Making a performance management process is not easy, but that is not the tricky part. What matters is: How to communicate a new performance management process to the employees?
There is always an element of friction when it comes to the acceptance of anything new. And this subject is not an exception to this rule. However, if done carefully, performance management communication can help the management receive less resistance from the employees.
But What is a Performance Management Process?
The Performance Management process is the way for an organization to evaluate the performance of its employees. The primary aim here is to ascertain that the employees meet their personal growth levels and their goals and objectives.
It also helps the employees and management set clear goals, standards, and performance dimensions. Thus, it is a significant aspect of employee performance and management.
So let’s look into some tips to make the performance management communication process smooth.
Tips for Performance Management Communication
Here are some great suggestions.
Don’t force it upon them
Your employees are the support system of your organization. When you are introducing a new process of evaluation, you have to make them understand. Your employees are your team members — prove this through your actions.
Don’t just force your new plan upon them. Instead, discuss the potential of the new process with your employees, and make them part of the conversation. That would help in making the process stable.
Communication is the key
You have come up with a whole new performance management process for your employees. Now, make sure you are communicating every aspect of it effectively within your organization. You and your employees need to be on the same page. And this is achievable only through proper communication.
The goal should be to encourage two-way communication in the entire organization. That means you have to ensure your employees are participating equally in the discussion. This communication is a sign of healthy work culture in an organization.
Ask them to be a part of the process than asking them to follow it
Your employees are your team upon which you are relying. So treat them like one. For example, when you are introducing a new evaluation method for their performance, they may feel opposed. So instead of asking them to follow your commands, ask them to be a part of it.
That is how you develop healthy work culture. Your employees want to feel respected. Take your chance to show them that you respect their opinions.
Give some time to adjust
Whenever you are introducing anything new, you need to give enough time to the people to adjust. Your employees are no exception. You have to ensure you are allowing them enough time to understand the changes.
Performance management has varied aspects to it. The employees and the administration are equal components of the same. Don’t put unrealistic expectations on them with regard to the immediate adoption of the new process.
Take out time to answer their questions
Within an organization, changes come along with a lot of resistance. And when you are coming up with a new performance management process, it is sure to raise many questions, such as:
- What: What are the differences between the previous and the new process?
- Why: Why was there a need to introduce a new method altogether?
- How: How is it going to impact my personal growth in the company?
So, take out the proper time to answer your employees. Remove every kind of doubt that they may have towards the implementation of the new method.
Add in some incentives to motivate them
The Performance management tool is not only a dreadful thing for the employees. The management equally is dreaded by its thought because they have the responsibility to make its implementation smooth.
Incentives are the best encouragement for all employees. You can use it too to motivate them to adapt to new changes in the management. By incentives, it does not only refer to some gifts or allowances. It can be anything from team outings to games or team lunch, and so forth.
BONUS: Choose the right performance management system
Before diving into different criteria for employee Performance Management Systems, let us understand what these systems are.
What is a performance management system? This is a process that tracks and evaluates the performance of the employees of an organization, ensuring all departments are performing effectively, which would lead to beneficial results. Let us now look at how to pick the right Performance Management System.
Meet your business goals
Every company has its requirements and different parameters to evaluate the performance of its employees. The software should have provisions for different types of parameters. There are several departments in a company, and it is not easy to keep track of all the employees. So, by setting the business goals for every department, the heads of the department can easily track and evaluate the performance of their employees.
Ease of setting the goals
The software should allow for easy customization as per the company’s requirements. Every department has its business goals that would align with the company’s goals. So, the HR Performance Management System should be able to provide the departments with the facility to set their desired goals for their employees and evaluate them accordingly. This would help the companies to understand, track, and evaluate the performance of their employees in a better way.
Employee-friendly Performance Management System
A complicated software would beat all the purposes of a Performance Management System. The software should be employee-friendly so that employees and managers can spend more time evaluating the performance rather than understanding the software.
A good employee Performance Management software allows easy communication between the manager and their employees. The managers should be able to track the performance of their employees easily, and the employees should be able to easily report their issues or provide feedback.
Provide the required features
When a company is installing the HR Performance Management System, they add all the features every department requires. They must check if the shortlisted software is compatible with the company’s ecosystem. The software should be flexible to add more employees as per the company’s requirements.
Compatible with your organization’s ecosystem
The software should be customizable according to the company’s requirements. Understanding the business goals of the companies and providing customized software increases the demand for the software in the market. The more compatible the software is, the more companies would prefer using it for their Performance Management System. The software should blend easily with the company’s existing ecosystem so that the employees do not face any issues in using the software.
Proper software support
When a company installs the software, they look for efficient software support. It is pointless if the software has all facilities but is not able to provide tech support when its client needs it. The software would need timely updates and support, and if there is no tech support, companies will face issues using the software. So, this is an important feature that every company should look for before purchasing the software.
Should provide learning modules
The software should provide several learning modules for each department so that it can help newly joined employees during their induction. It can also help the existing employees update newly added sections in the software. The learning modules should provide training related to all the technical aspects of the software for the benefit of the employees.
Software demo
Always request a demo of the Employee Performance Management software before purchasing it. This would help the organization understand the features of the software. After looking at the product demo, the companies can make a better decision and can tell the vendor about their requirements.
The importance of the performance management system is undeniable as it plays a crucial role in tracking and evaluating the performance of the employees and easing the process of onboarding new employees.
Conclusion
Performance management is a process of evaluation of the employee’s work. Its main goal is to ensure an environment for people to work efficiently and effectively.
But anytime you introduce a new performance management process, chances are high that your employees will not welcome the change. The above-mentioned points are some of the ways to help reduce the chances of such resistance.
As part of the management, you have to ensure your employees are satisfied with your decisions. It helps you get desirable results and inculcates a healthy working culture in your organization.
Originally published on September 28, 2021 4:46 PM, updated May 03 2022