4 Tips for Efficient Employee Reviews
Performance Reviews November 29, 2011 0

4 Tips for Efficient Employee Reviews

By: Natalie Truperformance ratingdel

A standardized, quantified, and  automated employee review process is an essential way to track employee progress and maximize productivity in the workplace. Most managers and human resource departments understand the core benefits of employee reviews. Regular evaluations help ensure recognition for high performing workers, and they help keep mid-level performers on track toward the achievement of reasonable goals. Evaluations also help managers deal with low performers by providing a clear record of all efforts made to avoid termination.

These objectives are all vital aspects of performance tracking and workplace management. But the review process, no matter how valuable, comes with a few caveats. Once your review procedure becomes cost ineffective, its drawbacks begin to outweigh its benefits. The following tips can help to ensure that your evaluation process runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible:

1. Keep the audit principle in mind. Instead of examining every minute detail of every employee’s performance, monitor a small number of details that suggest competence or incompetence across broad areas. For example, if too many customer complaints suggest an underlying problem, use “number of customer complaints” as one of the points in a five point Read More

Who is Responsible for Talent Management?
Other Blogs... October 11, 2011 0

Who is Responsible for Talent Management?

Who is Responsible for Talent ManagementBy: Natalie Trudel

As a talent management solution vendor, we are constantly asked ‘who in the organization is responsible for talent management?’ The broad answer to this is ‘everyone’. The best processes that we have seen for developing and monitoring organizational talent includes a role for HR, managers, executives, and employees. In most cases, it is a fair statement to say that HR is responsible for leading the charge; however, without active involvement and support from managers and business heads, an ideal talent management system or strategy will never realize its full potential (Gina Abudi, Developing Organizational Talent).

 

What role do Managers play?

While HR usually provides the processes, workflows, and systems to enable talent management, it is ultimately managers who are responsible for nurturing, guiding, developing, and identifying talent. Managers work directly with employees and as such have top-of-mind indications of performance issues, development requirements, possible successors, and overall output. For an effective talent management strategy to take effect, it is important that managers are given the tools, time, and training to effectively communicate, document, assess, identify, develop, and align talent. HR can provide the knowledge and platforms for evaluating and engaging employees, but management must properly USE those tools and processes.

 

What role do executives play?

Executives and business heads are usually the defining force of the effectiveness of an organization’s talent management strategy. HR does serve as consultants, shepherds and owners of tactical execution of talent management processes; however, without commitment from the top, these processes are likely to be underestimated by managers and thus poorly executed. Talent management should be at the heart of business strategy. It is vital that executives show their commitment to talent management systems and processes in order to ensure user adoption and foster management’s engagement in the process. Executives often times approve the framework and systems that will be used for company talent management. HR can do its best to educate and lobby for ideal workflows and systems but decision makers must ultimately approve them in order for them to be implemented.

 

What role do employees play?

Fortunately, employee roles in building a solid talent management strategy also have direct benefits to the organization. Employees are responsible for developing and executing performance goals that are aligned with company objectives, are expected to participate in performance and development plans and discussions, and are often times asked to provide insightful feedback about processes, peers, and management. The good news is that studies show that employees who are aware and involved in performance management processes are more likely to be engaged in their roles. High employee engagement has a direct correlation to organizational success – and that’s just good news for everyone.

 

What role doesn’t HR play?

It is clear from the above mentioned points that HR seems to be involved in almost every aspect of talent management. In a  sense this is true – a company’s HR department has the mindset and expertise to identify bottlenecks in talent management, and propose, execute, lead, and maintain any remedies. HR’s role is challenging and sometimes underestimated. HR should be leaders and experts of their organization’s talent management strategies and yet possess the skills and patience necessary to convey instructions and processes to every level within the organization. Recent years have shed light on the strategic importance of HR’s contribution to a company’s bottom line. This, coupled with the availability of cost effective solutions for automating systems, has led to HR being expected to add performance accountability to their laundry list of duties. The good news is that technology is freeing up more and more time for HR to focus on talent management strategy and optimization instead of talent management administration.

 

Quick Tip

One of the most effective strategies that we have seen organizations deploy is the creation of ‘Talent Management Tactical Teams’ that consist of a relevant mix of management, HR, I.T., decision makers, and in some cases, top performers. The Tactical Team is responsible for reviewing, evaluating, and executing an organization’s talent management strategy and systems. This approach is very effective as it exploits the strengths and weaknesses of current practices and produces a talent management strategy that works for every level and department. We have also found that solution purchases made to simplify and streamline talent management processes are more likely to be considered and approved in a timely manner if decision makers are reassured that solutions have been analyzed and given the go-ahead from multiple departments.

