BEHAVIORALLY-ANCHORED RATING SCALE
Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale
BARS stands for Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale. BARS compares an employees performance to particular instances, which are then classified and assigned a numerical value that is used to rate performance. The first stage in BARS is to write down CIT, which stands for Critical Incident Techniques. Critical incident methods (CIT) are used by BARS to document and identify major incidents or behaviors that are relevant to a specific job or competency.
The rating scale in BARS is typically structured with well-defined levels that correspond to specific behaviors or incidents. The first step in implementing BARS involves using Critical Incident Techniques. BARS categorizes employee behavior into predefined categories, each representing a different level of performance. The categories are often described in behavioral terms to ensure clarity.