More and more, research is showing that the traditional annual review process is clunky, time consuming, and failing to deliver the results employees, managers and organizations need. But, review data is vital for assessing role competencies and for understanding talent development needs. That’s why many HR teams are redefining their employee review processes through new technology. These five tips can help you make the most of technology to enhance your employee review process.
1. Drive accessibility through technology to enable 360° peer reviews
When building a brand-aligned employee review process, it’s vital that all employees be able to give and receive feedback to ensure non-biased and fair reviews. However, some employees on the factory floor or working out of an office may not have computer access. An easily accessible, web-app review tool can enable 360-degree feedback from all employees. It can drive engagement and deliver valuable data about how well employees are living your brand.
2. Align your employee reviews to desired brand-focused behaviors
When creating a new employee review process, technology can help you to measure brand-focused goals such as brand personality attributes or brand service principles. The key is creating a metric that makes it easy for managers and peers to assess employees against brand behaviors, which are pivotal to keeping the brand promise that you make to your customers.
3. Keep technology simple to capture valuable data
An easy-to-use, dynamic interface is key when adopting new technology. If it’s helpful, people will use it. Create a simple, portable tool that allows employees to provide real-time feedback about their peers who are living brand behaviors and you will collect valuable review data. With so much of what employees do in the workplace now online, the ability to record how employees perform is easier than ever. The more data you have, the more you can inform training, development, recognition and hiring needs all aligned to your brand strategy.
4. Technology is only part of the process
Peer review technology enlightens the wider review process; it is not the only source of information. The data makes it easy to have frequent and periodic two-way conversations between managers and employees to discuss the performance and development needs of each person.
5. Technology is just a tool
Technology doesn’t drive brand engagement; brand engagement drives the use of employee review technology. Technology is a useful tool to collect information for employee reviews and for employees themselves to see their part in the review process. New technology can enhance how employees work, but if it is not aligned to organizational goals, it will be useless. Using data to inform effective development conversations is the key to getting the most from your technology.
