15 March, 2022

Managing Performance Reviews for a Hybrid Workforce

As we near the appraisal season, managers across organizations are facing a newfound challenge: Optimizing the performance management process for a hybrid workforce. Experts have predicted the spread of the current hybrid working scenario that involves in-office, remote, and intermittent employees all under one umbrella. Although this transition to a flexible work culture represents significant development toward employee experience and motivation, it comes with its own set of tribulations. Hybridity is inextricably tied to power as it can create power differentials within teams that can affect collaboration, peer relationships, as well as productivity.

Therefore, it is vital to ensure a fair, equalized performance evaluation system in place that caters to career development of every workforce facet, regardless of location. Moreover, with the great resignation now hitting countless businesses, it is paramount to make substantial investments in employee performance development.

So how can organizations optimize performance reviews in a hybrid workplace? Here are a few pointers that can help formulate a strategy that aptly resonates with your hybrid workforce.

Aligning Performance Assessment with Hybridity

As companies reconfigure their performance assessment formats, location and compensation should not alter the feedback section of a review. Performance reviews should purely focus on career development, goals, strengths, and areas of improvement. There is no one-size-fits-all approach or a proven methodology to performance management; yet, talent leaders across the globe are now taking conscious efforts in ensuring a seamless and empathetic assessment framework whilst maintaining an unbiased communication line.

Here is a four step approach that can be followed:

Redefine and re-adjust performance goals: In order to evade workplace proximity bias, companies need to implement a few guiding parameters for reviews that are both fair and worthy for all employees, regardless of their location. An R&R platform can help in maintaining a digital achievement log for a 365-day performance assessment. Ergo, evaluating employees based on their own past performance can keep ​​unhealthy competition and resentment at bay, ensuring impartial reviews regardless of whether they work an in-office, at home, or on a hybrid schedule.

Adopt 360-degree performance feedback: One of the most secure ways to foster an equitable review process is by conducting 360-degree feedback made up of self, peer, and manager assessments. A 360-degree approach to appraisals results in enhanced collaboration, shared perceptions, and garners all-round feedback. R&R technology features such as performance scorecards with custom visibility can prove to be extremely beneficial in digitizing and streamlining this process.

Customized rewards and recognition: A dedicated appraisal KPI-based recognition workflow can be instituted via a digital R&R platform to align appreciation with performance, while simultaneously harboring a non-partisan approach to recognition of hybrid employees.

Invest in technology: Adoption of appropriate R&R software that can facilitate coherent integration with your in-house performance management system can revolutionize the entire performance review framework, resulting in exponential-grade fairness and equality among your hybrid workforce.

Shifting the Needle on Performance Assessment

Keeping the hybrid work culture in mind, it is important to invest in building an exceptional employee experience for every worker, and performance reviews are a great place to start. In conclusion, ideal assessment should include 360-degree feedback alongside continuous manager-employee check-ins, noteworthy recognition moments spread year-wide, and inclusive performance reviews. It is now more important than ever to make performance development a sustained, continual process rather than a conventional one-off annual event.

Connect with us to know how Gratifi’s novel R&R platform can help optimize the performance assessment process within your organization!