Remote working or not, Performance Management, Goal setting and Systems are a must...

There's no doubt about it, there are some tough times we’re going through right now. Our parents and grandparents have spoken to us about hard times, but never did we think it will be our turn to live through what we live right now. As both individuals and as owners of organisations we are all heavily relying on the support of the people around us, and in terms of businesses we rely on people management and the HR processes we implement even more than usual. There’s an expectation that organisations need to stay current with employee needs while they’re working remotely; there’s an expectation that organisations should be trying to figure out what the ‘new normal’ looks like. But many organisations are facing a challenge of managing a hybrid situation where part of the workforce remains on site and the other part will be working remote for quite some time to come.

A work survey from PwC said that before COVID-19 about 60% of employees were able to work remotely at least one day per week, however post COVID-19 this number is expected to raise to up to 90%. These numbers are high, and they do seem to define the way we will be working from now. Is this a bad thing? It doesn’t have to be. It is certainly different, however as SQEPtech is an organisation that has decided from the inception that we will be working remotely fully I can certainly say that it can work. How? Let's consider on essential process: performance management

There is more to performance management than the annual performance reviews. All aspects of performance management need to work together, need to be aligned to achieve a common goal which is employee performance. Put this into the perspective of today’s ‘new’ and the performance management needs to take into account the hybrid workforce. How can you achieve this?

The performance management is now online. 

If you don’t have a system in place already, then now is the time to get one. There are a number of talent management solutions out there, all doing a good job. However, in these times where cash flow is paramount, consider one platform that can cover as many as processes as possible; keep your data in once place and remove as much cost related to manual maintenance across multiple system just because ‘we’ve always done it this way’.  

With managers and employees now working remotely, an online option is not just convenient, it’s absolutely a must. There’s a huge benefit to performance management technology so why not start today?

Create goals that you can measure; not only that but create goals which develop and stretch your employees, help them grow their capabilities and therefore contribute more to your business. It is important that both organisations and employees buy into the goals set. We all know why managers want goals: goals allow them to delegate confidently knowing that the employees can effectively manage the day to day tasks and as such are ready for future responsibilities. Why do employees want goals? They want to gain new skills and build steps towards their next career move, or, in the case of a Start-Up, they want to shape the future of the company they work in, they want to be able to say ‘I was there, I helped build that system, that company'. In both cases they want to feel part of the family and contribute to its development and they should be exactly that: a family that works together.

Ensure there is a feedback mechanism. 

Talk, talk, talk and record the feedback, ensure you have regular check-ins. There is a large number of systems out there that allows you to engage frequently, whether you include these discussions in a formal review or not, ensure they happen. I’m not one to favour formal reviews even though they do have a place in today’s business environment, however there is a benefit that cannot be ignored. 

Feedback and checking sessions should be regular. They should be a two-way dialogue – these shouldn’t be just the manager talk, they shouldn’t be about negative points, and there shouldn’t be an expectation that the employees simply listen and follows. It should be positive, constructive on both sides ultimately with a goal to ensure that the employee performs at a higher level doing something they like (even though there will always be tasks to be performed that will not be top of the list in preference!). And there is something else that we shouldn't forget! This process should be a two-way process; employee feedback on manager performance supports their own personal development.

Get the right tools in place.

A pat on the back goes a long way; a badge and recognition go even further. There are some outstanding systems out there that can make a performance review engaging and fun. Ensure that the platform you chose is the right platform to coach, motivate and engage your employees and ultimately provide them with the tools to further their career choices. Ultimately, engaged employees are the key to productive teams. Your talent management platform should be able to deliver a clear organisational direction with goal alignment and check-ings but most importantly a platform that allows you to track employee engagement into your business. 

Leverage use of systems in a smart way to ensure your employees are working in the right roles: right roles for your organisation and right roles for themselves. Look for platforms that easily integrate and are simple to use from and end user perspective. The market is full of new up-coming software, the technology world is on the move and new systems are affordable. Smaller teams are more agile with a fast delivery times and can be the best partner to enhance your company wide talent management solution.

In other words, be savvy! 

A modern performance management generates a modern workforce. Employee performance is important and talking about it needs to happen. All The Time! That means performance and talent management systems need to be agile enough to align to the new realities, and organisations need to be agile enough to recognise which platforms working together provide them with the basis of measuring performance and talent in the right way.

In any environment of any type performance management and goal setting must happen! If you want to see how you can achieve all of the above contact us. We'll be able to show you how to you can use systems to support your performance management, your goal setting and much more. Contact me on [email protected] and let's have an informal chat.