Continuous performance management (CPM) monitors employee performance and focuses on continuous, regular feedback and coaching rather than annual or semi-annual performance evaluations.
According to a Gartner study, 81% of HR leaders have already deployed or plan to use continuous performance management. In another Deloitte research, organizations that offer frequent feedback to employees have 14.9% lower turnover rates than those that do not.
This transition to continuous performance management reflects an increasing realization that traditional performance management is frequently unproductive and demotivating for employees.
Conventional performance management often entails an organized, yearly, or semi-annual review process in which workers get feedback on their previous year's performance and create goals for the following year. This time-consuming method frequently focuses on previous success rather than future improvement.
Adobe is an example of a company that successfully uses continuous performance management. The company ditched its standard performance evaluation procedure in 2012 in favor of a more continuous approach. Instead of yearly reviews, the new system, dubbed "Check-In," required regular check-ins between managers and staff.
The Check-In method focuses on goal setting, feedback, and skill improvement, emphasizing continual growth and development. Adobe noticed a large boost in employee engagement and a drop in voluntary attrition.
What is continuous performance management?
Continuous Performance Management (CPM) is a modern way to manage performance that is based on real-time feedback and improvement. It differs from the usual yearly performance review procedure, which has been chastised for being too infrequent, restrictive, and ineffective.
CPM focuses on a more flexible, collaborative, and human-centered approach to performance management that connects employee goals with company objectives and promotes continuous learning and development.
CPM has numerous critical components, including:
- Continuous feedback and coaching: CPM requires managers and staff to meet frequently for check-ins and feedback sessions. This allows employees to receive constructive feedback more frequently, seek clarification, and make course changes as needed. Both positive and negative feedback should be given regularly so that individuals know what they're doing well and what needs improvement.
- Clear expectations and goal-setting: CPM highlights the necessity of having clear employee expectations and goals that align with the organization's strategy and objectives. This helps workers understand what is expected of them and how their job contributes to the firm's success.
- Frequent check-ins: Rather than yearly or bi-annual performance evaluations, CPM entails regular and informal check-ins between managers and staff. These meetings can occur weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, depending on company culture and preference. The frequency should be such that it helps employees stay on track and make necessary changes if needed. This enables more quick feedback, course modifications, and discussions about career development and progress.
- Performance data and analytics: CPM uses data and analytics to monitor and analyze employee performance, identify areas for improvement, and make better decisions regarding talent development and workforce planning.
- Technology tools: CPM frequently incorporates the use of technological tools, such as performance management software, to aid in the process of creating objectives, measuring progress, and delivering feedback. For example, tools such as performance dashboards, feedback apps, or goal-setting software can help managers and employees stay on track with their performance goals.
- People development: People development programs are critical for maintaining top personnel and guaranteeing their professional growth and advancement. Training programs, mentorship, and job shadowing are examples of this. Individuals should be given the opportunity to develop new skills, take on challenging tasks, and receive constructive feedback.
- Recognition and rewards: Acknowledging and rewarding employees for their efforts and accomplishments is essential to continuous performance management. Verbal praise, bonuses, promotions, and other incentives are all types of recognition. The acknowledgment should be related to particular acts or behaviors and in line with the underlying values and aims of the firm.
Organizations may solve the inadequacies of existing methods and build a more engaging, adaptable, and agile performance management process by transitioning from traditional to continuous performance management.
We will go deeper into the benefits and best practices of continuous performance management in the following sections and how firms may successfully use this strategy.
Need for continuous performance management
1. Brings in agility
Conventional performance management methods may be time-consuming and rigid, making it difficult for firms to adjust rapidly to changing business demands.
Continuous performance management, on the other hand, enables firms to be more flexible and responsive since managers and employees may alter objectives and priorities more regularly and give feedback and assistance in real-time. In today's fast-paced corporate climate, this can help firms remain competitive.
2. Increases employee engagement
People want to feel appreciated and encouraged in their jobs, and frequent feedback and coaching may help address those demands. Continuous performance management may help individuals feel more involved in their work by giving continuing support and growth opportunities, leading to higher performance, enhanced job satisfaction, and increased retention.
3. Better performance
Improving people performance is one of the key aims of performance management. Managers may assist staff in identifying areas for development and taking action to address them by offering regular feedback and coaching. This might result in greater performance and results for both the person and the company.
4. Improved collaboration
When managers and individuals work together to define goals, track progress, and identify areas for improvement, continuous performance management encourages stronger cooperation.
This may lead to greater communication, stronger connections, and a more favorable work atmosphere. Collaboration also assists managers and staff in remaining focused on the organization's goals and priorities.
5. Fosters learning and experimentation
Continuous performance management stresses continuing learning and development, which is critical for people to remain competitive in today's fast-changing employment market.
Organizations that prioritize development may recruit and keep top personnel while also fostering a culture of constant improvement and progress. This emphasis on growth can also make employees feel more involved in their work, leading to higher engagement and job satisfaction.
Organizations gain from continuous performance management in various ways, including enhanced agility, higher employee engagement, improved performance, increased cooperation, and a focus on growth.
This helps them develop a culture of high performance and engagement that fosters success and growth by taking a more flexible, agile, and employee-centric approach.
Benefits of continuous performance management
In this section, we will explore key benefits of continuous performance management, such as improved employee engagement, enhanced goal alignment, and more effective decision-making.
