Which appraisal method involves comparing performance ratings against others?

The comparison rating scale method is designed to evaluate an employee's performance by directly comparing it to the performance of other employees. This method often involves ranking employees or using a forced distribution system, where a certain percentage must fall into designated performance categories. By focusing on how one employee's performance stacks up against that of their peers, this approach helps to identify top performers and underperformers within a specific context.

In contrast, the other methods do not inherently involve such comparative assessment. The essay method relies on qualitative feedback from a supervisor or reviewer without making comparisons to others, focusing instead on individual strengths and weaknesses. The self-evaluation method requires employees to assess their own performance, which introduces subjectivity but does not involve comparing their ratings to those of colleagues. Lastly, the subjective feedback method gathers opinions on performance but does not systematically rank or compare these evaluations among employees. Thus, the uniqueness and specificity of the comparison rating scale method make it the correct choice for this question.