Companies spend 80,000 to 150,000 hours each year capturing objectives, cascading goals down through middle managers to individuals and facilitating annual reviews. A Deloitte survey with HR leaders found that 58 percent describe their performance management process as ineffective use of time.
Besides wasting time and resources, decisions about talent development priorities suffer if performance information is unavailable or difficult to access. Inconsistent evaluation criteria and reward structures result in lower productivity, reduced engagement and higher attrition. Morale suffers when there is no differentiation in performance ratings, development opportunities or compensation between high and low performers.
“Performance Management isn’t dead. The old way of thinking about it is.”
— Anita Bowness
On the other hand, when effectively aligned and implemented, performance management offers a range of benefits for employees, managers, senior leaders, and companies. For instance, this Bersin by Deloitte's report says that organizations with effective performance management processes are more likely to experience stronger employee and better business results.
Effective performance management processes also allow managers and leaders to optimize individual and team productivity by:
“To be effective and yield results for your business, performance management should be a year-round process with no end.”
— Teala Wilson
Kelly Stojka has over five years of experience in and working with human resources professionals. She has worked across multiple industries with clients of all sizes and has held discussions around the shifting workforce with both small and large employers.