Performance Management

What We Learned About Performance Management at SHRM 2016

Performance management is evolving, and it was a big trend at the Society for Human Resource Management conference this year, in D.C. this week.

We were excited to hear conversations on how to transition away from performance reviews, or use more frequent feedback, with examples of Adobe and the Mayo Clinic, and how to train managers to coach and lead. Using analytics, making better use of digital tools and using data to drive strategy is a big theme.

Check out our notes below on some of our favorite SHRM sessions at this year’s conference.

Rethinking HR: The Future of Work and HR

w/Ryan Estis

  • Only 50% of employees have trust and confidence in leadership and company’s direction
  • Next generation of employees are projected to stay less than 3 years at a company
  • HR can rule the world of work if we think about the practice differently
  • Initiate continuous reinvention – don’t just respond to change

  • Commitment to learning keeps you outside your comfort zone – that’s where breakthroughs happen
  • Adobe has a “no BS” approach to business, and HR: They call it people resources, not human resources
  • Adobe views HR through the lens of impact
  • When people feel understood, it creates trust – leaders need to listen. How to listen better? Ask better questions. Map them out before meetings
  • We live in a connected world – it is changing work. You want to be a breakthrough HR leader, you have to have a digital mindset
  • Start meetings with an example of something going right, and connect it with a core value.

Manager Onboarding: Setting New Leaders Up for Success

w/ Sharlyn Lauby

The singular goal of managers: find and train their replacement. The result is organizational culture of looking for talent and coaching.

Manager onboarding program is different than leadership development. Don’t forget to do assessment – look at where the business and industry is going in 3-5 years. Then used mixed delivery – mobile resources hosted on a place like Dropbox, classroom learning and micro-learning, something that takes five minutes, managers can do while waiting in line.

Groups that do debriefs perform 20% higher. The two-question debrief: What did you do well, what would you do differently.

Why should managers train their replacement? So when the company wants to promote them, they don’t continue doing two jobs until that replacement is found. Training someone for your job gives you an opportunity to do more interesting things.

When asking for resources, use numbers. Check out “How to Measure Human Resource Management” and use it as a reference book (don’t read it all the way through).

Abolishing the Disconnect: How To Successfully Align Performance Management With Total Compensation

w/John A. Rubino

  • Link total rewards to performance and identify training needs – a direct relationship between comp and bottom line is what your C-suite wants to see
  • Premier companies look at what person produces
  • There’s no golden rule that says once a manager, always a manager. Managers have to earn their position every day – if not, demoted to contributor
  • On forms – limit to a 3-point rating, it forces managers to write a narrative explaining the rating
  • Have employees write their own performance goals – they usually will set bigger goals that are truly challenging. Should be quantitative and qualitative.

Base pay based on market value, has nothing to do with performance. Then, reward performance with a lump sum bonus. This creates a direct line of sight between results and rewards.

There’s no golden rule that says once a manager, always a manager. Managers have to earn their position every day

The benefit to employers is that the 3.4% per year is compounding. If you drop that by 1% you will save an exponential amount, which will fund the variable compensation program.

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