JJ’s foreword

Let’s talk about changing performance

management practices for the better. I don’t
mean changing things for the sake of it, but
rather doing so with a desired outcome in mind.

To start on the right foot, we (organizations and

HR leaders) first need to determine what the
outcome we’re trying to achieve is. Are we looking
to track and monitor performance to inform
compensation decisions? If so, a traditional
annual and rating-driven process might just do
the trick. But let’s be real, this approach often
leads to bias, fairness issues, lack of real growth,
unhelpful feedback… and the list goes on.

I firmly stand by the idea that good performance

management practices create value for everyone
involved: team members, managers, and the
business. No, it’s not just about developing people
— we shouldn’t stop there. It’s also about driving
alignment around shared behaviors and goals,

Rethinking performance management 2

 achieving business outcomes, positively
impacting those around us, and
growing collectively.

So ask yourself: what’s your desired outcome and

why is it important to your organization? Once
you have a crystal-clear view of your destination,
involve your team and work towards getting there
together. The rest will fall into place naturally.

Yours truly,

Julie Jeannotte, HR Expert and

Researcher at Officevibe

Rethinking performance management 3

The future of performance
management
Rethinking performance management 4
 Hey HR: we know it can sometimes feel like you’re stuck between a
rock and a hard place. We hear you. You’re under immense pressure
to deliver results from your processes and tools. You’re often asked
to show the C-suite how people management practices drive
organizational performance, while also keeping employees engaged.
And you’re weathering new ways of working and evolving
employee expectations.

We commend you for your constant effort to maintain an engaged workforce

that contributes to business success. Seriously, it’s a tough balancing act.
But it’s time to address the elephant in the room: in today’s fast-paced world,
traditional HR processes aren’t cutting it (and they’re definitely not helping you).

One of the areas that needs special attention is performance management.

The annual review model is broken, and it’s time to fix it. Why? This model
forces managers to evaluate a year’s worth of work anchored in a single point
in time with limited performance data.

It makes these conversations difficult for managers, and it doesn’t bring value
to the employee. Employees rarely receive performance feedback in real-time
with this approach, which leads to misalignment across the board. And when
employees don’t understand expectations on performance due to lack of
feedback, they’re left demotivated and with the perception that the process as
a whole is unfair.

In short, it’s harder for you to deliver results from your people ops practices.

So, what’s the answer? Employees need frequent feedback and coaching to
succeed, and managers need a playbook to help them deliver just that.

Rethinking performance management 5

 That’s where agile performance management comes in. By focusing on frequent
and open communication, you can create a culture of continuous improvement
that benefits both performance and engagement.

Having a nimble take on performance management gives employees the

feedback they need to succeed and feel confident at work, while also managing
expectations and consistently aligning everyone on shared objectives.

At Officevibe, we’ve been working to make people management more

human and collaborative for nearly a decade. Our engagement platform has
features that spark healthy conversation and enable employees to do their best
work. Now, we’re tackling performance with tools to drive agile performance
management that are integrated with our existing OKR goal-setting and one-
on-one meeting features.

Our approach is simple: performance management needs to be done in a

proactive, frequent, and empathetic way. With continuous performance cycles,
managers can provide feedback and coaching in real-time, helping employees
grow and successfully contribute to business objectives. Plus, they’ll be able
to keep track of it all with a rich record of performance data collected over the
entire year.

If you’re struggling with this, it’s time to reshape your mindset around
performance management. Remember, a steady and supportive approach is
the way to increase performance for good. And we’re committed to help you
drive results: you’ll love our new and improved take on
performance management.

Rethinking performance management 6

 Stop just reporting performance.
Drive it with Officevibe.
Design an agile performance management practice
that enables managers to continuously develop their
teams and achieve greater business success.

See how it works

Get a private preview.

Public release Sept. 2023.

Rethinking performance management 7

Rethinking performance management 8
 7 Performance
management
best practices
Incite trust, spark communication, and build solid
manager-employee relationships with these tried-and-true
performance management best practices:

1 Establish clear expectations and goals for each employee that

align with the organization’s objectives.

• Clearly define the responsibilities and deliverables for each role.

• Collaboratively set specific and measurable goals for each employee

to work towards.

2 Provide regular feedback and coaching to employees.

• Schedule regular check-ins with employees to discuss progress

towards their goals.

• Provide both positive and constructive feedback in a timely and

actionable manner.

• Help employees develop their skills and talents through coaching and
training opportunities.

3 Encourage open communication between managers

and employees.

• Create a culture where employees feel comfortable sharing their

ideas, concerns, and feedback.

• Regularly ask employees for feedback on their work experience and

how you can better support them.

Rethinking performance management 9

 4 Use technology to streamline performance management
processes and collect data.

• Collect and analyze performance data to identify trends and areas for
improvement.

• Use data to support decisions around promotions, salary increases,

and other performance-related decisions.

5 Recognize and reward good performance and strong efforts.

• Celebrate achievements and milestones with employees.

• Don’t let hard work and efforts go unnoticed.

• Always pass positive peer feedback along.

6 Foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

• Enable employees to take on new challenges and learn new skills.

• Provide opportunities for professional development and growth.

• Make these opportunities visible and easily accessible for all.

7 Create a fair and equitable performance management process.

• Ensure that performance expectations, feedback, and rewards are

consistent across your entire team.

• Avoid biases and discrimination in performance

management decisions.

Rethinking performance management 10

 Agile performance
management action plan
Jumpstart your company’s transition toward agile
performance management by sharing a comprehensive
action plan with your managers. Remember, nimbleness
is your friend. Use the table below as a general guideline
but be sure to adjust it according to your employee and
managers’ needs.

Performance Talking Points

checkpoints

New hire • Make sure your employee is settling in well and

check-in forming strong connections with other
team members.
30 days after
start date • Clarify job responsibilities and expectations
• Discuss any initial questions or concerns they
may have.
• Set clear goals for the first 90 days.

One-on-ones • Discuss progress on current projects and tasks.

• Create a feedback loop by sharing and asking for
Weekly or biweekly
ongoing feedback.
• Discuss any issues or roadblocks they’re facing
and ask how you can help.

Goal-setting • Discuss and identify personal development

discussions SMART goals.
• Discuss and identify goals tied to team and
Every 3 to 6 months
company objectives.
• Discuss key results to measure and track
each goal.
Note: Aim to set at least 3 active goals per goal-setting meeting.

Rethinking performance management 11

 Career • Check-in on the employee’s satisfaction with their
development current role.
discussions • Discuss potential career development
opportunities
Every 6 months
• Identify relevant training and learning opportunities
and set goals around them to ensure progress.

Performance • Discuss progress on current projects and tasks.

checkpoints • Consistently realign on expectations and provide
performance feedback to help them grow.
Every 3 months
• Review progress on goals set during the new hire
check-in or their latest goal-setting meeting.
• Discuss recent performance and provide feedback
on strengths and areas for improvement.
• Share positive and constructive feedback from
their peers.
• Discuss any recent challenges and how they
overcame them.
• Recognize and celebrate their achievements.
• Check-in on the employee’s career goals
and interests.
• Identify any needs or resources that can better
support them.

Annual • Recap the main points from your performance

performance chats throughout the year.
recaps • Review progress on the action items and goals set.
Annually • Share your highlights of the year.
• If applicable, discuss salary increases according to
your company’s compensation policy.

Rethinking performance management 12

 CONVERSATION SERIES

Demystify and dissect

performance management

Learn about what’s next in the world of performance

management and get expert advice on how to
empower managers in Ep. 7 of Vibe Check.

Start listening now

with Meredith Haberfeld,

founder and CEO at ThinkHuman