Move to greater employee ownership in performance management

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Move to greater employee ownership in performance management

In what is an increasingly forward-looking process, employees are acquiring greater responsibility in performance management systems for their own objective-setting and development plans, says a new report by Incomes Data Services.

A clear trend within performance management is the growing role of the employee in driving the process. As IDS explains: "Individuals are usually responsible for pursuing appropriate development opportunities during the year and are also now expected to take the lead in the final review process. Some organisations are also devolving the initial objective-setting work to employees themselves."

This move towards employee ownership is taking some of the administrative burden away from line managers, particularly in instances where employees draft their own reviews.

What you will find in this report

Spread across 36 pages, the reports comprises:

Overview Provides a brief overview of the performance management process from design through to outcomes and looks at emerging trends.

Analysis Examines the three key phases of the performance management cycle: Performance planning -- now increasingly pays attention to how, as well as to what, objectives are to be met. Monitoring performance during the year -- monitoring and feedback have become more embedded into everyday working life, rather than relying just on an annual set-piece event. Throughout the year, regular one-to-one meetings are encouraged to provide a continuous framework for performance management. Reviewing performance -- most systems still involve a formal review at the end of the annual cycle and many employers continue to rate employees based on their individual performance (although some consider this to be demotivational).

Case studies Five detailed case studies of performance management frameworks at: AstraZeneca Microsoft UK Scottish Prison Service Lever Faberge RS Components.

Want to know more?

Title: "Performance management", IDS Study, April 2003.

Availability: Contact customer services at Incomes Data Services in London, tel: 020 7324 2599, or email: sales@incomesdata.co.uk.

Examples of recent issues of IDS Studies can be found at www.incomesdata.co.uk/studies/studies.htm

Incomes Data Services is an independent research organisation providing information and analysis on pay and conditions, pensions, employment law and personnel policy and practice in the UK and the rest of Europe. For more information about IDS, jump to www.incomesdata.co.uk