Set up a formal assessment system

As SMEs grow and employ more people, they need to put more formal human resources systems in place, including performance management.

“Without regular performance evaluations, you may not notice that an employee is battling, or you may fail to recognise excellent performance,” said Sage Africa & Middle East people director Marvin Opperman. He suggested:

A formal document that employees fill in before the assessment can provide structure for the review process and ensure nothing is left out during the meeting;

Some organisations may find that regular (maybe every two months) casual meetings are a good way to keep in touch and ensure that any issues are addressed;

A rating scale can help to make the system both objective and fair;

Some managers, and workers, like to work with targets that can be set in one meeting and reviewed later in the year, for example, attending training and applying the new knowledge at work; and

A 360° system ensures managers, colleagues and junior employees all have a chance to assess all employees, providing a fuller picture of how people are doing at work. – Margaret Harris