Getting performance management right isn’t just about setting annual goals or holding occasional reviews—it’s about creating a consistent, structured process that helps your people grow, stay motivated, and deliver their best work.
When performance management is done well, it provides clarity on expectations, supports development, and creates a culture of accountability. Done poorly, it can leave employees disengaged, unclear on their goals, and disconnected from organisational priorities.
Only with full support and guidance can they contribute positively and effectively to meeting (and fingers crossed, exceeding) your organisation’s goals, which is the goal, right?
In this post, we’ll look at how to get performance management right; from setting effective goals and tracking progress to addressing challenges constructively.
Why focus on performance management?
Effectively managing your people’s performance gives them a real chance to thrive in their roles. With consistent, regular feedback, your team has a clear idea of what they need to do to reach their targets and how their efforts work towards the overall goal of the team.
The knock-on effects of this include enhanced employee engagement and an uplift in motivation and productivity. All of which are a plus for your business, as a happier, productive team means they’ll be doing their jobs considerably better. And we all know what that means—your bottom line will reap the rewards.
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What makes up a solid performance management strategy?
Every strategy starts with clear direction. Defining and setting goals gives your people a framework to work within and a way to measure progress. One of the most effective (and simple!) approaches is the SMART goal framework:
- Specific: Goals should be clear and detailed, answering the who, what, where, when, and why.
- Measurable: Make sure progress can be tracked with data or tangible outcomes.
- Achievable: Set realistic objectives that challenge employees without setting them up for failure.
- Relevant: Align each goal with wider organisational priorities to keep everyone moving in the same direction.
- Time-bound: Set deadlines to drive focus and keep everything on track.
Using SMART goals helps employees stay focused and makes sure their efforts contribute directly to organisational success.
How can I monitor performance?
There are a few ways you can track, monitor, and measure your team’s performance.
Regular feedback
One of the most important things is to keep performance check-ins regular; it’s not just a tick-box exercise you can complete once and see success.
This means scheduling regular feedback meetings—it can be as simple as a quick weekly 1-1 or a call following the end of a campaign or project.
Regular reviews throughout the year, alongside continuous feedback, are a great way to keep the conversation going. This’ll allow you to feed back, set goals, and assess performance accurately, engaging in a two-way dialogue about performance. Because if you’re half-heartedly appraising your team once a year and doing nothing in between to stay on track, you can expect to fall short of your organisational targets.
Performance appraisals
Regular meetings set the stage for lengthier appraisals, which are usually held on a quarterly, biannual, or even annual basis. These appraisals give you and your team members a chance to see how things are going, what they’re doing well—and not so well—as well as how productive they’re being. They’re also a prime opportunity to define expectations for both you and your team, offer practical feedback, track progress, and set any new SMART goals.
Performance metrics
Using metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) can be an effective way to measure if your people are meeting their targets. You can use appropriate metrics to measure everything from overall performance to particular tasks or projects.
It’s important to make sure you’re using metrics that actually promote the performance you want for your organisation. When used right, metrics can act as a compass against which you can check if your company is heading in the right direction. You should also be prepared to adjust metrics, goals, or processes if the data shows a need for change. Being flexible keeps your strategy stays relevant and effective.
Identifying training needs and growth opportunities
When you’re consistently monitoring performance, you’ll be able to easily see the areas your people need further training and development. This’ll offer them ample opportunity for growth, helping them meet their potential within their role.
With frequent support and the ability to constantly progress, it not only personally empowers your people, but also gives them the chance to be part of a flourishing workplace culture. Company success and employee happiness go hand in hand, after all.
Best practices for performance management
There are many challenges that can pop up in the performance management process. But, if you build your strategy around a solid framework, you have a strong foundation to work from. We’ve gathered a list of best practices for building around your framework, and it all starts with your leadership.
Leadership
Your team leaders and department heads should set an excellent example from the top down. It’s important to train your senior team so they can be equipped with the necessary skills to guide and engage your teams. And a big part of that is the ability to communicate clearly, playing an active role in the development and implementation of performance strategies. Your leaders should do just that—lead.
Communication
Communication is a two-way street. An effective performance strategy relies on constant conversation and collaboration between management and their teams.
Leadership should have the necessary skills to set expectations for your team and offer constructive feedback that gives your people the chance to grow and develop, as well as making them feel safe and supported. Your people should feel able to approach their seniors, as well as HR, at any time for guidance, support, and with any queries.
Consideration
As we’ve touched upon before, for performance management to work, you need to create a space where your team want to engage—and that means encouraging them to engage with the performance management process.
It’s also important to consider that while one strategy will work for one department, it might not work for another. Tailoring your approach, from the frequency you communicate to how you communicate (insights profiles can be great for this), can make the management process much more successful.
Always make sure each team member’s goals are in line with your own organisational objectives.
Addressing underperformance
Underperformance can be difficult to navigate if one or more of your team aren’t hitting the mark.
Make sure you have protocols in place to address underperformance, balancing being sensitive to your team members while keeping your organisational goals in mind.
To address underperformance, we suggest the following steps:
- Understand why they are underperforming; by identifying the root cause (which could be anything from lack of skills to poor time management or even personal issues) means you can effectively combat the issue.
- Schedule an appraisal for the team member in question and outline a plan where expectations for improvements are crystal clear, making sure to include timelines and clarify goals.
- Offer your team members extra support to achieve the plan. This could be anything from mentoring to training to enhance their skills and confidence. And of course, keep lines of communication open at all times.
- Make sure you regularly check in and monitor progress as resolving underperformance will take more than one conversation. This means regularly giving feedback on their progress and positive recognition when deserved.
If performance doesn’t improve or show any signs of future progression, it may be time to make a decision. The two most common solutions at this point are reassignment and termination. Termination is never pleasant and can get complicated, so you need to follow all HR procedures and policies regarding termination
Get performance management right every time
Happy, productive employees who are realising their potential on the job will do their best for you. You’ll see engagement, morale, and productivity considerably increase and give your organisation the best possible chance at success.
Our fully integrated suite of HR software, packed with full performance management features.
Cintra knows performance, and our software can help flawlessly execute your performance strategy, with:
- Goals and OKRs
- Real-time continuous feedback
- 1:1 check ins
- Progress reports
- Performance analytics
- Automated performance reviews.
Cintra People HR Software
HR software that brings HRIS, payroll, performance, and engagement together—helping you see what’s really happening in your workforce, solve challenges quickly, and make work better for everyone.
