25 ratings or references may be given for a particular employee by persons other than their employer. For example, customers, clients and colleagues may make an evaluation of the employee's performance based on good or bad dealings they have had with the employee. 30 Challenging Employee Ratings To ensure that the ratings applied by the currently and past employers are fair, the system includes a challenge mechanism whereby employees 110 can log on to the web 35 server 102 at any time to challenge their rating. This process is shown at steps 440 through 444 (see middle left portion of process flow diagram 400). In an embodiment, the challenge mechanism involves requesting that the employer 106 review the rating (e.g. by considering and 40 amending the answers previously given to the multiple choice questions). If the employee 110 is still unhappy - 18 with their rating, they can opt to have the dispute escalated to a neutral work history auditor. In an embodiment, independent legal counsel may be sought to resolve a disputed rating. Alternatively, the employee can 5 simply not consent to having their rating published. This period will then show on the employee's work history record as either a non-rated or challenged period. 10 Prospective Employees Seeking Work At any time a prospective employee (hereafter "candidate") 111 can log onto the web server 102 and create a work wanted advertisement (see steps 450 to 454 shown in the bottom left quadrant of the process flow diagram 400). As is previously mentioned, the candidate 111 may be out of work or still under the employ of an employer 106. In an embodiment, uploading a work wanted advertisement involves creating a new account and recording relevant details with the web server. Relevant details may include the 20 candidate's personal identifier (which is utilised by the web server to retrieve any existing work history ratings stored in the database 104) and details of their desired job (e.g. start and end date, type of work, pay requirement and other relevant details). In an 25 embodiment, the graphical user interface 600 provided by the web server may include a drop down box which includes a number of selections that the candidate 111 can choose from to create a work wanted advertisement. The candidate 111 also has the option of uploading their resume onto the 30 database which is then stored in electronic format in association with their record. The work wanted advertisement is then posted on to the website at step 456. When setting up their account, the candidate also has the option of withholding their personal details from 35 being displayed by the web server 102 in a search (i.e. such that only their capabilities and performance rating is displayed). If a potential employer wants to interview the candidate, the web server 102 notifies the candidate of the prospective employer's details (e.g. via an e-mail 40 sent by the work history web server 102) so that they can organise a meeting. Alternatively, the candidate's - 19 profile, including contact details, will be made publicly available in the search such that the potential employer can directly contact the candidate. 5 Prospective Employers Seeking Staff Prospective employers can search the work history database 104 to find suitable staff, utilising the graphic user interface 600. With reference to the bottom right hand section of the process flow diagram 400, this may involve 10 the prospective employer 108 logging onto the web server 102 and creating an account (step 460 and 462). At step 464 the employer may be required to pay a fee to search the work history data base 104. The fee may, for example, allow the prospective employer 108 access to the database 15 for a predetermined time period. It will be understood however, that other access rights and payment methods are equally suitable depending on the desired implementation. At step 468, the prospective employer 108 searches the 20 work history database 104 for candidates matching specified job requirements. Again, this might be achieved by selecting from a series of dropdown boxes which nominate different job descriptions, pay rates and the like. The server application 522 will subsequently search 25 the database 104 for records which match the specified criteria and return the results to the prospective employer in a readily viewable format (e.g. in a list with records associated with the highest rating appearing at the top). 30 The prospective employer 106 can click on individual returned records to find out more about each candidate 111. For example, the additional detail may include the candidate's resume and other information provided by the 35 candidate 111 when creating their advertisement. As mentioned above, certain data (such as historical candidate ratings) may be withheld depending on the access fee paid by the prospective employer 108. If the prospective employer 108 is impressed with the candidate 40 and would like to arrange an interview, the prospective employer 108 can add the candidate to an electronic - 20 shopping trolley provided on the graphical user interface 600. At the end of their browsing session either (a) the candidate's contact details will be provided to the prospective employer and/or (b) conversely, the candidate 5 will be notified of the prospective employers contact details (depending on the access restrictions set by the candidate, as mentioned above). Determining Star Ratings 10 As previously described, the calculation of star ratings is automatically carried out by the determination application 524 of the web server 102. The calculation is based on responses to questionnaires completed by employers (or other authorised parties) and bonus point 15 criteria stored in memory, if applicable. The calculation is initiated when a completed questionnaire is submitted using the graphical user interface, provided by the web server 102. An example scenario is provided below. 