Performance Management Tech - Part I
SteveIn my HR Technology class this quarter, we are fortunate to get the chance to use a 'real' Performance Management system, courtesy of Halogen Software.
Before class this week, only one out of sixteen students had ever 'touched' an automated performance management system before. Since these systems are so critical in supporting numerous crucial enterprise management functions (goal setting and alignment, pay-for-performance, potential RIF, support for development plans and succession plans, to name a few), the opportunity for students to test, examine, and offer comments on a real enterprise-strength performance management system is incredibly valuable.
After running through the basics of configuring a performance appraisal process, we jumped in to have the students complete a self-appraisal, and once submitted, move on to a manager's appraisal of a direct report.
As 'live' software exercises go, it went really well, one or two minor glitches (one resolved by a student) and overall the students were really impressed and energized with the activity.
Of the many features we discussed in class, the one that generated the most excitement was the 'Comment Helper'. This tool, common in many performance management solutions, provides the manager with some sample comment text to support a particular performance rating of a competency. For example, if the manager assigns a 'Below Expectations' rating for the competency of 'Decision Making', the comment helper will default in a comment like "Joe frequently fails to make a decision in a timely manner, causing delays and errors". Halogen also offers a neat tool called 'Nuance', which allows the manager to simply click an 'Up' arrow to make the comment slightly more positive, or a 'Down' arrow to make the comment more negative. After the 'suggested' comments are filled in, the manager can revise them further as desired. Better still, the 'Up' arrow is colored green, and the 'Down' arrow is red. The students really enjoyed experimenting with this feature, and one student indicated this ability would make him much more likely to author more detailed, meaningful feedback when writing appraisals, avoiding the 'blank page syndrome'.
The point? A relatively simple technology feature like the comment helper can really go a long way towards helping managers in a critical business activity, giving accurate and relevant feedback to employees. Technology is not always the answer to business problems, but sometimes it really can be.
Once again, many thanks to Halogen, especially Connie Costigan, Brent Eyre, and Maggie Patterson.
If you find yourself in the market for Talent Management solutions, you really should give them a call (or an e-mail, or a Tweet).
Reader Comments (4)
Terrific post. Thanks, I will need to look into it.
Thanks Maven, the folks at Halogen have been so great to work with an so generous with their time and resources that they deserve some accolades. Honestly, they have not asked me to blog or really promote them, they just thought it made sense to help my class and it fits their company culture. Believe me, I solicited many other vendors in this space and no one else was willing to step up the way my friends at Halogen have.
The Halogen PM Apps sounds great. I'm pretty sure our PM app does not have a "Nuance" tool. Bummer.
It sounds like a great idea to help managers out by giving them a comment helper, but there are problems with that. For one, I have found that employees know if the comments are really their manager 'speaking'. If they see the comments just don't jive with the way their manager normally says things, they will dismiss them altogether. There is another, perhaps even more damaging problem with this tool. A lawyer who specializes in this area wrote a book on employee appraisals and talks to this point: http://tinyurl.com/adxzpz
I advise my clients to use a different approach that's easy to teach managers to use.