PAM's Talent Management Blog

Establish an Action Plan for Performance Results

Prior to the interview with the employee, the manager should prepare a loose "action plan" to address the weaknesses of the worker. Ideally, this plan should be unveiled at the end of the interview, and encompass a series of steps to help the worker improve performance. The action plan should consist of three distinct parts:

• Areas to Improve
• Resources Available
• Measurable Results

Areas to Improve

In order for an employee's performance to improve, he or she needs specific areas to focus on. Generally stating that employees simply need to "perform better" is not enough guid­ance, and can often lead to frustration on the part of the employee. Instead, a list of specific areas to improve should be agreed to by both parties. This will empower the employee to work toward improvement and boost morale. 

Resources Available

Employees should be assured that they will receive the necessary tools to help them im­prove their performance. These resources might include education, software programs, or other work aides. Resources should also always include periodic feedback sessions with the manager, and manager-sponsored coaching or mentoring. Providing employees with the tools they need to succeed will help improve the performance of the entire organization.

Measurable Results

In order for performance improvements to be met, the manager should set a list of desired performance objectives. Employees will be evaluated on their ability to meet these objectives, given the tools and resources available to them. The manager should make it clear that employees will be reviewed on these objectives during the next review period, or some interim period, when appropriate. Performance appraisal software can make these checkpoints easy to remember and complete.

Do Performance Reviews Boost Employee Morale?

Over the years, I have worked for companies who promote performance appraisals and those who don't.  I have had to give performance appraisals and have been on the receiving end of them.

I for one like to know where I stand and if I am doing the job that is expected of me.  I wish to excel and be a top performer, however, if I don't know what the expectations or goals are, how do I know if I am meeting the performance standards that are expected of me?  If I am not receiving periodic feedback on my performance with goals, standards, and expectations, how can my supervisor fairly rate my performance?   Knowing what is expected of me and wanting to go beyond that, increases my satisfaction with my job and my morale within the company.  

I finally realized what motivated me would most likely motivate the employees that reported to me.  I developed goals and standards for each of my staff members.  I presented them to each and discussed to get their buy-in.  They knew why they had these goals, what their importance was, and how they fit into the company objectives.  They then felt they were contributing to the overall success of the company and that their contribution was important.  They wanted to do a good job because they knew what the standards were and what the expectations were.  Most people do not want to fail in meeting expectations.  I continued to give them feedback throughout the review period so they knew exactly were they stood.  The morale in my department was greatly improved and every staff member was appreciative to know where they stood. They excelled and achieved the goals and standards that were set for them.

Are Your Performance Appraisals Fair?

It has been just recently that I have realized the importance of documenting employee performance throughout the performance review period and setting performance standards and expectations.  I have been in HR and payroll management, consulting, and sales for the past 25+ years. Currently I work with performance management software in the development of the software and providing demonstrations and webinars on performance management. I have read books and articles and talked with HR managers about performance management and the importance of effective performance reviews.  In doing so, I have come to the conclusion that I, as a manager of 15 employees several years back, did an injustice to my staff by the reviews that I gave them.

I was responsible for performing an annual review for each of my staff members. As everyone knows, HR and payroll departments are hectic, usually understaffed, and not the most important part of an organization. I never seemed to find the time to document a staff member's performance whether it was exceptional or not acceptable.  When it came time for the annual performance review, I had not documented any of the past 12 months of performance, and what I could recall was probably the last 3 months.  If the performance was bad in the last 3 months, that was on the forefront of my mind, and I had forgotten the previous 9 months of good performance.  If the last 3 months were exceptional, I may have forgotten that in the past 9 months they had dropped the ball many times. 

The other thing that I realized is that what I was rating or evaluating my staff on was purely my perception. There were no set standards or performance expectations, and I did not have a way to measure them.  How were they supposed to know what was expected of them?  How was I supposed to rate them?  Well, I most likely did not rate them fairly, if I had given them standards and expectations and had monitored and documented their performance throughout the year, I would have been able to provide an objective and fair performance evaluation.

Do you set standards and expectations for your employees?

- Sue Erickson

Gender Stereotypes in Performance Management

You have invested substantial time and analysis identifying leadership competencies that are important to your company. You rate your employees on these metrics in an effort to discover hidden leadership potential in your employee base. But could you be missing some key leaders in your organization by concentrating on competencies that are typically masculine characteristics? Are your company's performance standards skewed to favor one gender?

According to the Catalyst study Cascading Gender Biases, Compounding Effects: An Assessment of Talent Management Systems, these inequities can eventually impact corporate success. By overlooking atypical, more traditionally female leadership characteristics, companies can miss high performing women.

Traditionally male competencies such as being action oriented, driving results, and focusing on problem solving overshaddow other more female oriented competencies such as being collaborative and a visionary. All of these metrics are important characteristics to measure when identifying leadership talent.

Are the leadership competencies that you track more stereotypical or well balanced?