20 An employer answers a questionnaire for an employee in the electrical trade. Based on the input criteria for the particular employee, a questionnaire is automatically generated made up of fifteen standard questions and five industry specific questions (i.e. questions directly 25 related to the performance of an electrical tradesperson). Based on the employer's responses to each of the 20 questions, a point score of 62 is recorded (see Table 1 below). Question no. Recorded Answer & Weighted Score Q1 E -> 5 points Q2 D -> 4 points Q3 C -> 3 points Q4 B -> 2 points Q5 c -> 3 points Q6 E -> 5 points Q7 D -> 4 points Q8 C -> 3 points Q9 B -> 2 points Q10 A -> 1 point Q11 E -> 5 points - 21 Q12 D -> 4 points Q13 C -> 3 points Q14 B -> 2 points Q15 A -> 1 points Q16 E -> 5 points Q17 D -> 4 points Q18 A -> 1 point Q19 B -> 2 points Q20 C -> 3 points Total score = Sum of specified response weight from 20 questions = 62 Table 1 The determination application 524 subsequently evaluates bonus point criteria to determine a bonus point score. In the illustrated embodiment there are five bonus point 5 assessments yielding a potential +/- 10 bonus, as shown below. Assessment 1 - Length of stay * 3 months and under = -2 points 10 e 3 month < Length of stay 6 month = -1 point * 6 month < Length of stay 12 months = 0 point * 12 months < Length of stay 24 months = 1 point e Above 2 years = 2 points 15 Assessment 2 - Number of client/colleague references e 10 published references and under = - 2 points * 10 < pub. references 5 20 pub. references = -1 point * 20 < pub. references 30 pub. references = 0 point * 30 < pub. references 50 pub. references = 1 point 20 * Above 50 pub. references = 2 points Assessment 3 - Number of performance star ratings for a particular job position per annum 25 e 2 star rating performances and under = - 2 points * 2 < Star Rating Performances 5 = -1 point e 5 < Star Rating Performances 8 8 = 0 point * 8 < Star Rating Performances 11 = 1 point e Above 11 Star Rating Performances = 2 points 30 - 22 Assessment 4 - Average Star Rating while working for current employer * Under 2.5 Star Rating - 2 points * 2.5 < Star Rating 3.5 = -1 point 5 e 3.5 < Star Rating 4.0 = 0 point e 4.0 < Star Rating 4.5 = 1 point * Greater than 4.5 Star Rating = 2 points Assessment S -Average Star Rating across all base records 10 * Under 2.5 Star Rating = - 2 point * 2.5 < Star Rating 3.5 = -1 point e 3.5 < Star Rating 4.0 = 0 point e 4.0 < Star Rating 4.5 = 1 point e Greater than 4.5 Star Rating = 2 points 15 By referencing associated data stored in association with the employee record, the determination application 524 determines that the employee has been employed for less than three months in their current role, has 50 published 20 references generated by his colleagues, has five star ratings generated per annum, has an average star rating of 3.5 recorded by his current employer and an average star rating across all base records of 3.56. Thus, by evaluating the bonus point criteria, the determination 25 application 524 automatically determines a bonus point score of -1, resulting in a total point score of 61 for the employee. The total point score is then divided by 20 to give an employee star rating of 3 stars (rounded to the closest whole number). 30 It will be appreciated that the number of bonus points available as well as the actual criteria used to evaluate the bonus point score may vary, depending on the desired implementation. 35 Graphical Representation of Work History Records It is important that an employee's work history (and star ratings) are displayed in a manner such that they are quickly and readily interpreted by users of the system 40 100. To achieve this function, and with reference to Figure 7, the display module 526 implemented by the work - 23 history server 102 is configured to display the ratings in a chart-format operable to show all of the records created for a specific employee by current/former employers (or by the employee themselves). 5 As illustrated, the work history records are displayed in blocks in the graphical chart. The older records are displayed on the left section of the chart, while the 10 newer records are displayed towards the right-hand section (i.e. in a timeline-based fashion). A user can navigate back or forward to view the records for any particular period of time. The Y axis displays the average star rating corresponding to the work history record block. As 15 can be seen from Figure 7, a number of blocks are shown without any particular star rating (i.e. displayed under the "0" star rating line). This may be because the job position was a non-rateable position (e.g. a voluntary position, etc.), a period of unemployment, or due to the 20 employee licence being invalid as will be described in more detail in subsequent paragraphs. In the illustrated embodiment, the blocks are colour-coded to reflect further information about the rating (in this case whether the record has been verified by the employer). If any of the 25 work history records overlap, the display module 526 is programmed to flag them as such and allow a user to click on the block to show the individual ratings and associate attributes (e.g. employer, job type, etc.). When a particular block is selected, the following data is 30 presented in a pop-up screen: e employment type (full-time/part-time/permanent part time/contractor/sole-trader/volunteer) e reason for leaving (if employee is no longer working 35 in the job position) * job position " start and end date of job position e date of star rating e average star rating for the base record 40 e linked reference reports from the employee's colleagues and clients - 24 e number of star ratings generated up to the present for the selected job position " number of star ratings generated up to the present for all base records 5 The display module 526 is also arranged to automatically plot and display on the user interface an average star rating for the employee over a selected period, as shown in Figure 8. 10 Licences The system 100 is configured to issue licences to employers which in turn allows the employers to use the system (i.e. generate and review star ratings for 15 employees). If the licence expires (e.g. due to the employer not paying a licence fee when required), the employee's record, during the time period of which the employee does not have a valid licence, will be displayed under the '0 star rating' on the y-axis until a valid 20 licence is assigned to the employee. By way of example, the employer purchases a standard subscription with say 20 employee licences from WorkHistory system 100 (e.g. using the web interface). 25 These licences will only become valid when the subscription payment is cleared and confirmed by the system 100. With a valid employee licence, star ratings can be generated for up to 20 employees. 30 The assignment of a licence to a specific employee is done at the point of creation of the WorkHistory record (i.e. base record) for the employee. Star ratings can now be performed on the employee and in 35 the context of the chart, the average star rating will be calculated for the WorkHistory record. As the employee still has a valid employee licence, the WorkHistory record will be displayed at the level of the average star rating and set as the time period for which the WorkHistory 40 record exists.

