Comparison MethodsComparison appraisal methods compare the performance of individuals or employees to each other. The most common methods of comparison are ranking, paired comparison, and forced ranking:Ranking In the ranking method, employees are listed in order from the highest to the lowest performer. This method works well for small groups of employees but becomes increasingly difficult as the size of the group increases.Paired Comparison In the paired comparison method, all employees in the group are compared to one employee at a time. For example, if there are three employees in the work group—Susan, Jack, and Rachel—then Susan’s performance is compared to Jack’s and Rachel’s, Jack’s performance is compared to Susan’s and Rachel’s, and finally, Rachel’s performance is compared to Susan’s and Jack’s.