Companies that know how to evaluate their employees will always have an advantage over the competition. They will be more productive, make better decisions when appointing employees to leadership positions, and get the best out of their team.
They will also be able to reward their best employees, ensuring their loyalty and boosting their confidence. This is not something all organizations know how to do properly, however. Let’s take a look at how you can evaluate the performance of your employees better.
Know the Difference Between Employment Performance Management Systems
If you want to standardize performance evaluations and have a repository of data where you can measure your employees’ progress or regression or the lack of it, you will need to use a performance management system. The first thing you should know is that there are different ways that you can evaluate performance.
You can measure performance based on certain traits or behaviors. You can measure based on competency or even values. You can also choose to use one type of management system or any combination of them.
You can use different models for different departments too. A value-based approach to performance management would be less beneficial for your IT team than it would be for your client-facing staff, for instance. If you want to know more about how to use a competency-based performance management system and how it differentiates from other management systems, visit StaffCircle.
They explain the importance of using sound performance management practices and how to tell if a competency-based model performance management system would be best for you. They also lay out some of the core benefits of using this approach and how to use it correctly in your organization.
Conduct Evaluations Frequently
If you’re only evaluating your employees annually, this needs to change immediately. Regular and frequent evaluations are essential if you want to cultivate employee success. So many things can happen within a year with your business or employees. Consider moving to quarterly or even monthly evaluations and keep an open line of communication with your employees in between.
You should also have a wrap-up evaluation at the end of the year where you look over general notes, themes, and progress. This is a great way to set goals for the next year and for employees and managers to be on the same page when it comes to performance, progress, and goals.
There are many reasons why having so many evaluations is better. It allows employees to know exactly where they stand with the company. This does a lot to reassure employees and give them confidence. This will then reflect on their performance.
Frequent evaluations also allow managers to provide support and coach employees. They might be able to look at any obstacles that employees are facing and work with them to overcome them. This is also a good time to reinforce what they’re doing well to encourage good behavior.
Evaluations Should Go Both Ways
Performance evaluations should also be two-way conversations. Give them a lecture and they’ll quickly disengage and recommendations might get completely ignored. Both parties should be equally involved and employees should be invested in the preparation as much as the managers.
Evaluations should not be about lecturing the employee. Conversations about performance should be about establishing trust first, making the employee feel secure in their role, showcasing alignment, and creating clarity.
Evaluations shouldn’t be strictly about performance either. By doing this, you’re showing the employee that you don’t care for them as individuals or about their personal development.
This is why you should take the time to speak about where they want to go, and even ask them if they have any complaints or suggestions about certain processes. This is what will foster more engagement in these discussions and change how employees see evaluations.
Focus on the Future
Many organizations make the mistake of focusing only on the past when conducting evaluations, but this isn’t the way to drive future change. Performance conversations should be used as an opportunity to give feedback to employees in real-time. This will allow them to improve immediately and see how their performance is aligning with the organization’s goal.
Consistent feedback is also what this new generation of employees is looking for. This aligns with professional development goals. They want to know what you think of their work at the moment without having to wait for an annual review. Constant conversations about an employee’s progress and goals will also show that you care about their future, whether it’s with the company or otherwise.
Follow these few tips and you will be much better at gauging how your employees are performing, as well as what their true contribution to your organization is. You’ll be able to make better decisions, foster progress, and increase engagement.