- 25 If the employee's licence expires (i.e. all star ratings have been performed, or the licence period has gone beyond the 12 months valid period) but the employee is still working in the same job position and for the same s employer, the employee star record will be displayed under the '0 star rating' for the time period of which the licence is expired. Other Features and Functions 10 In an embodiment, the web page may include a link to funny, horror and star stories based on real life scenarios. For privacy reasons, the stories may not identify the actual employees who are the subject of the is real life scenarios. The stories may be added by employers, prospective employers, or employees alike, to illustrate the effectiveness of the system. In an embodiment, the web server 102 may be operable to 20 store additional referee data associated with an employee. The additional referee data may include personal or work references that have been added to the database (e.g. at the request of the employee, or independently by the referee). By way of example, a housekeeper works away 25 quietly and capably, doing his duties. The housekeeper has not received any complaints by guests, nor does management have any real issues with his performance. Based on an appraisal by his employer, he is assigned a four star performance rating. However the guests 30 (customers) are able to reward the housekeeper by posting a favourable comment (i.e. in the form of referee data) on the web server 102, which is subsequently stored in association with the employee's profile. Colleagues and the like can do similar and post support for others. The 35 postings assist in better understanding the employee's performance and, although not forming part of the rating, may provide another means of judgement (e.g. such as being used in assessing bonus points as previously described). 40 In an embodiment, categories or performance characteristics derived from the questionnaire may - 26 include: 1)punctuality to work and commencement of work 2)time at work 5 3)hardworking 4)handling of stress or pressure 5)Presentation 6)Recommendation of the employee to others 7)re-employ 10 8)vices or addictions 9)work unsupervised 1O)completion of tasks 11)serious breaches 12)personality i5 13)honesty 14)integrity 15)ability to work with others 16)company pride 17)health and wellbeing 20 18)reliability 19)improvement 20)current status In an embodiment, advertisers can pay a fee to have their 25 advertisements displayed on the web page in accordance with techniques known in the art (see step 480). Finally, it will be understood that embodiments may equally apply for other non-work based evaluations for any 30 particular entity. For example, the general system configuration and method of recording ratings could be applied to the following non-limiting applications: Rental history (i.e. residential tenancies and leases): 35 According to the rental history embodiment, the system may be configured to provide a star rating for tenants (lessees) of either residential, commercial, or any other type of property. The star rating again would be generated based on an online questionnaire answered by a lessor or 40 lessor's agent (owner or agent), in addition to any bonus point evaluations that form part of the assessment, via - 27 the online web interface. The questionnaire and bonus points are designed to evaluate how desirable the tenant is and apply a star rating to that tenant, be it for a periodical inspection, or on termination of the tenancy. s The rental history of a tenant may also be recorded by the online system and be accessible by any future or prospective lessor or agent in determining if that tenant is suitable. 10 Typical questionnaires may be used to evaluate the following non-limiting criteria: * Promptness of rental payment * Maintenance of subject property (external and/or internal) 15 e Promptness in dealing with maintenance issues * Have they been a nuisance to or disturbed the neighbours e Do they comply with lease conditions * Have they ever broken any lease conditions or by laws 20 e Condition on vacation/inspections etc. Bonus point criteria may relate to length of stay in a particular property, no of positive references, evaluation of previous star ratings, etc. All of the bonus point 25 criteria are automatically evaluated by the system when establishing the star rating, as previously described for the work history embodiment. Guest history (hotel and serviced apartment stays): 30 This embodiment evaluates and applies a star rating to a guest of a hotel, motel, serviced apartment accommodation, or the like. The same evaluations apply as for the work history embodiment, but with questions related to the behaviour and desirability of a guest. The questionnaire 35 is completed by the owner, manager, or operator of the premises using the online web interface. Guest History will allow an owner, manager or operator to selectively check that the guest they are to provide accommodation for is suitable and can choose to accept or deny the 40 accommodation based on their star rating.

