The overwhelming majority of employees want to succeed, both for themselves and for their employers. They want to learn, to get better at their jobs, and to feel motivated about starting each new day, delivering on the objectives laid out for them. And since it’s likely to be employees who are the face of a company or organization when it comes to interactions, better performing staff means a better experience for customers.
Every employer knows that getting the right employees starts at the hiring stage. You want people that are a good fit for the company culture, and ready and willing to take on whatever challenges are thrown at them. But this process doesn’t end after a new employee signs on the dotted line and completes the onboarding phase of work, familiarizing themselves with the company processes and customers.
This is where performance management comes in. This is the continuing process of communication that takes place between an employee and their supervisor. It ensures that employees know what they should be doing, where their work fits into the larger organizational structure and goals, and has the opportunity to receive feedback about their performance in the job. Performance management can be a game-changer when it comes to getting the most out of your employees — and, in turn, your employees getting the most out of their job. Here are some of the key factors to consider.
Set clear goals
As a supervisor, you want to reward good performance and have the opportunity to take steps to correct poor performance. But what is “good” or “poor” performance isn’t necessarily apparent unless you’ve got clearly stated goals. These shouldn’t simply be a rephrasing of a person’s job description, but also cultivating an understanding of how their personal role fits into the larger objectives of an organization. If employees understand how they fit into the bigger picture, it adds a sense of purpose and meaning to work. That’s something every employee wants.
Performance culture is everything
Don’t make the mistake of thinking a performance culture means some kind of backstabbing, underhanded environment in which everyone is out for themselves to prove that they are performing better than the rest. While people enjoy doing well at work, the idea of a performance culture is more about prizing work that’s built around objectives, while giving employees a chance to improve and develop their skills. Set up systems that allow people’s performance to be measured in a useful manner, and then provide positive feedback on a job well done.
It’s all about people power
Everyone’s had the negative customer service experience of butting up against the person who says that they are unable to help with a request, even when it’s one that seems like it should be straightforward to achieve. Often in these cases, it’s not that the employee is trying to do wrong by the customer: they may simply have limited operational power within their work environment. Not every employee is going to be able to make every decision, of course. But training employees correctly, and then giving them a level of autonomy, will result in happier, more proactive employees — and more satisfied customers as well.
Teamwork makes the dream work
If there’s one thing that being stuck home during lockdown has taught many people, it’s that working as part of a team is rewarding and, in many cases, better than working in isolation. In order to foster a collaborative, open environment, make sure that you give employees the chance to speak openly with leaders. Communication shouldn’t always be one-way, with those on top disseminating messages to those further down in the company. Two-way channels between employees and those leading offer up plenty of advantages for all involved. Not least the health of the company culture.
Room for improvement
“Room for improvement” has a negative connotation to it, sounding like the workplace equivalent of a “see me after class” message scrawled by a teacher on a failing student’s homework at school. But it shouldn’t. Every employee has areas that can be honed and developed. Being clear about the pathway for these, so that employees have something to work towards, can be a worthy motivator. It makes employees feel like they are valued. Meanwhile, companies get better-rounded, more highly skilled people working for them. That’s a win-win for all involved.
Set realistic expectations
Part of the skill of setting goals is choosing ones that, while challenging, are also feasible. Nothing is more damaging to morale than giving employees impossible, undeliverable goals, and then being annoyed or disappointed when they fail to deliver on them. Choosing the right goals, working alongside employees to do so, will result in a better, more positive workplace environment.
Incentives are good
Your employee is picking up a paycheck for what they’re doing. Isn’t that enough for them? Sure, this is an acceptable way to look at the work-for-money transaction, but it also fundamentally misunderstands what motivates many people. Contests, rewards, and other incentives are a great way of pushing people to do their best work, and make them feel appreciated in the process. Some incentives could be monetary bonuses, others could be more lighthearted prizes. But never underestimate how important they can be when it comes to retaining employees who will go the extra mile for you.
The right tools for the job
This one’s not another factor for motivating employees. Instead, it’s about picking the right tools for the job. Investing in good Performance Management (NPM) software can be a great way to track some of these metrics in a manner that can be personalized according to your business. Analytics software is undergoing a revolution right now. Applying this to your organization could prove to be as transformative as following the steps listed above. Make sure you pick wisely.