
If you’ve got questions about employee appraisal software, you’ve come to the right place
As a provider of continuous performance management software, we get asked a lot of questions about this kind of software. Businesses want to know exactly how it will benefit them, how to get their managers and staff to adopt it and how to use it to improve overall productivity. They also want to know what to look for when investing in performance management software.
Below, we will cover the most frequently asked questions we’ve received regarding performance management software. We’re always eager to help out existing and prospective customers, so if you have any other pressing questions or concerns, book a personal demo with us and we can answer them and show you our software at the same time.
What should I be looking for in performance management software?
This is the most important question to ask in relation to performance management software, given that no two packages and providers will be the same.
We recommend you look for performance management software that is:
- Simple and straightforward — Software needs to be really simple and intuitive otherwise people won’t use it. Don’t be seduced by lots of features — less is more when it comes to performance management. If you think you’d need to train your employees on how to use a piece of appraisal software then it’s too complex and you should avoid it.
- Able to work across many devices — Business is evolving. People are working remotely, they are working on the go and they are even working on holiday! As such, you will want modern software that will work across devices, including tablets, smartphones, PCs and Macs.
- Safe and secure — You need to have confidence that your data is protected at all times. While you want your data easily accessible to you via the cloud, you are probably also rightfully concerned over compliance issues. Talk to your prospective software provider and discuss who hosts their software and where it is hosted. Do they use a reputable hosting company such as Amazon Web Services, Rackspace or Microsoft Azure? Are they ISO 27001 data security certified? Any reliable and helpful software provider will be happy and willing to answer these questions for you.
Created by HR experts — When investing in a piece of HR software, wouldn’t you be happier knowing that your software providers are experienced performance management professionals who have designed it based on real-world experience? The background of your software team matters. They need to know the struggles you are facing and you are likely to face, so do your research and make sure your software providers are performance management gurus who are experts in their field.
Will people actually use the software?
If you choose performance management software that is simple and provides genuine value for managers and employees (rather than just being useful for HR) then your users will embrace it. As such, you will get better user adoption with purpose-built continuous performance management software than with software built for annual appraisals.
To illustrate this, in just the first 10 weeks of going live with Clear Review, employees at Clydesdale & Yorkshire Bank set 50,000 goals, gave 16,000 pieces of feedback and had 2,000 check-in meetings. They never achieved anywhere near this level of activity with their previous annual appraisal software.
Can performance management software help with employee development?
Employee development should be a priority for all HR departments. It is this process of learning, training and dedication that helps employees grow the relevant skills and competencies that will drive the company forward. Unfortunately, employee development is often an area that is often set aside, or simply paid lip service to. For any company eager to excel, this is unacceptable. Fortunately, continuous performance management offers the solution to this problem as is ensures employee development is regularly discussed and specific personal development objectives are agreed and acted upon.
Using performance appraisal software that is purpose-built for a continuous performance management approach, the employee and manager can schedule regular check-ins and monitor progress against personal development using an interface that can be updated in real time on both desktops and mobiles.
How can performance management software improve company culture?
Every company has a culture, so it’s important to nurture a motivational, inspiring one if you want your employees to remain engaged and happy. Performance management software is just a tool like any other, so of course it can’t solve all problems on its own. However, when combined with appropriate internal communication and training, it can genuinely reinforce your company culture.
Using performance management software, instant feedback can be given and solicited at any time via computer, mobile or tablet and linked to your company values — something that has been shown to be tremendously beneficial to morale and productivity. Managers can also harness a culture of appreciation and recognition by using this real-time feedback feature to congratulate employees on their achievements and efforts.
How will performance management software improve productivity levels?
Productivity has become an issue for Britain lately. If you’re experiencing a stall or drop in employee productivity, the reasons behind this are likely varied and complex, but a great place to start is the topic of SMART objectives.
It’s essential to make sure your employees are clear on their goals and eager to achieve them. Performance management software enables employees and their managers to collaborate to set and achieve SMART objectives that are aligned to the goals of the organisation. Software helps to keep objectives fresh in the minds of everyone involved and also enables objective progress and obstacles to be discussed regularly during performance check-ins. This is what drives improvements in productivity and performance.
Is it worth an SME investing in performance management software?
This is a fair question to ask — after all, all SMEs need to be concerned with the bottom line. They can’t be frivolous with money, so they need to make sure every investment will secure them a good return. The answer to the question of whether or not SMEs should consider performance management software is yes. In fact, it’s something they should do now, as a matter of urgency.
Incredibly, SMEs account for 99.9% of all private sector businesses and yet, remarkably, only a quarter of these companies are currently investing in software and cloud computing, despite the many advantages modern software has to offer. Performance management software can be a significant driver of innovation and performance, it can prompt huge growth and software can even level the playing field between SMEs and global conglomerates. To find out how performance management software can save you money in the long term and add real business value, read our detailed blog on the advantages of HR software to SMEs.
Clear Review performance management software is a performance management tool that can help you move from outdated, ineffective annual appraisals to regular, meaningful performance conversations. To find out more, book a free performance management demo today.