- 28 Typical questions and answer topics may include, but are not limited to, the following: " Condition of room or apartment when vacated " Return of keys 5 * Noise levels e Payment " Extra services payment (i.e. mini bar etc) e Behaviour of guest's invitees " Any damages to the subject property 10 Love history (rating of current or past partners ,lovers, etc.): According to this embodiment, the system is configured to allow a person to evaluate their partner and have the 15 system automatically generate a star rating which is reflective of the relationship as scored/seen by the partner who does the rating. In one aspect, the love history system allows honest evaluations of a relationship between partners (or other parties where authorised), with 20 the aim of either improving the relationship or, where the rating is made public, notify others of that person's love history (whether good or bad). Business history/Company history (rating companies): 25 According to this embodiment, the system is configured to provide a star rating for companies or businesses as a whole. The star rating is again based on responses to a questionnaire (together with bonus point criteria relating to, for example, number of positive references by other 30 companies, etc.) provided by businesses or individuals who have interacted or done business with that company. As with all of the other applications, the business history of a company can be used by prospective entities planning to be involved with the business. 35 Typical questions and answer topics may include, but are in no way limited to the following: " Promptness of response to enquiry * Were company representatives accessible at all times 40 e Can representatives be accessed via email " Were company representatives courteous and agreeable - 29 e Is the company accessible over the internet " Was the company able to provide the services/products that they advertised * Were their services/products of sound quality 5 e Were the company's offices easy to access Credit history: According to the credit history embodiment, the system may be configured to evaluate and provide a star rating for 10 individuals, businesses or other entities in relation to credit performance. The questionnaire may be completed online using the web interface by the financier (e.g. mortgagor, creditor etc.) and bonus points relating to length of the loan, client references, etc., may also be 15 evaluated. An advantage of such an embodiment is that individuals (or other entities) with both good and bad credit histories will be listed. The question and answer topics may include, but are not limited to: e Service ability 20 e Timeliness of payments * Adherence to contract * Repayments in full It will be understood that in alternative embodiments to 25 those described above, the system may be configured to automatically combine ratings of an individual or entity. For example, an overall individual rating may combine (or show independently) work history, love and credit history ratings. The combined rating may simply be an average of 30 all of the separate ratings or applying a weighting to particular ones of the ratings, depending on the desired implementation. It will also be understood that in some, or all of the 35 above embodiments, the system may require the assessor (i.e. the entity generating the rating) to gain consent from the assessee (i.e. the entity for which the rating is being generated) before the rating can be uploaded or made publicly available by the system. In an embodiment, the 40 assessee may provide authorisation for only selected parties to view their rating (see below for more detail).

