Managing you employee’s performance is vital not only to your organizations success but also to your employee’s engagement levels. Creating various communication methods to interact with your employees will lead to better employer-employee relations, increased productivity, better retention rates and improved company culture. The more you create a culture of communication, the easier it will be for your employees to meet your expectations. Using a mixture of formal and informal performance management tools will help you create a flexible approach to communicate with employees with different personality types and needs.

Formal:

1.Performance reviews: Performance feedback sessions should not be arbitrary, there are various ways you can schedule your reviews. They can be scheduled annually, quarterly or semi-annually; whatever you can consistently commit to. However, the most effective reviews are those that correspond with deliverables or corporate objectives. By establishing KPIs for each position, you can ensure that your feedback to your employees is relevant and measurable.

• When conducting performance feedback sessions, they should be conducted in a private area which is conducive open dialogue.
• The feedback session should be both ways. Allow an opportunity for your employees to express their concerns, aspirations, goals or suggestions.
• Share your feedback in a constructive manner. If there are areas of improvement, provide the employee with suggestions of how they can get better, whether it is more training or access to different resources.
• If the employee is excelling, this is a great opportunity to discuss future opportunities and career progression.

2.Performance Improvement Notifications: Unfortunately not all employees are high achievers; and may require a bit more help than others. The Performance Improvement notification serves two purposes, it describes clear expectations, targets and timelines for the employee to meet. If the employee fails to follow the training path and targets assigned, it will also serve as a form of documentation in the event that termination is required

• .The Performance Improvement discussion should again be held in a private environment.During the dialogue, identify the challenge you have observed and ask the employee why this occurring. Give the employee the opportunity explain the situation from their perspective. There may be barriers to success that you are not aware of.
• Work with your employee to come to an agreement on realistic expectations and timelines for completion.  Both parties should sign the notification in acknowledgment of the meeting taking place.

Informal:

1.Frequent conversations: Informal check-ins are a great tool for supervisors to get to know their employee’s goals and set expectations in an much more open environment. When Supervisors engage their team outside of formal reviews, employees are generally much more open and comfortable to share challenges or opportunities. Informal performance management can take many forms:

• Daily, weekly or monthly check-ins.
• Going for coffee or lunch with your employee.
• Open door policy – employees are free to pop in with questions, suggestions or concerns.

2.Act as Mentor: Mentoring your employees is the most constructive way to engage your team, increase moral, build bench strength and show your employees that you are willing to invest in them. In doing so, your team will be very receptive to feedback, bring new ideas and grown in their role.

• When acting as a mentor ensure that you practice active listening, share your knowledge and provide your team with the opportunity to grow their skills.
• During the discussions, encourage your employees, build their confidence, and provide them with the tools to accept and implement feedback.

Through these informal channels, you create an open dialogue with your employees to keep them engaged and increase their productivity.With the right performance management tools in place, your team will meet and exceed your expectations. 

If you don’t have your own performance management program, contact Surge for help!.