Traditional performance management systems aren’t just falling short these days — they’re becoming obsolete. Employees crave meaningful engagement, clear purpose and genuine recognition. Our article explores how a human-centric performance process can transform your team’s engagement and productivity. Discover more about the central elements of this approach, its benefits and how you can implement it in your organization. When you put people at the center of your performance management strategy, it can lead to a more motivated, aligned and successful workforce.
The problem with traditional performance reviews
Have you wondered why your team is less engaged than you’d like? Are goals not being tracked or met? Are the goals even meaningful to them or the business? Are the goals forgotten by year’s end? Sadly, this is all too common in today’s workforce. Gone are the days of the end-of-the-year look-back “performance reviews” and meaningless handwritten goals on a vintage SMART goal template Word doc.
The human-centric approach
Performance is not about rating people on a scale of one to five. It’s about recognizing that each employee is a unique individual with their own strengths, aspirations and challenges. A human-centric performance process focuses on these individual needs, fostering a culture where employees truly feel valued, heard and supported.
Alignment with personal values
This approach isn’t just about setting and tracking goals like one big checklist. It’s about creating an environment where employees are motivated to contribute their best because they see the direct impact of their work and because the work is aligned with their own values and beliefs.
Continuous feedback and development
A human-centric approach encourages continuous feedback and development. Instead of a once-a-year review that looks back on a specific timeframe, regular check-ins allow for real-time adjustments and support, helping employees stay aligned with their goals and the company’s objectives. This ongoing dialogue builds trust and engagement, as employees feel more connected to their work and more committed to the organization’s success.
Culture of transparency and collaboration
When you make your performance process human-centric, you create a culture of transparency and collaboration. Employees are not just meeting goals; they’re actively participating in defining what is important to the company’s growth. They understand how their work contributes to the bigger picture, which increases their sense of purpose and engagement. This, in turn, leads to higher productivity, lower turnover and a more positive work environment.
Implementing a human-centric performance process
This may sound like a pie in the sky. But it is not out of reach! The first step in getting to this highly engaged workforce is to honestly evaluate your performance process. Is it meeting your needs? What makes sense for your business? What type and how many goals should your team strive for? How often should they be meeting with their managers to ensure fluid and meaningful conversations? Don’t be afraid to start fresh and flip what you’ve always known completely upside down.
Process + Tool = Success
Once you have some fundamental philosophies and policy guidelines in place, it’s time to get the right performance tool. Finding the right tool can be a big job. You may want the tool to be fully customizable. However, something to keep in mind is that when something is fully customizable, it usually means more work for someone. Do you really need more work to do? Instead, you want a tool that is built with people in mind, by HR leaders.
Introducing BPM Link
That’s where a tool like BPM Link comes into play, designed to transform these outdated practices. Built with people at the forefront, this tool is revolutionary for performance conversations. With simplicity in mind, employees enter their own goals and define their own success, all while ensuring company objectives are at the forefront. Your team can meet to discuss progress on goals anytime. Best of all, employee goals link directly to company initiatives, so each individual can see how their work is directly moving the company forward.
Don’t let outdated practices hold your team back. Experience the future of performance management with BPM Link — sign up today for a demo and get a 60-day free trial!
