Following our webinar on future-proofing performance processes, to boost productivity and meet the demands of today’s workforce, here is a roundup of the key points and takeaways.

The session began with Bob’s Head of Customer Success, Alyson Sturgess, taking us through the importance of performance reviews and how they can contribute to enhanced productivity. She discussed how getting the right performance measures in place, can be the perfect way to:

  • Close the feedback loop between manager and employee
  • Set clear expectations and goals
  • Clarify what success looks like
  • Confirm what makes an employee feel valued, motivated and productive

Then came the million-dollar question, can productivity be measured?

And the answer: actual productivity is incredibly hard to measure. In most cases, the evaluation focuses on the outcome rather than the journey or the process. Productivity measures can range from targets, goals, and deliverables, right through to a simple sense of trust. Meaning each personality and role within the business may require a different set of tools and methods to measure output and success.

Of course, whenever a conversation starts to involve measurement and monitoring, it is inevitable that technology will quickly become a key topic, and some great insights were raised:

  • If technology is used as a measure of validation outside the workplace (particularly amongst ‘millennials and gen-z’) why should things change within the workplace?
  • Many of us live in a world where likes equate to gratification. An employee can’t post about their performance review to ‘get likes’, but they can share a kudos.
  • The length of time in which employees stay in a role has drastically decreased over the last few years and companies are now progressing at a higher pace than ever – this combination requires continuous, 360-degree feedback, that can be tracked and analysed digitally.

The webinar came to a close with some great advice on future-proofing performance process, for which Alyson recommended the following: 

Focus your feedback

Train managers giving feedback to align with the company’s mission, vision, and values, and focus on behaviour, not personality.

Work towards clear goals

Good old SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely) remain a relevant and practical way of measuring success.

Take a tech-first approach

With any HR or performance software, cycles and insights can easily be reviewed and shared – with more control and less time searching through folders for forms. 

A huge thanks to Alyson for sharing her expertise, and to everyone who joined us on the live webinar.

To learn more about the new world of performance and how Bob can help with this, click here to download our 2019 report.


Thank you!