What Will Performance Management Look Like in the Post-Pandemic Contact Center?

A lot of things have changed because of the pandemic. Has your performance management also evolved alongside?

According to a SHRM article, employees do not believe their management has a good grasp of performance assessments. And according to Gallup’s 2019 International Employee Survey Report, a whopping 55% of employees believe annual reviews don’t improve their performance.

There is no question in this post-pandemic world that we must update our performance management programs to continue to drive success in our teams. Failure to do so may leave a tremendous gap in our organizations.

So how do we go about it? Let’s discuss some key areas or ways to upgrade our performance management programs.

Empathy

Empathy is required in a higher dose in post-pandemic performance evaluations. The truth is, not everyone has adjusted to the changes.

Work from home sounds ideal, but it’s not without challenges. An NCIB study highlighted numerous negative aspects of WFH, such as increased depression and social isolation due to a lack of face-to-face interactions, and blurred work life boundaries leading to increased stress and anxiety were also included.

Are your performance management metrics leading to an increased workload for your team members working from home? Are your team members working longer hours? Your performance management system should take these factors into consideration and build empathy into the framework.

Redo KPIs

According to a MIT Sloan Management Review article, “Organizations serious about high performance must rethink performance metrics.” The goal is to have simplified and streamlined key performance indicators (KPIs). With many teams still working from home, it’s time to dial down on your numerous metrics and stick to what’s absolutely critical for success.

Consider an Agile Approach

In the post-pandemic world, goals can quickly change due to discontinued projects or shifts in business priorities. The end-of-year appraisal discussion then becomes distasteful and feels unfair to our team members because the goals/KPIs were not updated. McKinsey updating goals on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, quarterly, or even in real-time) and discontinuing ones that no longer apply. Our conversations then ensure continual alignment on what adds the most value and are the success markers.

Communication

An increased level of communication is required in this post-pandemic climate. Even before the pandemic, end-of-year reviews were inadequate, now they simply won’t cut it. According to Gallup, workers who check in with their manager at least once weekly, as opposed to never, are five times less likely to be disengaged.

It’s imperative that companies move towards providing continuous, real-time feedback throughout the year. Let’s look at Harvard University; to performance management is based on regular, meaningful conversations between managers and employees to achieve better results and higher engagement.

If your organization hasn’t incorporated ongoing conversations yet, it is time to do so. Some examples are weekly one-on-one discussions or monthly appraisal reviews. Alternatively, you can choose a communication frequency that aligns with your organizational targets, milestones, or needs. The goal is to keep your team members abreast of their performance, identify areas to help/improve, and work together to drive success.

This is also a great opportunity to regularly receive feedback from your team members on how to improve your leadership or even improve aspects of the organization. Feedback needs to go both ways in the post-pandemic world.

Lastly, use data to improve seeing and communicating performance. Review your dashboards to better inspire your team and promote positive outcomes.

Showcase Career Progression

It is now more crucial than ever to have clear career progression plans for your team. It’s also necessary to regularly highlight them to your team members, drawing their attention to the personal and professional growth opportunities within your department. I’m certain there are people within your team who are highly motivated to meet or exceed performance metrics because of such opportunities.

Use Peer Reviews

Look into incorporating a socially based feedback system. This is where employees receive feedback on their performance and behavioral attitude from colleagues, peers, and other managers with whom they regularly work. Because of the large amount of feedback received, the risk of a possibly biased view from the line manager is minimized.

Prevention is better than a cure. Take some time to review your 2022 performance management structure today and ensure it is structured to drive improved productivity, employee engagement and organizational success.