Resources:
Gina Abudi. Who Is Responsible for Developing Talent? Accessed September 19, 2011.  https://www.ginaabudi.com/who-is-responsible-for-developing-talent/
https://developingpeopleuk.blogspot.com/2008/05/who-is-responsible-for-talent.html

Establishing Clear Expectations for Employee Goals and Tasks
Performance Reviews September 27, 2011 0

Establishing Clear Expectations for Employee Goals and Tasks

Clear Goals emPerform

Effective employee goal setting can serve as a powerful tool for:
–    Motivating employees
–    Improving employee performance
–    Developing organizational talent
–    Setting measurable standards for review
–    Translating organization objectives into results
–    Fostering communication with employees

 

Goal setting can also be a frustrating process if it is not tackled properly. The most frustrating part of goal setting and execution is when the outcomes do not match what was expected. Managers tend to assume that the employee will execute according to their vision and then are confused when the outcomes don’t match the intended direction. What is wrong with the process?

Marnie Green, Principal Consultant of Management Education Group and emPerform’s newest partner, teaches leaders that the problem with effective goal setting lies in the lack of clear expectations being set by managers. Marnie believes that whether you are setting goals, objectives, or assigning tasks, outcomes can be optimized by following a checklist for setting clear expectations.

 

•    Establish clear success criteria: When setting and conveying expectations, managers should always say, ‘this goal/task/objective will be successful if….” and then fill in the Read More

Don’t Let Bias Backfire – Avoiding Common Employee Appraisal Biases
Performance Reviews August 15, 2011 0

Don’t Let Bias Backfire – Avoiding Common Employee Appraisal Biases

Companies rely on the data provided by performance evaluations for a myriad of business decisions. Succession planning, compensation decisions, recruiting and retention strategies, development initiatives, and engagement plans are just a few decisions and processes whose execution and success depends on accurate and fair performance appraisal data.

When so much rests on the validity of this data, it seems clear that eliminating bias and error in performance appraisals is a critical responsibility for supervisors, managers and human resources staff.

What type of biases should leaders be aware of? Tyler Lacoma, an author for eHow, explains:

Horns and Halos Effect

The horns and halos effect is a common phenomenon noted in many business situations. Essentially, it refers to the habit that managers have of assuming that a particular employee is naturally good or bad at his job. This perspective is usually based in personality clashes and other factors that do not actually indicate job performance. Once the manager has decided on a certain viewpoint of an Read More

Webinar: Using SMAART Goals to Painlessly Manage Employee Performance
Other Blogs... August 3, 2011 0

Webinar: Using SMAART Goals to Painlessly Manage Employee Performance

emperform menYou asked – we listened. In our last Webinar, CRG emPerform presented a framework for Conducting Painless Performance Evaluation Meetings. During the webinar Q&A, we noticed that many of you had questions related to effective employee goal setting. Because effective goal setting drives success at every level within an organization, we decided to devote an entire session to presenting best practice goal setting insights and advice.

When: Tuesday, August 30th, 2011 2PM EDT

Where: HR.com IHR Virtual Conference

Register: click here to register*

Are you and your employees really SMAART? Specific, measurable, and attainable performance goals are the most effective tool managers can use to help employees achieve outcomes that support the organization’s goals. Yet, very few managers are able to craft goals that are motivating to employees and are clearly aligned with the organization’s objectives.

One of the most frustrating parts of being a manager is seeing employee performance fall short of expectations and not knowing why or how to fix it. Likewise, employees often say that they are unclear of what their manager really expects in terms of performance.

Marnie GreenJoin emPerform and host Marnie Green, in this one-hour webinar where we will explore why there is often a difference between what managers expect and what employees deliver. Tools for writing clear performance goals with employee input will be offered. In addition, other practical tools for involving employees in the expectation-setting process will be presented.

If you manage the work of others you won’t want to miss this practical and tool-driven session.

What will participants learn?

1) Why there is often a gap between manager expectations and employee performance

2) Tools for writing clear performance goals

3) Four kinds of performance goals

4) How to effectively involve employees in the goal setting process

5) Practical examples of best-practice performance goals

*This webinar has been archived and is available for free download here.