We will also provide examples of companies successfully implementing this approach and reaping the rewards.
1. Employee engagement
Increased employee engagement is one of the key benefits of continuous performance management. Employees who receive regular feedback and coaching feel more engaged to their job, more involved in their growth and development, and more aligned with the organization's aims and values. Employees involved in their job are more likely to be productive, innovative, and devoted to accomplishing their objectives.
2. Opportunities for feedback and coaching
Continuous performance management gives people continual feedback and coaching, which may assist them in identifying areas for growth, building on their strengths, and developing new abilities. This continual assistance may help individuals feel more secure and empowered at work, which can increase overall performance and job satisfaction.
3. Ensures goal alignment
Ongoing performance management ensures that individuals' objectives are linked with the firm's goals, which can increase overall performance and productivity. Managers and staff can stay on track and focus on the proper objectives by evaluating and updating goals regularly.
4. Better decision-making
Continuous performance management gives managers real-time data and insights into their workers' performance, which may assist in informing talent management, promotion, and succession planning decisions.
Managers may identify top performers, resolve performance concerns, and make educated decisions about allocating resources and engaging in employee development by analyzing performance data regularly.
Organizations may foster a high-performance culture, continuous improvement, and employee growth by prioritizing continual performance management.
Best practices of continuous performance management
Make it a part of the culture
Continuous performance management should be viewed as a continuous activity interwoven into the organization's culture and values. It should be a constant endeavor to enhance performance and grow personnel, not a one-time event.
Establish clear expectations
Managers should create clear objectives and goals for their personnel and convey them regularly to maintain alignment and responsibility. This assists employees in understanding what is expected of them and what they must do to succeed.
Encourage regular feedback
Frequent feedback and coaching are essential components of ongoing performance management. Managers should offer timely and positive feedback to employees and encourage open contact with them. Employees benefit from staying on target, improving their abilities, and feeling appreciated and encouraged.
Make use of technology
Technology has the potential to streamline and automate the continuous performance management process, making it more efficient and effective. Performance management software, online coaching tools, and mobile applications for tracking and managing objectives are examples of this.
Foster a growth mindset
Ongoing performance management should prioritize growth and development above assessment and appraisal. Employees should be encouraged to take chances, learn from their failures, and embrace new challenges and possibilities.
Allow people to evaluate themselves
Workers should be encouraged to evaluate their own performance, strengths, and areas for growth. This can assist them in taking ownership of their growth and actively participating in the process of continuous performance management.
Recognize excellent performance
Acknowledging and rewarding outstanding performance may help encourage and engage personnel. These might include bonuses, promotions, and other rewards for meeting and surpassing goals.
Examples of continuous performance management success
GE ditched its regular yearly performance assessment procedure in favor of a more adaptable, continual feedback approach. Managers are urged to offer regular feedback to staff throughout the year rather than waiting for the yearly evaluation under this arrangement. This strategy enables managers to detect and handle performance concerns more quickly and effectively, which can boost employee engagement and productivity.
Moreover, GE has a "talent marketplace" system that allows employees to apply for new jobs and projects depending on their abilities and interests. This strategy has aided in the promotion of staff development and career advancement, which may lead to increased levels of engagement and retention.
With its "Performance Snapshot" tool, Deloitte has also adopted continuous performance management. This application enables managers and staff to track goal progress and receive continuous feedback on their performance.
Managers are urged to meet with their staff frequently to review progress and offer feedback, which may aid in identifying and addressing performance concerns in a more timely and efficient manner. After employing this strategy, Deloitte has seen considerable employee engagement and retention increases. Furthermore, the corporation employs a "career adviser" system, which gives people career development assistance and support.
Continuous performance management has been successfully implemented by GE and Deloitte, demonstrating the relevance of constant feedback and coaching in boosting employee engagement and productivity.
Organizations may increase employee engagement, retention, and productivity by encouraging personal growth and development through regular feedback and coaching. So how do you implement continuous performance management?
Implementing continuous performance management
Organizations should prioritize the following while implementing CPM:
- Communicating the benefits of CPM to employees and management and ensuring that everyone is on the same page with the program's aims and objectives.
- Giving managers and staff training and assistance to help them acquire the skills needed to deliver and accept feedback properly.
- Investing in technological tools and performance management software to help with goal planning, tracking progress, and offering feedback.
- Assuring that staff goals are aligned with company objectives and that a clear procedure for defining and changing goals is in place.
- Collecting and evaluating performance data regularly to discover areas for improvement and make better-informed decisions about talent development and workforce planning.
Implementing continuous performance management can take time and effort. But investing in it ultimately leads to a more engaged and productive workforce that is better aligned with the organization's goals and objectives.
Summing up
With its emphasis on continuing feedback, coaching, and growth, continuous performance management has emerged as a potent alternative to traditional performance management methods.
Organizations may foster a culture of continuous learning and growth by transitioning from yearly or bi-annual performance assessments to monthly check-ins and feedback. This helps both workers and the firm as a whole. Companies may also use continuous performance management to connect employee goals with company goals, improve decision-making, and boost employee engagement and retention. This helps them construct a high-performing and engaged workforce that promotes corporate success by adopting best practices such as continual feedback and coaching, clear objectives and goal setting, regular check-ins, performance data and analytics, technological tools, and employee development.
Continuous performance management is not a fad, but rather a required transformation in how businesses approach performance management, with considerable advantages for both people and the organization.
