2020 is a year like no other and it has many employers asking the question, “should the performance review be cancelled with the rest of 2020?”. Our latest blog postexplores some alternatives to the traditional end of year review.
When leaders sat down with their team members at the beginning of 2020 to set performance goals, it felt like any other year. Targets were set with the known business environment and goals were identified and agreed upon. There was a sense of optimism from employees about the year ahead knowing that the performance slate was wiped clean and that anything can be achieved with hard work.
Unfortunately, just a few months into 2020, it quickly became clear that this year, ‘hard work’ was not going to be enough. Arguably, COVID-19 has presented stronger challenges to businesses than ever before and employers have been forced to change priorities, reduce head count, pivot their offering and even close their doors.
Employees have not only had the enormous task of adapting to new business models with reduced resources, but they have also had to overcome huge personal challenges such as job security, financial strain, health concerns and isolation from loved ones. Given the challenges of 2020, is it fair to evaluate employees on a year when ‘business as usual’ has presented as one giant obstacle?
For most businesses, it is not realistic for employees to deliver on the goals set in January, so the following are some alternative approaches:
2020 has thrown adversity at employees like never before. Job lines became blurry, forward planning projects were put on hold and each day presented a new challenge. Whilst many employees this year have missed the mark on performance, employers have reaped the enormous benefit of team members showing teamwork, grit and determination to help the business keep the lights on. This may be hard to measure, but it is a valuable commodity that should be celebrated.
It makes no sense to focus on a missed sales target when the doors have been shut for months, but it makes perfect sense to focus on how customer retention and engagement has increased by 20%. Employers are encouraged to look through the dirt for the gold. It may not be obvious at first, but if the team rolled up their sleeves and worked smarter than before – there will certainly be elements worth celebrating.
The changing nature and impact of the pandemic has our political leaders ‘checking in’ with us regularly. In times of great uncertainty, it is critical that business leaders do the same by having ‘check in’ conversations to discuss both performance and wellbeing. With the goal posts moving so regularly, it is recommended to hold shorter, more frequent discussions with team members rather than waiting for a formal end of year discussion.
In this climate, leaders can’t afford to wait until the end of year review to ask the important questions. For example:
Performance goals should always be flexible to adapt to an agile business environment, but during COVID-19, this is particularly important. Employees are facing a performance year where they may be doing completely different tasks and priorities than what was originally planned. Workers are learning new skills, collaborating more across teams and sometimes even reporting to different leaders. The business climate is dynamic, and the goals need to be as well.
Rather than focusing on long term goals and plans, leaders are encouraged to work with team members on short term sprints. During the pandemic, it is impossible to predict even the next quarter as a new COVID-19 cluster can unexpectedly change the landscape once again. Consider working with employees on shorter term goals (even fortnightly) to enable them to experience some short-term success and feel like they are moving forward through the COIVD-19 storm.
Irrespective of what an employer chooses to do - there is no doubt that this is a performance year like no other. The level of employee and business impact varies significantly, so employers are encouraged to consider an approach that makes the best sense for their business. Whilst many employees will celebrate the end of year review being left in the bottom drawer, others will find this frustrating and disengaging as perhaps the unique challenges gave them an opportunity to shine.
COVID-19 has provided valuable learning opportunities, insights into skillsets that may not have been previously visible and importantly, it has helped employers to identify and celebrate what ‘success’ and ‘great performance’ looks like through a global pandemic. Traditional goals may have not been met, but newfound resilience and perseverance in employees across the country has untapped some incredible tales of pure grit and determination that is worth celebrating.
For assistance with your workplace matters, Members of Ai Group can contact us or call ourWorkplace Advice Line on 1300556677 for further information.
Ai Group is continually publishing new COVID-19 advice and resources for employers:
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Georgina is Senior HR Content Editor – Publications at Ai Group. She is an accomplished Human Resource professional with over 25 years of generalist and leadership experience in a broad range of industries including financial services, tourism, travel, government and agriculture. She has successfully advised and partnered with senior leaders to implement people and performance initiatives that align to business strategy. Georgina is committed to utilising her experience to create resources that educate and engage and is passionate about supporting members to optimise an inclusive workforce culture that drives performance.
