Top 10 Performance Management Tools in an Organization

With the ever-evolving future of work, performance management has witnessed and adapted to a number of transformations in order to keep up with the workforce and technology.

Traditional approaches such as only annual performance reviews and then goal setting are no longer the only fruitful way. To measure and manage employee performance in today’s fluid work culture.

With increase in freelance work, contracts, and hybrid culture, traditional performance management methods are becoming less effective. Significant changes are required in every performance management process every day.

All performance management strategies have undergone a paradigm shift and are now gravitating toward transitioning into a strategic approach. An effective performance management process aligns focus, employee value, and engagement. Additionally, it has a structured and quality performance management system at core.

What is Performance Management?

Foundationally, performance management is a systematic process of identifying, measuring, and developing the performance metrics of the workforce in an organization. The back-and-forth feedback and communication chain between managers and their subordinates secures the attainment of all strategic objectives.

With the performance management process evolving every day, the annual concept of feedback that once was followed everywhere is now transitioning into a continuous form of feedback.

The idea behind the continuous feedback approach is to monitor employees’ efficiency throughout the year and to address concerns, if any, simultaneously so that employees’ performance isn’t affected.

Furthermore, managers today already have enough responsibilities, from developing strategies to maintaining innovations, and daily micromanagement of teams becomes an additional liability. A well-established performance management process can replace that liability by providing KPIs and objectives to the employees and keeping a check on their progress simultaneously.

The workforce prefers it better if they already have planned objectives and goals at hand. This gives them a clear pathway toward achievement and appraisal. The incentives and bonuses act as a cherry on top and motivate them better to attain goals.

Several performance management tools and models have been tried and tested by organizations worldwide. While one thing works for one company, something else can work for another. But the top performance management tools that should always be present in a performance management process are;

The 10 Best Performance Management Tools

Here are the top ten performance management tools commonly used in any organization:

1) 9 Box Grid

The performance management tool for improved succession planning and identifying the future leaders within the workforce. A 9 box grid distinguishes the employees’ performance according to their skills and accomplishments. Furthermore, it assesses the potential growth of each individual.

9 box grid is an influential performance management tool that segregates the workforce into nine groups according to their current performance and future potential.

The performance management tool that streamlines talent management allocates the employees of an organization into nine groups. Furthermore, measures and monitors their potential, and builds a culture of leadership among the workforce.

2) 360 Degree Feedback

A 360 feedback performance tool accelerates the performance capabilities of all employees by 3x with multidirectional reviews and comments.

Organizations use 360 degree performance software to provide quality feedback. Employees receive the same from not just their managers but from everyone around them. From colleagues to customers, they get a complete 360 degree insight into the employee and their performance.

A 360 degree feedback as a performance management tool obtains employee insights with improved transparency, data-driven processes, and easy configurations.

3) Continuous Feedback

A performance management metric that encourages employee growth in real-time with day-in-day-out feedback. A culture of continuous feedback implements a culture of performance suggestions in parallel. The entire process focuses on fairness and makes the feedback process a cakewalk.

Continuous feedback as a performance management tool improves employee morale and provides insights in real-time. Additionally, it also minimizes the time taken on task completion and ultimately creates an employee-centric and growth-driven process.

4) 1:1 

1:1 (One on One) as a performance management tool strengthens the relationship within the teams and enhances overall employee competency.

1:1 helps acquire uninterrupted sessions with employees to review performance, eliminate barriers, talk plans, and much more. This performance management tool creates the opportunity for employers to get to know their employees on a personal level and make them feel valued.

With one on one in your performance management process, develop team loyalty, and create a sense of security. Enhance the morale and productivity levels and harbor a structured management and smoother communication.

5) S.M.A.R.T Goals

As a performance management tool, SMART goals set an individual up for success by making goals specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (SMART). This performance management metric develops a sense of encouragement, creates a pathway toward success, and assists in setting and achieving goals.

Organizations use goal-setting software as a form of performance enhancer tool as they collect the essential aspects and turn them tangible for achievement. Goals also help create a sense of accountability and allow individuals to assess the progress being made. The rising culture of OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) has emphasized the goal-setting way of work.

Organizations worldwide leverage OKR Software to set, track, and achieve goals. Google, Netflix, and Amazon are some elite examples of how OKRs and goal setting can take any organization to unicorn heights.

6) 5As Test

Some believe that ‘SMART’ only tells a part of a sto­ry in mod­ern day, rapid­ly evolv­ing organizational culture. In light of that, a new concept called the 5A test was introduced. Future-driven organizations are believed to set objec­tives that are assess­able, aspi­ra­tional, aligned, account­able and agile:

The 5As:

  • Assessable

The objec­tive should be clear and concise when being understood by the individual so they can move toward goal attainment quickly.