- 30 According to both embodiments, the web server 102 maintains a consent field in memory 506 which stores the level of consent and references this data before a search is carried out, to ensure that ratings are not made s publicly available where consent has not been given. In still a further embodiment, before a record can be accessed, the entity looking to access and review the record must first obtain consent from the web server 10 system 102 (or alternatively directly from the entity associated with the record). In one embodiment this is achieved by sending an email to the web server 102 using a pin number associated with the record. Upon the web server 102 providing consent, the searcher will then be allowed 15 access to the associated ratings page. Any reference to prior art contained herein is not to be taken as an admission that the information is common general knowledge, unless otherwise indicated. 20 Finally, it is to be appreciated that various alterations or additions may be made to the parts previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the present invention.

Claims (38)

1. A computer system for providing employee performance ratings, the system comprising: 5 a storage module configured to store an employee record comprising: employee performance data generated in response to an evaluation made by an associated employer; and a bonus point score generated independently of io the employer evaluation and associated with an employee performance parameter; and a determination module arranged to evaluate both the stored employee performance data and bonus point score to determine a performance rating for the employee; and is a web server arranged to make the determined performance rating available to third parties over the Internet, wherein the storage module is configured to store employee records comprising performance data provided by a 20 plurality of different associated employers for use by the determination module in determining performance ratings particular to each of the different employers.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the 25 evaluation made by the associated employer evaluates at least one performance characteristic.

3. A system in accordance with claim 2, being further configured to automatically generate a questionnaire for 30 completion by the employer based on an employee job characteristic, the questionnaire forming at least part of the evaluation.

4. A system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the 35 automatically generated questionnaire includes at least one question which is specific to the job characteristic.

5. A system in accordance with claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the questionnaire includes multiple choice 40 questions with each answer being assigned a particular score, the performance data reflecting answers to the - 32 questionnaire.

6. A system in accordance with claim 5, wherein the employee performance parameter includes at least one of: s a) a period of employment with the associated employer b) a number of references provided by parties other than the associated employer; c) a number of positive performance ratings 1o associated with the employee record; d) an average performance rating for the employee by the same and/or different associated employers.

7. A system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the 15 performance rating is derived from the scores resulting from the questionnaire and the bonus point score.

8. A system in accordance with any one of the preceding claims when dependent on claim 2, wherein the performance 20 characteristics vary depending on at least one of the employee's job type, pay level and duration of employment.

9. A computer implemented system for making employee performance evaluations, the system comprising: 25 a data recording module operable to record results of an employee performance evaluation; and a communications module operable to communicate the recorded results as performance data to a centralised computing system for determining a performance score based 30 on both the recorded results and bonus point data which is generated independently of the employer performance evaluation and associated with an employee performance parameter, the performance score being published on a website accessible over the Internet. 35

10. A system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the employee performance parameter includes at least one of: a) a period of employment with the associated employer 40 b) a number of references provided by parties other than the associated employer; - 33 c) a number of positive performance ratings associated with the employee record; d) an average performance rating for the employee by the same and/or different associated employers. 5

11. A method for providing an employee performance database, the method comprising: storing an employee record comprising: employee performance data generated in response 10 to an evaluation made by an associated employer; and a bonus point score generated independently of the employer evaluation and associated with an employee performance parameter; and evaluating both the performance data and bonus point 15 score to determine a performance rating for the employee; and making the determined rating available over the Internet, wherein a plurality of performance ratings are arranged to be made available for each employee based on 20 performance data provided by at least one other employer.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the evaluation made by the employer evaluates at least one performance characteristic. 25

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the performance characteristics include one or more of worker ethic; timeliness, attention to detail; management skills. 30

14. A method in accordance with claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the evaluation comprises completing a questionnaire including at least one question pertinent to the performance characteristic(s). 35

15. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the question(s) are multiple choice with each answer being assigned a particular score.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, further 40 comprising automatically generating the questionnaire based on a job characteristic associated with the - 34 employee.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising including at least one question which is 5 specific to the job characteristic in the questionnaire.

