If you’re a line manager and HR professional, you’ll find that managing employee performance is a large part of your responsibility. While many will say that a solid business strategy is the most important for a company’s success, actualising the business strategy will require that your business has an effective performance management system in place.

An effective performance management system creates a culture of self-leadership, communication, and feedback, empowering employees to take ownership of their goals and responsibilities.

1. Communicate company objectives and define performance expectations

Communicating the company’s objectives and performance expectations help the employees know just what is expected of them.

Organisational goals can often seem quite big and sometimes, far removed from the employee’s daily job responsibilities. However, managers can help employees contribute their quota to the company’s objectives by translating it to goals and objectives for the department and then cascading into individual-level goals.

2. Create a culture of regular check-ins and constant feedback

Having regular check-ins to discuss results on set goals and share feedback on performance is essential so that employees know when they are doing well so they can do even better, and are informed about the aspects they need to improve on. It is also a way for managers to get feedback from direct reports and understand or identify any challenges they may be experiencing in getting their work done.

3. Introduce 360-degree appraisals

Unlike regular performance reviews where only the manager appraises the employee, 360-degree reviews collect feedback about the employee from different angles; from their manager, coworkers, subordinates, and even their clients if they work in a client-facing role. 360-degree appraisals help to give a more rounded view of the employee.

4. Acknowledge exceptional achievements

Make it a point to acknowledge (and where possible, reward) individuals who have exceeded expectations to show that their hard work has not been going unnoticed and encourage the rest of the team to strive to do better.

5. Prioritise employee’s training and development

Effective performance management systems should include technical and behavioural evaluation of employees’ to determine their current proficiency level. It should also allow for the development of an action plan or personal development plan to bridge any gaps that may exist.

6. Using performance management software

Implementing an effective performance management system ultimately leads to improved results from team members, which eventually translates to better organisational performance.

Using software like SeamlessPerformance can simplify your performance management process, making it easier to share review forms, set 360 reviews, track individual goals, and set up and remind stakeholders about scheduled reviews and check-ins. SeamlessPerformance also has a simple interface that makes it easy to use for managers and direct reports alike, making the entire performance management process a truly seamless one.