  • Aspirational 

The objec­tive should be authentic and legitimate, bringing tangible results that would drive high performance.

  • Aligned 

The sole purpose of every objective should be aligned with organizational goals at the end of the day, which should lead to organizational achievement.

  • Accountable 

The owner of the objective should be responsible for it. Clarity on accountability, whether individual or shared, should be maintained.

  • Agile 

The set objectives should be achievable in the short term, and the objective’s measuring and monitoring should be frequent.

7) PDP (Personal Development Plans)

A performance development plan as a management tool for augmenting employee performance goes a long way. The PDP tool assists people in identifying areas for improvement, setting goals by measuring progress, and outlining a strategy to achieve the set objectives.

A PDP as a performance management tool aids the employees by driving their personal and professional development within the organization. A valuable tool to manage and streamline performance by strengthening the team and inspiring productivity and growth.

Organizations also provide on-the-job training as a PDP tool to their employees to revamp their careers and enhance professionalism in work.

8) Pulse Surveys

Pulse surveys are a brief and regular set of digital questions sent to employees as engagement surveys. They depict matters related to job roles, communication, relationships within the workforce, the working environment and culture, etc. The term pulse is used to signify the continuity of these surveys to gain employee insights.

The sense of anonymity that comes with this performance management tool creates a more reliable and honest culture. Pulse surveys develop a safe passage of communication for employees’ feedback.

They dig deep and figure out all the company’s triggers and gauge the workforce’s overall mood. Generating short and easy surveys as a performance management tool for employees leads to greater participation and robust results.

9) Performance Review 

Performance evaluations in performance management tools analyze the entire workforce and prioritize people and skills accordingly. Employees get to know about their strengths and weaknesses and can work on them accordingly.

Performance reviews ensure that constructive feedback is shared with the employees’ time-to-time rather than being swept under the rug for months.

Review as performance management tool pivots to discover employees’ skills and competencies and simultaneously identify the top performers.

10) Performance Appraisal

Performance appraisal is an indispensable performance management tool that every organization has to bring into practice at some time or another. When it comes to performance appraisal as a metric to evaluate employee performance, these three functions are consistently implemented;

(1) Providing adequate and quality feedback to employees in accordance with their skills and performance

(2) To serve as a performance changer to develop effective working habits

(3) To provide data to managers through which they can evaluate future work assignments

Performance appraisals are an essential aspect of performance management tools and promote organizational and employee growth. It helps in gauging the productivity of an employee.

Organizations use performance management software to evaluate their overall workforce performance. To set goals, measure and track their progress, evaluate performance, give reviews and feedback, and provide rewards & compensation in accordance with their performance.

Benefits of Performance Management Tools

It is not mandatory to measure the performance of employees in the organization. But measuring the performance of an employee at regular intervals provides number of benefits to the organization as well as employees. Here are some of the benefits of Performance Management Tools:

1. Provides Clarity

Performance Management provides a clarity to the employees related to their performance. It helps them to understand their goals achieved, targets that are yet to be achieved etc. It helps them to make necessary strategy to achieve their goals on time.

2. Improves employee efficiency

Employees are provided with appraisals and promotion based on their performance scale. If they are performing well they are likely to get a salary hike or promotion. It motivates employees to improve their performance so that they can get appraisals.

3. Enhances job satisfaction

As soon as employees get clarity of their job role and targets they are more satisfied with their job role. It also creates opportunities for self improvement, defined career path etc. This autonomy turns employees towards their growth which ultimately results in job satisfaction.

4. Increases employee motivation

PMS tools shows the top performers of the month which in turn motivates the employees to provide their best so that they can grow in their career. 
Companies can choose to provide appreciation or monetary benefits to those employees who outperform during a particular period.

5. Enables decision making power of employees

Timely performance management of employees enhances the decision making power of employees as it guides them what is good for them in order to achieve their targets on time. Enhanced decision making skills helps employees to achieve their targets on time.

Summing Up

Employee performance management tools and processes are crucial aspects that influence employee growth and organizational development very significantly. A Gartner report portrayed that 95% of managers are not satisfied with the performance management practices they’re implementing in their companies.

If organizations review their processes and utilize solutions like Zimyo as their performance management tools, they can keep their employees engaged and empowers their business to stay ahead of the competition. 


Also Read : Top 11 Performance Management Software in India

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