Managing performance down the line

Performance management is a necessary task for many line managers, but HR professionals can play an important role in making the process easier. Human Resources examines how HR professionals can work with line managers to improve business and performance management

For many organisations, ensuring employees are performing to their best and are of benefit to the business can be a difficult task. However, research has found that a major factor in the performance of an employee is the quality of the relationship with their line manager. A recent UK study of 107 HR practitioners found 90 per cent felt that individual or team performance was an issue for their organisation, while less than one in three believed line managers were confident or competent in dealing with under-performance. These results were underscored by the fact that 93 per cent of organisations reported that line managers were responsible for performance management, with just 26 per cent of these seeing it as a shared responsibility for HR and the line.

What people want from L&D

Increasingly, companies are looking for targeted training specific to the needs of their particular organisation and delivered to smaller focus groups, according to Shayne Bakewell, executive director of EMA consulting. While classroom-based learning may still be in strong demand, there is an increasing trend towards online learning where clients can maximise the numbers of participants in a cost-effective manner.

Theoretical-based training is supplemented by practical demonstration of competencies learned through smaller group exercises or on-the-job practical assessment, says David Dickson, managing director of e3Learning Solutions. “The trend to online learning is driven not only by its cost effectiveness, but also by improved productivity as online learning is quicker to complete, and the learning is available at any time and is self-paced. It alleviates the need to have employees offsite or inaccessible for extended periods.”

Dickson says the quality of online learning has improved dramatically over the past year, with the use of sophisticated Learning Management Systems driving highly engaging and interactive courseware.

Working with line management

Part of the challenge for HR professionals is in ensuring line managers understand the need for successful performance management practices and initiatives. This means HR professionals must aim at ‘selling’ the benefits of performance management to line managers – personally, for their teams and the business as a whole, according to Bakewell.

Another part of the challenge lies in the attitude of line managers, who often put performance management in the too-hard basket. “The process of performance management is normally associated with conflict or confrontation and is usually way down the priority list for line managers,” he says.

To counteract this attitude, Terence-Liam Preece of Dale Carnegie Training recommends both HR and line managers realise the difference between a performance results description and a position description, which is usually just a sophisticated ‘to do’ list. They must look closely at the outcome and requirements of a position and why a position exists.

“Performance results descriptions are measured through a series of quantifiable performance standards which are identified by the team member, themselves, and validated by the supervisor. Team members support a world that they help create,” says Preece.

This makes it essential for HR to recognise their roles as providers of advice, practical training and professional support for line management, Bakewell says. “It is not the role of HR to stand in for the manager to deal with people issues but to support, guide and partner the manager.”

Line management challenges

While managers often avoid the complex task of performance management, alignment and timing are common downfalls in the process. The performance review is often the only formal agenda to share the alignment between an organisation’s vision, mission, values and the performance of the position, according to Preece. Often the opportunity to use the performance review as a means of inspirational communication of values throughout an organisation is not taken on board, simply because line management lack the skills in dealing with performance of staff.

“The challenge can be line management seeing the performance review as a mandatory process that is attended to once a year, and filed for another year. This is because they have little skill in dealing with the potential conflict, or they lack the knowledge and practice,”says Preece. To solve the alignment and timing issues, he says managers should undergo specific leadership management training, while taking a monthly review of key results areas.

Similarly, Bakewell says that appropriate training can overcome issues of mismanaging performance management whereby employees who had been identified as poor performers receive glowing reports. “HR must provide appropriate coaching to managers and embed the process as an expected management activity. Line managers must regularly report to senior management, and use performance management KPIs,” he says.

Successes and benefits

There is no substitute for performance management in aiding an improved organisational culture, according to both Preece and Bakewell. “Positive corporate culture still offers the greatest potential to any organisation,”says Preece.

From Bakewell’s experience, there has been an improvement in performance and productivity as well as a reduction in costs to the organisation where training has been implemented effectively. “There is often an improvement in succession planning and professional development while regular feedback on performance helps increase employee morale.”