The Performance Management Trend You Haven’t Heard Of

Let’s face it-few things get as many eyes rolling as the topic of performance management. But it’s time to make this crucial driver of talent performance more fun and engaging…and the way to do that? By making it social.

With all the buzz about social media and cloud computing it is easy to miss how social performance management is transforming the way organizations approach talent management processes such as goal setting, awards and recognition, and performance reviews. Vendors in this space (such as Rypple, WorkSimple, and I love rewards) are offering easy to use, interactive platforms and web-based tools that facilitate employee interface and measure productivity in intuitive and fun ways.

So why should you consider social performance management?

Sales is an inherently social activity. The way we sell today is also collaborative in nature; just think of how crucial customer intelligence and CRM systems have become. But the traditional annual performance review process is precisely the opposite.  Commercial objectives are constantly changing and our reps receive constant feedback from customers and colleagues. Why wait an entire year to deliver feedback to your sales reps? Our goal should be to deliver feedback as soon as performance information is available and to coach your reps to act on it immediately.

Here are some of the benefits of taking the performance review social:

Real-time balanced feedback-web-based applications made easily accessible across platforms facilitate feedback on an on-going basis. Line managers can adjust performance targets, recommend coaching, and highlight individual and team wins in real-time.
Collaborative goal setting- customizable applications can facilitate goal planning in collaborative and social ways.
Engaging Millennials-intuitive tools for young reps joining your organization that are tech-savvy and expect a digital experience.
Transparency- social tools that ensure bottom-up feedback and foster a culture of greater transparency allow all sales employees to know what everyone is working on and what their goals are.
Added flexibility- these applications provide the freedom to schedule your reviews when they make sense and not when your HR organization tells you to. Have feedback or review conversations when they are most productive (when a rep is in danger of not meeting goal, at the end of a deal close, at the end of a quarter, etc.).
Fun and engaging performance management- employees are passionate about social performance management systems. Social systems make performance management easy to use, invite collaboration, and result in sales employees feeling empowered about their career development.

If creating an employment experience for your sales organization that helps you retain and attract the best talent is at the top of your priority list, then consider making performance management social.

What are your thoughts on social performance management systems? Any other benefits you’d add to the list?

Members check out the following SEC performance management resources:

Use the Career Planning Questionnaire to structure conversations with your reps around career aspirations for current and future roles.
The Performance Review Preparation Checklist will help you keep track of key activities to perform before initiating a performance review.
Remind your reps about general talent management guidelines summarized in the Performance Review Manager Cheatsheet.