Question

Situation Performance:

Reviews not timely: 68% not done

The system was “cumbersome”

Managers were worried about filling out the form Managers didn’t know how to have a performance discussion Impacting employee performance Employees aren’t sure what the objectives are Employees do not understand what it takes to get promoted

Employees don’t know their work is valued

Goal: 1. To reduce the delinquency rate;

2. Identify a system that would be used;

3. Have managers be more comfortable with giving feedback

4. Improve employee satisfaction

What does the HR Professional need to do to improve the performance management process? What barriers might they face?

Answer 1

The HR professional needs to do following to improve the perfomance management process.

(a) Communicate about the entire exercise. It will ease the doubts in emloyees' minds and they will respond with more certainty, without apprehensions or concerns about the process and its outcome.

(b) Make the system user friendly. The first step should be to educate the people about the exercise and the tools that will be employed in it. They should be trained to use the system and briefed how it will help to maintain the anonymity where needed and eliminate the chances of manipulation of inputs for vested interests.

(c) Ensure fairness. Win the trust of employees before they are asked for feedback. This will make them give honest opinion.

(d) Communicate the outcomes with honesty. Make the processes measurable and objective, so that outcomes can convince the people.

There may be resistance from the people who are either not comfortable with technology or who have apprehensions about it, particularly those who had negative experience in past. The others are those who don't want to change on any cost and are afraid of the change process. Some people who have vested interests in the prevailing processes may resist as it will be question of their existence and relevance. There may also be some people who are misguided by the others.

Besides people factor, the HR managers may face technical issues while conducting the exercise owing to inadequate training of manpower, technological glitches or incompatibility with existing systems. The willingness of the top management is also a crucial factor in success of the process.