18. A method in accordance with any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the employee performance parameter includes at least one of: 10 a) a period of employment with the associated employer b) a number of references provided by parties other than the associated employer; c) a number of positive performance ratings 15 associated with the employee record; d) an average performance rating for the employee by the same and/or different associated employers.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, whereby the 20 performance rating is derived from the scores resulting from the questionnaire and the bonus point score.

20. A method in accordance with any one of claims 11 to 19, wherein the performance characteristics vary depending 25 on at least one of the employee's job type, pay level and duration of employment.

21. A method in accordance with any one of the preceding claims 11 to 20, further comprising making the performance 30 ratings available in response to receiving a fee from a requesting party.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the requesting party is allowed access to the employee record 35 and associated performance rating(s) for a period dependent on a value of the fee.

23. A method in accordance with any one of the preceding claims 11 to 22, wherein the rating is a star rating. 40

24. A method in accordance with any one of the preceding - 35 claims 11 to 23, further comprising storing the employee record in a database maintained by a central entity separate to the employer. 5

25. A method for making employee performance evaluations, the method comprising the steps of: evaluating the performance of an employee; communicating the results of the evaluation to a computing system, the computing system being configured to 10 process the results together with bonus point data which is generated independently of the employer performance evaluation and associated with an employee performance parameter to determine a performance rating which is subsequently made available over the Internet. is

26. A method in accordance with claim 25, wherein the evaluation evaluates at least one performance characteristic. 20

27. A method in accordance with claim 26, wherein the performance characteristics include one or more of worker ethic; timeliness, attention to detail; management skills.

28. A method in accordance with claim 26 or claim 27, 25 wherein the evaluation comprises answering questions automatically generated by the computing system based on a job characteristic associated with the employee.

29. A method in accordance with claim 28, wherein the 30 questions are multiple choice questions with each answer being assigned a particular score.

30. A method in accordance with claim 29, wherein the employee performance parameter includes at least one of: 35 a) a period of employment with the associated employer b) a number of references provided by parties other than the associated employer; c) a number of positive performance ratings 40 associated with the employee record; d) an average performance rating for the employee by - 36 the same and/or different associated employers.

31. A method in accordance with claim 30, whereby the performance rating is derived from both the scores s resulting from the evaluation and the bonus point score.

32. A method in accordance with claim 31, wherein the bonus point score is automatically generated. 10

33. A method in accordance with any one of claims 25 to 32, wherein the performance characteristics vary depending on at least one of the employee's job type, pay level and duration of employment. 15

34. A method in accordance with any one of claims 25 to 33, wherein the centralised computing system prompts a current employer to make the evaluation at prescribed time periods. 20

35. A web server coupled to an employee performance database storing employee performance ratings which are each associated with an employee and derived from (a) employee performance data generated by an associated employer responsive to an employee performance evaluation 25 and (b) bonus point data generated independently of the employer evaluation and indicative of an employee performance parameter, the web server being configured to make the employee performance ratings available over the Internet and wherein a plurality of performance ratings 30 are arranged to be made available for each employee based on performance data provided by at least one other employer.

36. A recruitment apparatus comprising: 35 a web server in accordance with claim 35; a graphical user interface operable to allow a requesting party to: (a) search the database to locate employee records matching a specified search criteria; and 40 (b) display the resultant employee records, each returned record including one or more associated employee - 37 performance ratings.

37. Computer program code which when executed by a processor implements the method according to any one of 5 claims 11 to 34.

38. A computer readable medium comprising the program code of claim 37.