Navigating Performance Management

In this insightful episode of Navigating Performance Management, we had the pleasure of speaking with Katie Woods-Riddick, Chief People Officer at PX Limited. With over two decades of HR experience, Katie shared her valuable perspectives on integrating performance management into a company's people strategy.

Key Takeaways:

• Performance Management as a Strategic Tool: Katie emphasized that performance management goes beyond ensuring employees do their jobs. It's about setting meaningful objectives aligned with the company's strategy and helping individuals understand their contribution to the company's success.
• Aligning Objectives: At PX, the process starts with board objectives, which cascade down to senior leadership and further into business units, eventually reaching individual employees. This ensures everyone's goals are interconnected and contribute to the company's overarching aims.
• The Importance of Timeliness: Katie acknowledged the challenge of timely execution in performance management. PX addresses this by setting strict deadlines and using their performance management system to facilitate the process.
• Personalisation at Scale: The flexibility of the Appraised platform allows PX to cater to the diverse needs of their workforce, from apprentices to seasoned professionals. Not everyone is looking for career progression or development at the same time, and the system accommodates this variety.
• Feedback and Development: The system at PX enables personalised feedback and development requests, which are crucial for individual growth. It allows employees to seek specific feedback that can help them improve in their roles.
• Senior Leadership Buy-In: Katie shared advice for HR leaders looking to get their senior leadership team on board with performance management. She suggested framing it in terms of business metrics like employee engagement, retention, and productivity, rather than as a compliance exercise.
• Continuous Evolution: Katie and the PX team are committed to evolving their performance management processes to stay ahead and be an employer of choice. The Appraised system supports this by facilitating meaningful conversations and adapting to the organisation's changing needs.

Conclusion:

Our conversation with Katie Woods-Riddick was a testament to the value of a well-integrated performance management system. It's clear that when executed strategically, performance management can be a powerful tool for aligning individual goals with company objectives, fostering employee development, and ultimately driving business success.

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In this episode of "Navigating Performance Management, Your Compass to HR Success," we had the pleasure of speaking with Ana Cengic, Associate Director HR at Affinity Private Wealth. Our conversation centred around the transformative approach Affinity has taken towards employee check-ins and performance management.

Key Takeaways:

Monthly Check-Ins: Affinity conducts monthly check-ins to maintain transparency and address issues promptly. This frequency allows for regular feedback and recognition, ensuring there are no surprises during annual reviews.

Manager Training: New managers undergo a six-month training program to learn about effective people management, including setting SMART goals and KPIs. Affinity encourages managers to develop their own style while providing guidance and ensuring check-ins occur regularly.

Technology Integration: Using the Appraised platform, Affinity has moved away from paper-based systems to a more streamlined, digital approach. This allows for pre-meeting input from employees and real-time updates during check-ins, making the process efficient and less administrative.

Annual Reviews: Despite the frequent check-ins, Affinity still values an annual review process. It serves as a reflective period for both employees and the company to evaluate the past year and set future goals.

Avoiding Micromanagement: Regular check-ins are tailored to avoid micromanagement, with flexibility around schedules and an emphasis on the importance of these meetings for employee retention and satisfaction.

Continuous Improvement: The check-in process at Affinity is dynamic, with adjustments made in response to feedback from all levels of the organisation. This includes the introduction of quarterly check-ups for senior management to stay informed about employee performance.

Advice for Other Companies:

Ana suggests that companies looking to implement a similar system should first ensure manager buy-in through proper training. It's crucial for managers to understand the benefits of frequent check-ins for themselves and their teams.

Connect with Ana:

Listeners interested in learning more or seeking advice from Ana can find her contact details on the Affinity Private Wealth website under the team's page.

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Roly Walter, Founder of Appraisd welcomed Emma King to discuss feedback and performance management at Costello Medical, where she oversees 400 employees across four countries as Head of People.

Importance of feedback

Emma framed feedback as essential for career development, encouraging managers to provide it informally and frequently to avoid criticism and enable growth.

Giving feedback frequently

Emma advocated daily feedback through catch-ups to normalise conversations and address issues promptly, complementing biannual 360 reviews which identify improvement areas.

Using technology for feedback

Emma saw technology like Appraisd as helpful but not replacing human conversations; managers still discuss feedback to ensure understanding and follow-through on goals.

Talent development and growth

Emma focused on progression opportunities for Costello's ambitious, specialised talent through responsibilities, mentorship and identifying high performers via consistent, honest feedback.

Feedback and organisational culture

Emma linked feedback and integrity to Costello's values, believing openness and honesty about performance ultimately enables the company to deliver quality work and expand in their sector.

Remote working balance

Emma discussed Costello's 50% office policy for mentorship and collaboration benefits, while also allowing focused remote feedback delivery through technology like Slack.

Future of feedback processes

Emma planned process changes like annual versus biannual reviews due to regular check-ins already occurring; technology would help identify feedback themes to guide career-long development.

In this episode Roly Walter, Founder of Appraisd welcomed Elizma Els, Head of Human Capital, Boxfusion to discuss her experience implementing OKRs at Boxfusion.

Setting OKRs quarterly with feedback

Boxfusion cascades annual company goals into departmental and individual OKRs. They review progress quarterly and make adjustments to ensure objectives stay relevant as business needs change. This agile process keeps everyone aligned.

Educating employees on OKR process and purpose

Elizma overhauled Box Fusion's OKR training after the initial attempt failed to engage employees. She educated them monthly on concepts and benefits to gain buy-in for transparently tracking contributions to company success.

Cross-departmental collaboration through OKRs

Mixed team brainstorming linked initiatives across departments, like marketing assisting HR's employer branding. OKRs authorised cross-team partnerships to tackle goals requiring diverse perspectives.

Transparency and accountability with OKR reporting

The Appraised system flags incomplete OKRs for follow up. Managers and employees track progress toward linked goals, fostering responsibility. Visibility into everyone's work prevents objectives from being forgotten.

Common OKR pitfalls to avoid

Elizma warned against rushing implementation and annual evaluations that surprise employees. Regular coaching builds confidence in ongoing feedback outside formal reviews. Thorough training explains goals' purpose to motivate participation.

www.appraisd.com

In this episode, Roly speaks to Steve Dania, Learning and Development Manager at Sheffield Haworth about connecting performance management with talent development. Steve explains how good performance management that taps into individual motivations can inspire employees to create the best outcomes for them and their employer.

HR transformation consultant, Amira Kohler, speaks to Roly Walter, founder of Appraisd, about walking the tightrope of pay and reward when it comes to performance management. They discuss how managers can decouple pay and performance conversations to get the best outcomes for employees, and the dangers of making assumptions about people’s aspirations.

In this episode Tom Blake of BlakeConnolly and Roly Walter, Founder of Appraisd discuss the evolution of performance management, emphasising the shift from heavy annual appraisal processes towards a more individualised approach. 

They highlight the importance of empowering managers to lead performance management and the necessity for training and support for managers.

www.appraisd.com