This is the fourth and last column in a series about workplace trends in 2014. I’ve recently discussed three other trends for the new year: flexibility in employment, the impact of changing demographics and why freelancing is here to stay.
This week, lets’ talk about performance appraisals and why it’s inevitable that we’ll change the way they’re done. Yes, I’m talking about those universally dreaded yearly performance appraisals, but before you start yawning let me tell you that I’m exited about this trend because we’re headed for shorter, more frequent and data-driven evaluations.
Most of the people I know (including human resources professionals) don’t think traditional annual performance reviews necessarily represent an accurate assessment of an employee’s performance. First, there are many factors about someone’s performance that often go unmeasured, unreported or unobserved by management yet they have great impact on employee effectiveness and influence. You could call it benign neglect, but it’s not realistic to expect supervisors to know everything about their employees. Supervisors are stretched thinly (some supervising workers remotely) plus there aren’t enough tools to measure relevant data as it happens.
Second, there is the huge time lag between performance and feedback. People (especially Millenials) need feedback more often than once a year. The old system is simply incapable of capturing and delivering information at the speed that companies and people are managed today.
But don’t despair. Enter technology.
This field is quickly evolving but currently, there are apps and software programs (www.alignamite.com) designed to include widely sourced input with real-time info about employee performance. This gives supervisors not only the ability to comment and provide additional feedback but also serves to collect relevant information. Some programs (www.globoforce.com) even include a social recognition component where anyone in the company is able to publicly (on their intranet) give kudos to others.
These are welcomed changes. I’ll close with a great quote from Terri McClements, Human Capital Leader at Price Waterhouse Coopers commenting on this trend.
“All of our data shows that the more you talk to your people, the better your leadership development and talent retention. A winning coach gives an elite performer feedback before, during and after the game – not after the season is over. That is real-time development. More organizations will implement a system of on-the-spot feedback that helps top performers learn, grow and excel.”
© Copyright Eva Del Rio
