Performance management is a process of ensuring the organizational goals are achieved more competently and productively within the organization. Performance management attempts to increase operational performance by aligning internal and external objectives with corporate goals.
Armstrong (2014, p.391) define Performance Management as “A systematic process for improving individual, team and organizational performance” and “The continuous process of improving performance by setting individual teams and goals which are aligned to the strategic goals of the organization, planning performance to achieve the goals, reviewing progress, and developing the knowledge, skills and abilities of the people”
The term “Performance management” is commonly used in the sector of HR since the early 1990s. It is now totally agreed that performance management is a natural process of management that focuses on managing individual to align with organizational goals by employee defined measures, skills, competency requirements, development plans, and results in delivery which helps to keep employees motivated. This will assist the employer to identify employee degradation, complications and take appropriate measure to overcome the situation(Armstrong and Baron, 2005).
Figure 1.0: Evolution of performance management
Source: (Bhattacharyya,2011).
Performance Management Cycle
Effective performance management cycles align the efforts of managers or supervisors and workers with organizational goals (Russell and Russell, 2009). Promote consistency in performance appraisal and encourage all workers to perform at their best. This method ought to be applied fairly and transparently. Many employers or managers now view performance management as an ongoing cycle of activities that links the organization's culture, business goals and strategies to individual performance and contributions (John Mattone,2013).
Figure 2.0: Stages of performance Management development Cycle
Source: (Harvard Business Review,2017)
According to Harvard Business Review (2017) figure 2.0 described as, Planning - Organization employees are set with SMART objectives which aligned to one or more company goals. Developing – Expand the employees’ current expertise and develop a plan to enhance new skills and knowledge to get the best performance out of them. Monitoring and Performing -continually measure performance and provide continuous feedback on manageable methods to help and support them to achieve their goals. Reviewing - The review is to assess the performance of an employee or team based on goals, criteria, and standard that agreed upon during the planning phase by using multiple tools. Once identified, the focus will be on areas that need to redevelop, and cycle again retunes to the planning phase. Rewarding - If all goals are achieved, it’s time to reward employees. By rewarding employees, managers recognize the contribution of employees to the organization and motivate them to engage with more objectives.
References
- Armstrong, M and Taylor, S. (2017) Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 13th ed. London: Kogan Page, Limited.
- Aguinis, H., 2013. Performance Management. 3rd ed. New Jersey: Pearson.
- Armstrong, M. and Baron, A., 2005. Managing Performance. 1st ed. London: CIPD.
- Aguinis, H., 2019. Performance Management. 3rd ed. New Jersey: Pearson.
- Bhattacharyya, D., 2011. Performance Management Systems and Strategies. 1st ed. India: Pearson.
- Business, H., 2017. Hbr Guide To Performance Management (Hbr Guide Series). Harvard Business Review Press.
- Mattone, J., 2013. Powerful Performance Management. 1st ed. New York: AMACOM.
- Performance Reviews into Performance Partnerships. 1st ed. United States: ASTD.
- Russell, J. and Russell, L., 2009. Ultimate Performance Management: Training to Transform Performance Reviews into Performance Partnerships. 1st ed. USA: ASTD Press.