Over the last few years I have seen different surveys to measure or gauge employee performance as well as many different performance management and improvement systems. They can play a role to help evaluate an employee’s performance, track progress on goals and facilitate feedback. However, I think at times they lose sight of what is important and required by business organizations. When we talk with senior executives what they need, and what is high performance from all employees.

Employee Performance Surveys

These often ask questions related to:

  • How productive is this employee?
  • How good is the quality of this employee’s work?
  • How proactive is this employee?

While these questions are good to assess an employee, they don’t delve into the what would enable improvements! For example, they don’t determine what would:

  • Make an employee more productive
  • Enable or help the employee to deliver better quality in their work or
  • Encourage the employee to be more proactive in their work and take the initiative

Would this not be more important to know? Knowing this would help the employee and management improve the employee’s performance by taking direct action on items that deliver higher performance! An example: If an employee needs to be recognized and appreciated for their work to feel proud of their contributions, be motivated in their work and be more productive would it not make sense to regularly recognize the employee for their effort and achievement?

Performance Management Systems

Similarly, performance management systems enable companies to identify key goals, establish time frames and facilitate feedback and comments, typically within a manageable on-line platform. Yet again these capabilities don’t directly address what actions should be taken to help the employee achieve their goals and targets!

For example, if a company goal for the employee is to reduce quality defects by 15%. What is necessary to help them achieve this goal. Would training be important to help them understand quality standards or procedures. Could coaching help them with issues and challenges they are facing? What steps could be taken to build pride in the employee’s ability to deliver quality and ensure that they personally committed to improving the quality of product they produce versus simply trying to achieve another company goal?

Take time to focus on how employee performance can be improved, not just to identify goals and measure their performance against those goals.

Engaged2Perform is backed by more than 30 years of experience developing process-driven strategic management tools, leadership training, and educational resources, we empower companies to achieve new levels of productivity, growth, and profit. Give us a call today at 519-656-1066 for a free consultation or send us a quick note.