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| Simple performance review process |
Most human resources (HR) practitioners understand the value of spending time undertaking formal employee performance reviews on an annual basis. However, HR teams often face resistance from both managers and employees when it is time for the next round of employee performance reviews. Complex processes, lengthy forms, and the potential for unfairness in the allocation of performance ratings can all undermine traditional performance review systems. Fortunately, there are technological solutions that can address these issues, enhancing the credibility of employee reviews.
Taking the Bureaucracy Out of Employee Performance Reviews
Managers often feel that traditional employee reviews are bureaucratic and unnecessarily time-consuming (it is essential to keep the employee performance review process simple). In paper-based systems, managers need to dig out last year’s review and go through the goals and development areas with each employee. The results for the preceding year need to be recorded and new goals set for the coming year, which often need to be recorded on a new form. By using technology, HR practitioners can help to reduce the bureaucracy associated with employee performance reviews.
Input can be typed directly into the system, ensuring that it is recorded in the employee’s record. Automatic routing can ensure that the employee and manager are prompted to complete the required online forms at the appropriate stage in the process. Goal cascading functionality can assist managers and employees to understand how individual and departmental goals contribute to organizational goals and targets. Incomplete goals can easily be carried forward.
Track Goals Throughout the Year
The best employee performance management systems are those that live and breathe throughout the year rather than being filed and forgotten about. By uploading goals and targets on to an automated employee performance system, managers and employees can track progress throughout the year. Triggers can be set that send automatic reminders to employees and managers at key milestones. By reviewing progress at these points during the year, employees can be supported to remain on track. Any issues arising can be raised, discussed and dealt with before they derail the employee’s performance.
Gather 360-Degree Feedback
Traditional performance review systems can rely heavily on the feedback provided to the employee by the line manager. Technology enables anonymized feedback to be collected from managers, peers, and subordinates. This process is known as 360-degree feedback. Respondents are asked to assess the employee’s performance and behaviors against pre-determined competencies, skills, and behaviors. The chosen managers, peers, and subordinates complete an online survey and results are aggregated before being fed back to the employee to ensure confidentiality is maintained. A 360-degree feedback process tends to give a clearer picture of an employee’s performance over the year.
Remember to turn 360-degree feedback into a realistic action plan.
Ensure Fairness Across the Whole Organization
When a number of different managers are conducting reviews, it can be difficult to ensure that they are all using the same objective criteria to assess their employees. Some managers may be more generous or lenient when rating employees, while others may rate employees more harshly. This disparity in ratings can undermine a performance review process if employees compare results and feel aggrieved by their ratings.
It is difficult for an HR team to monitor the fairness of paper-based employee performance reviews, which are often tucked away in employee files. When all employee reviews are entered into an electronic system, it is much easier for the HR team to run off meaningful reports that compare the feedback given by different managers across various departments. This overview enables HR practitioners to pick up any anomalies and potential unfairness.
An automated employee performance management system could help your annual review process regain its credibility and add value to your business.
Primalogik 360 can help simplify your performance review process, reduce bureaucracy. Give it a try!
