Is Your Performance Management System Holding You Back?

It’s widely accepted that regular conversation and discussion between team member and manager about goals, objectives and performance, accelerates the performance trajectory.

Quite simply, people achieve more when goals are front of mind.  

McKinsey’s research reveals that organisations which focus on their people’s performance are 4.2 times more likely to outperform their peers, realise an average 30 percent higher revenue growth and experience attrition five percentage points lower than those that don’t.

The need for a configurable performance management platform

To get the kind of business impact that flows from prioritising people performance – and to clearly showcase your commitment to empowering employees to contribute their best – it makes sense to not only to invest in a performance management tool, but to opt for one that is configurable. Such a platform should mirror your organisation's  culture and seamlessly integrate with your existing (and developing) working practices.

However, performance management systems can have a bad rap. Clunky. Inflexible. Impractical. Disconnected. Inaccessible.

Why would an employee actively seek out and use performance software?

While there is no blueprint for the right performance management system as every organisation has differing needs, there are core and common elements that make the difference between ‘an HR-led tick-box process’ and a ‘valuable business and management tool’.

Clearly, your workforce needs to recognise the platform as being “theirs” - and of relevance to them. It needs to be flexible enough to meaningfully adapt so those in different roles and at different levels across the business still feel included – and it needs to be user-friendly for very regular use.

There are, of course, key milestones throughout the HR calendar when such a system is essential. And for the team member too, such a platform can be the vital component for many team member-manager-coworker interactions and in helping the organisation to build a stronger culture of feedback.

7 overlooked moments when your performance management platform makes the difference 

Conversation around progress, hurdles and ‘ways forward’ needs to be action-oriented and straightforward to record. This is not the time for cumbersome IT or HR processes. People need to click, type and save conversation notes and decisions made. Check that your platform does this.

#2 Goal setting for action
Goals agreed need to align with – and be seen to align with – team, department and organisational goals. Employees need to understand the direct link between what they do, and the progress of the business overall. Check that your platform can cascade down department objectives to a specific individual and also share these objectives with team members.

Today’s use of kudos across social media translates into the workplace. Encourage recognition and appreciation through a dedicated feedback hub built into the Talent Performance platform. In short, colleagues pass on thanks and gratitude to others for a job well done, or for the difference they make to the workplace. Tie this in with your own company values, and you are both reinforcing these and embedding them in working practice.

Make it simple for team members, managers and HR to track performance against objectives – and be able to easily predict the likelihood that goals will be achieved on time. It gives everyone the opportunity to take action – and get the project back on track. Agility and focus are key.

Too often development plans and the related specific actions standalone and outside of regular working practice. Think of the training attended and the online programmes worked through. Include these plans for action – and the associated check-ins around them – within the performance portal and not only will the development be part of the manager-team member discussion but practice can be embedded into other goals.

Make requesting and receiving feedback as easy as sending a colleague a message for feedback that, once given, pops straight into the performance record, ready for the next progress conversation.

A performance platform that is easy to access by all, means that each individual can take ownership of monitoring their own success, progress and goal achievement. It strengthens engagement and empowers performance.

The potential of the right performance platform

It's clear that the right performance tool has the potential for value well beyond the six month or annual review timeline.

They can empower individuals, help build a feedback culture, structure a check-in and stretch performance.

How is your performance tool performing for you?

1. Are employees taking ownership of their progress, development and achievement?
2. Do people understand where their objectives fit within those of the wider organisation?
3. Is your system undeniably ‘yours’; does it look and feel as though it belongs to your organisation?
4. Can it be adapted easily as your business changes?
5. Is it easy to give feedback and recognition to colleagues and thereby forge a culture of appreciation?