As performance management, we can define “the act of identifying, measuring and developing the performance of individual employees and their team, aiming to align such performance with the objectives of the company as a whole”.
It is important to keep in mind that organizational performance management is an ongoing process. Therefore, the HR team and managers must always be questioning new strategies adaptable to their current needs and realities.
In such a competitive market, measuring and proposing ways to constantly improve is ideal (and necessary) to stand out from the competition and ensure long-term organizational success. Therefore, never ignore the importance of performance management tips tools and their possible applications to measure and evolve your team’s actions.
Table of Contents
Key Performance Management Techniques And Tools:
Every good leader, HR professional or manager should know that there are several ways to approach performance management in their team. Next, learn about the main strategies and tools available to make the process simpler.
The famous KPIs – performance indicators
Have you heard of KPIs? Also known as key performance indicators, KPIs are very important performance management tools . They serve not only to measure, but also better direct the decision-making process within the company.
In general terms, KPIs are one of the best ways to analyze results as a whole. Seeing, therefore, what is (or is not) being well applied – when measuring its performance – and visualizing whether it is meeting the objectives thought of by the organization.
Performance Evaluations:
There is no way to talk about performance management tools without mentioning the common assessments. After all, alongside KPIs, they are considered the most applied tools in this sense. In a performance evaluation , our primary purpose is to align the employee’s expectations with the organization’s own objectives and strategy.
However, for the desired results to be achieved, the process must be applied constructively and fairly. Flowing, in fact, like a natural conversation. Also, never punish them for not agreeing with any part of the process. More than ever, be open to feedback from your employees!
Management by objectives (MBO, GPO or APO)
Also called management by objectives, management by objectives is a practice that was still thought of in the last century. But, its application is more current than we imagine.
The purpose of MBO, or the English “ Management by objectives ”, is for managers to define their objectives together with employees. Soon after, each employee will have an individual view of how they can reach them. And from there, it moves on to monitoring progress, evaluating performance and providing feedback to those involved. Individually.
Here, the proposal is for the team to work towards common goals, but for the MBO to measure individual performance to see if it is in line with what has been established for the whole. Just keep in mind that the entire process is done step by step — focusing on step by step.
Stimuli Such As Rewards And Recognition:
A company that is concerned with applying performance management tools cannot ignore a recognition program. Somehow, reward employees who stand out from the crowd for high levels of performance.
Unfortunately, when employees don’t feel that their high performance is valued, they tend to become demotivated. So, to keep the bond active and motivation afloat, recognize high-performing employees. The good news is that there are several ways to do this. Compliment the employee to the workgroup, promote some bonus/voucher, trip or exclusive gift. It pays to be creative!
Graphic scale:
We can consider the graphic scale as one of the most traditional among performance management tools. The reason for so much fame is the following: this method is extremely simplified and can serve as a kick-off to put into practice other organizational performance analyses. Even in companies that never imagined measuring the performance of their employees.
With the graphic scale, you build a table of skills to be evaluated x the score assigned to each of them. Consider working with factors such as: teamwork, communication, attendance, punctuality, level of production and problem solving. Or any others that you feel are important to score with.
Achieve better performance with your team through a collaborative platform
Obviously, performance management tools are essential to achieve high levels of performance. And, at the same time, being able to evolve by constantly measuring your results.
Combining a collaborative interface with such tools can be even more viable, organizing your team on a daily basis. To have access to a universe of features in just one software, we recommend trying Bitrix24.
Its collaborative platform is the #1 in Brazil because it brings together communication, project management, calendars, CRM and HR functions in just one place. So coordinate everything you need with just a few clicks, keeping employees on the same page and organizing the team’s joint schedule.
In defense of employee performance appraisal.
According to SHRM , more than 9 out of 10 managers are dissatisfied with the current performance appraisal process. In addition, nearly 9 out of 10 HR leaders believe the process does not produce accurate performance information However, evaluating performance is not the cause of this dissatisfaction, but the method as it is done in many organizations.
For example, some companies only do an annual performance review , looking at how well an employee has performed their job-related expectations. The problem is that this carries a temporal bias. That is, it takes into account only a specific period, and not the entire annual cycle. The result? Feeling of injustice and lack of motivation .
On the other hand, what should be a priority for companies is Performance Development. This type of approach helps to generate engagement and inspiration, as well as support the employee to develop new skills, achievements and knowledge.
Thus, professionals would be evaluated for their potential and interest in growing and developing, instead of being “punished” or “rewarded” for the way they reached their goals or not.
The fact is that measuring and developing performance are part of a group of actions that the company must provide to employees, in order for them to achieve their goals and perform better.
Use the right phrases:
When it comes to evaluating people’s performance, the words you use can be interpreted for growth or professional demotivation. Thus, it is essential to use words in a clear, empathetic and actionable way. That is, convey a constructive message, so that the employee can do something with the information, and avoid phrases that do not bring clarity to the process.
For example, understand that saying “the whole team feels stressed about your behavior” is ineffective feedback. After all, this type of message just leaves the employee with questions like, “Did the whole team really complain about me?” and “what are my behaviors that are causing you stress?”.
In addition, a message that is not constructive can bring professional wear and tear and distance between the person receiving the feedback and the rest of the team. Instead, train your managers to give feedback like, “Camila, avoid sending emails at night. This attitude is impacting other team members outside of working hours. And that’s not a healthy habit for you either.”
This type of message clarifies what behavior is causing the stress and why it is important to change or stop the attitude. Make biases and discriminations known
It is common for employees to feel that they are not being evaluated fairly and transparently. There’s even a Deloite survey that shows that half of the employees surveyed feel that way.
This is because there are biases that get in the way of a fair analysis , such as issues related to temporality and primacy, when the first impression is what stays and not the actual performance. Another important point is how a manager behaves in relation to gender, even if intentionally.
In fact, a recent study by Priya showed that it is more common for men to receive evaluations and feedback on their performance, while women receive feedback on their behavior. This clearly directly affects the pay gap and career opportunities.
The warning is that these biases and discriminations are usually unconscious and structural. Therefore, they need to be treated, rethought and rationalized. One way for the company to encourage and participate in this debate is to create workshops to shed light on these issues, making teams rethink and question the subject.
In addition, it is also possible to invest in research to gather opinions and understand the company’s internal climate.