Why Performance Management Should Extend Beyond the HR Department
In today’s workplace, the Human Resources (HR) team has long been given tasks beyond what can be seen as “pure human resource management”. In the mix of human resource challenges, one of which is the managing of the performance appraisal process, it’s becoming increasingly important to understand that job of evaluating performance isn't up to HR. It's really a process that is part of good leadership and company culture, that should engage everyone from top management to frontline staff. This piece delves into why it’s crucial for performance evaluation to be a collective and participative effort that goes way beyond HR’s scope.
Moving performance management beyond the HR department is vital as direct managers play a crucial role in the process due to their close connection with their team members’ daily tasks and functional areas. Direct managers are in a position to offer valuable real-time feedback based on their firsthand and up to date knowledge of employees’ KPI’s, work habits and challenges. By involving managers in performance management processes, organizations drive a stronger sense of responsibility and growth in both manager and staff member.
Managing performance is not a one size fits all approach in the workplace – each role brings its set of challenges and goals that need to be addressed individually by managers who have a close working relationship with their teams and that understand these nuanced differences effectively. This personalized understanding helps in setting specific goals and providing feedback that boosts employee motivation and performance levels.
Providing feedback during annual or semi-yearly performance evaluations can impede an employee’s progress and development significantly. By the same token, lack of feedback may stall professional growth and worsen performance problems over time. By engaging supervisors and managers that understand the valuable information they receive from a performance management system that enables them to plan effective management strategies, companies will create a continuous feedback cycle that fosters regular communication and necessary adjustments for ongoing performance enhancement rather than sporadic knee-jerk changes.
Performance evaluation is more than assessing how individuals perform. It also involves linking those performances to the overall goals of the company. Supervisors and managers who oversee the execution of plans, can lead their teams in a manner that significantly impacts the organizations achievements directly. This synchronization is usually most effective when decisions about performance management are taken by individuals who are closely involved in implementing tasks at the forefront.
Empowering managers with performance management responsibilities will improve their leadership abilities significantly. Giving them the opportunity to oversee and nurture their team members helps instil a feeling of responsibility and empowerment. It allows managers to develop communication skills, motivation techniques and support mechanisms for their teams leading to a more positive and efficient workplace atmosphere.
When responsibilities are distributed among managers in performance evaluation, instead of processes being centralized in one place, it naturally fosters a sense of responsibility within the organization. This approach encourages managers to fulfil their role in defining objectives, giving feedback and addressing any shortcomings in performance. This helps create a work environment where every team member is aware of their contributions towards achieving shared goals and success as a cohesive unit.
Managing performance involves aspects that extend beyond just the HR departments scope of work, and requires the involvement of supervisors, managers and leaders to empower staff members and ensure that individual goals align with the organization’s overall objectives for continuous improvement and personal progress in their careers. While HR still holds a role in establishing compliance standards and offering support tools for performance management processes, it is crucial to note that nurturing employee development and promoting excellence is a shared responsibility, spread across all levels of an organization’s leadership team. By working in this cooperative manner to leverage the complete capabilities of their employees and achieve lasting prosperity, organizations will achieve long term market stability and success.
This is after all the real job of a manager!
Written by Mark Deavall
August 2024
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