National Post - Financial Post Magazine
Valueequations
It’stimetoimplementdifferentemployeeevaluations onceamanagernolongerknowseverybodyintimately
ThefolksatMediaProfileInc.honetheirpublicrelationskillsina trendyopen-plandowntownTorontooffice.Fromjuniorconsultantstovice-presidents,theyallsitwithinearshotofoneanotherso thereisn’tmuchthatgoesunnoticed.It’sanidealsetupforcollaboration,yetalsoboostsemployeeperformancethroughouttheyear. “Ifsomebodyisdoinganamazingjoborsomeone’sdoingpoorly orneedshelpincertainareas,theyshouldneverbehearingabout itforthefirsttimeononeoftheirformalreviews,”saysvice-presidentPatrickErlich.“It’saveryopenconceptsotheycancometous andaskiftheyarehavingissueswithsomething,oriftheyfeellike they’relackinginacertainskillareathattheywanttoexplore.We trytohavethoseconversationsallthetime.”
Withmostofthe40staffersunder30yearsold,constantfeedback rules. Millennials crave immediate response on how they’re progressingandwheretheyneedtoimprove,Erlichsays,andthey won’twaitsixmonthstofindout.That’swhythefirmhasditched annual reviews, with their laborious self-evaluation templates, in favour of regular check-ins with employees plus two sit-downs: one focusing on growth and one tied to promotions and money. Self-evaluationformsnowstressthepositive,suchassomethingthe employeeisproudoforachallengingsituationtheyencountered. They’reforward-thinkingandinspiredialogueratherthanbeingan onerouschecklistofaccomplishmentsandfailures.Thecompany alsousesweb-basedGrapevineEvaluationssoftwaretostandardize thereviewprocessatacostofafewthousanddollarsperyear.
UnlikelargecompanieswithHRstaffhandlingstructuredannual performanceappraisals,small-businessownersonafirst-namebasis withemployeeshavetheadvantageofgivingwhatHRveteranJanet Salopekcalls“in-the-momentfeedback”that’sespeciallyessentialfor millennials.“Ifyou’refocusingoncompletingtheform,you’refocusingonthewrongthing,”saysthepartnerandseniorconsultantat SalopekConsultinginCalgary.“Instead,reallyfocusonhavinggood candidconversationswithyourpeoplethroughouttheyear.”
Software can help and doesn’t have to be costly. Kudos, for instance,letsemployeesgivereal-timesocialrecognitiontocolleagues tomotivateteamsanddriveperformance.At$4peruserpermonth, it’swithinreachofsmallerfirms.Itcomesinhandyatthe20-person Calgarycompany,too.KudosInc.CEOMuniBogasaysbiannual reviewsare“checkpointsonalignment”wheresalariesandpromotionsarediscussed,buttherealmeathappensduringregularoneon-ones.Thesoftwarehelpsbyidentifyingparticularlygoodwork.
Despiteanentireindustryofperformanceappraisalsoftware— sometiedtoloyaltypointsandprizes—small-businessownerscan keepitsimple.Useemailtosummarizeconversations,advisesSalopek,orcreateatablelistingagreed-uponactions,timelinesandsuccessmeasures.Insteadofprizes,considerofferingtimeoffwhenobjectivesaremet.SaysRowanO’Grady,presidentofrecruitingfirm HaysCanada:“Thatbringsaninformalitytoachievingthingsand beingresults-focusedasopposedtotime-focused.”