Business no longer operates as usual. New trends in performance management and reviews are changing how supervisors manage their teams. The good news is that these developments benefit everyone involved, not just managers but also employees.
Trend #1: Using new technologies the right way
Technological advances have revolutionized industries of all kinds, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that human resources professionals have also been experimenting with AI-based applications and automation. These innovations have proven their value in tasks like collecting data for employee surveys, tracking employees’ productivity, and gathering evidence for upcoming performance reviews. I rely on them to remind me of employees’ upcoming work anniversaries.
While these technologies capture metrics efficiently and help keep the team organized, they cannot provide the human element vital to a positive workplace environment. Software is only as good as the humans behind it, so machines — even very smart machines — can only do what they are programmed to do.
Additionally, healthy workplace relationships require empathy, which is part of what makes us human. To be effective, business leaders and managers must be able to understand their own emotions as well as those of others. They must also listen actively and respond to people in a supportive manner. Sometimes, this also requires reading between the lines since employees might not always feel like they can express themselves explicitly.
Employees are people. As human resources professionals, we need to make sure our people know we’ve remembered they’re people.
Trend #2: The Rise of ongoing, informal check-ins
Another significant trend is that managers at all levels of organizations increasingly meet with their direct reports one-on-one regularly. This enables them to build the trusting relationships necessary to retain talent and provide guidance to help employees improve in a low-key, informal way.
For instance, if a manager notices that an employee hasn’t been fully documenting their work in the organization’s task-management system, these one-on-ones are a great way to address that issue. The manager can ask casually, “Hey, is the software giving you any trouble? I’ve noticed that some of the tasks haven’t been updated, and I wanted to ask what’s up.”
This sort of conversation is less likely to result in the employee’s defensiveness and more likely to lead to a productive brainstorming session in which the two work together to find solutions. If time management is the issue, for instance, the manager could suggest that the employee block out an hour each week to focus on completing that documentation.
At the same time, these regular meetings also give employees a dependable outlet for venting any frustrations they may have.
Trend #3: The New purpose of annual performance reviews
Annual performance reviews used to be high-stakes formal meetings in which managers outlined team members’ past performance and identified any deficiencies. Managers would literally have a checklist of what the individual did in the past year and lay out their metrics. “You met your sales goals in Q1 and Q3, but not in Q2 and Q4,” for instance. All too often, these meetings contributed to a stressful and defensive workplace culture.
Moreover, this conventional use of the annual performance review threatened to make employees feel ambushed. If there have been problems with an employee’s performance for months or even all year, then why are they only learning about them during the review? If their manager had addressed them in a timely fashion and given them the chance to fix the issues, then not only would the employee have felt more supported and secure at work, but also the organization itself would have benefited from their improved performance.
When managers take advantage of regular meetings with their team members to raise issues immediately, annual performance reviews can take on a far more positive purpose. They become a chance to celebrate an employee’s longevity with the organization, express appreciation for their work, and help cement the employee’s continued loyalty.
This new approach to annual performance reviews is also more future-oriented, allowing employees to express their goals for continued professional development. When people are empowered to set their own career trajectories, they tend to invest more in the process and take ownership of achieving success.
Trend #4: Creating open, healthy workplaces
In the past, employers may have been able to overlook the importance of their company culture, but that’s no longer true. Today, many workers — especially younger ones — expect supportive, collaborative workplaces.
One of the keys to creating such a workplace is nurturing a culture of open communication and employee engagement. When staff at all levels get the chance to have a voice in processes and decisions, they have a more positive experience.
Furthermore, leadership and management can learn a lot from the perspectives these employees bring. When these perspectives are excluded, leadership might even make less advantageous decisions simply because they lack critical information.
New trends in performance management benefit everyone
Today’s workplace is changing for the better. The latest trends in performance management and reviews are evolving to help people grow in their profession.
Investing the time and effort to make these changes benefits everyone. Employees enjoy a positive, healthy workplace and increased job satisfaction, which makes them more productive. Employers benefit from this improved performance and keep their valued team members longer.
When employees do well, their companies do well.
