Experience
Our staff has comprehensive experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of all aspects of performance management systems. This experience includes the design of systems with traditional supervisory appraisal instruments as well as those with 360-degree feedback rating processes. Further, our staff and organization have implemented appraisal systems in a variety of private and public sector organizations.
Description of Services
Performance management is a critical component of an organization's human resource programs. The Center provides a variety of services either to improve existing performance management systems or to design new, customized performance management systems for organizations.
We work with an organization to design an appraisal system that is tailored to specific needs. Ultimately, the appraisal results can be used for employee development, for administrative decision making, or as criteria to validate a selection process. Working with an organization, we identify specific needs and design a process that best meets those needs. The appraisal process development may include designing an appraisal instrument, providing consultation on how to administer and use the appraisal process, designing and implementing rater training, designing and implementing an individual development planning process, and designing and implementing a 360-degree feedback process. Our capabilities in the area of performance management are described more specifically in the following sections.
Performance Management System Consultation
Depending on a client's needs, we can provide consultation on improving an existing appraisal system, rather than designing a new system. This consultation may focus on such things as revising the existing appraisal instrument, adding additional rating sources into the process, revising or designing an individual development planning process to compliment the system, or designing/delivering rater training on the process.
Identifying Competencies and Designing the Performance Appraisal Instrument
We meet with subject matter experts to design the appropriate criteria against which employees will be evaluated. These criteria may be specific to a given job. In addition, we can identify those core competencies that an organization expects from all employees and include these in the appraisal instrument. We often write these competencies to reinforce the organization's vision and values.
Individual Development Planning Process
In addition to appraising performance, successful performance management systems include well-designed development planning processes. We work with organizations to design a thorough development planning process that includes components such as goal setting and developmental resource materials. Managers can use this process to help employees set development goals and ultimately improve their performance.
Rater Training
A key component of the success and legal defensibility of a new appraisal process is training of the raters or evaluators. Our staff designs customized rater training programs to orient and train managers and other employees on the use of a performance management system.
360-degree Feedback
In addition to traditional performance management, the Center also can provide organizations with a comprehensive 360-degree feedback program. These 360-degree feedback systems include performance ratings from multiple sources such as peers, subordinates, supervisors, and customers.
Our 360-degree feedback systems are tailored to each organization's needs. We work with organizations to design and manage the rating process which may involve consultation on appropriate rating sources, survey distribution processes, feedback report design and generation, rater training, and process communication. Finally, we develop a feedback process that may include delivery of feedback to employees and design of development planning workshops and development resource guides that give employees resources on which to draw to improve their skills.
Online Performance Management System
The Center has designed an online performance management system allowing clients to solicit feedback from individuals within and outside the organization,tailor performance standards to an individual's unique position, establish performance goals, and monitor performance throughout the evaluation period.