Performance management processes get a needs improvement rating from Canadian organizations

OTTAWA, June 22, 2012 /CNW/ - Almost all Canadian organizations have performance management systems and appraisals, but they are far from convinced that their employee evaluations are effective. A Conference Board of Canada report, Performance Management: Turning Individual Stress to Organizational Strategy, looks at current practices in Canadian organizations and offers tips to help employers and employees to improve their performance management processes. A Conference Board webinar on the topic takes place Tuesday, June. 26.

"Performance appraisals can be stressful and few employees cringe more than the manager that needs to deliver the appraisal," said Nicole Stewart, Research Associate and author of the report. "Organizations make substantial investments—in both time and money—in their performance management systems, yet less than half are confident their systems are effective. Organizations continue to struggle with the consistency and fairness of their reviews. In increasingly busy workplaces, it is a challenge to submit appraisals on time, let alone make time for meaningful conversation."

Almost all organizations (97 per cent) surveyed by the Conference Board in 2011 include individual goals and objectives in their performance appraisals. Appraisals also commonly include ratings of employees' competencies and track employees' training and development. Seventy-eight per cent of organizations link base pay to performance, and 56 per cent link their short-term incentive pay plan to performance.

The report discusses potential roadblocks to an effective performance management system and presents tips to help organizations improve their systems:

•     Keep it simple

•     Communicate clearly

•     Set cascading goals

•     Set the tone at the top

•     Ensure accountability from employees and managers

•     Link pay to performance

•     Provide training

•     Ensure fairness and objectivity

The report also features five case studies of organizations that have challenged themselves to improve their performance management systems: Bell Aliant, BC Cancer Foundation, Export Development Canada, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and BP Canada.

The report is available at www.e-library.ca. Nicole Stewart will present a 60-minute interactive webinar on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. EDT.

Link to publication: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?did=4843

Link to webinar: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?DID=4883

Brent Dowdall, Media Relations, Tel.: [phone] ext.  448
E-mail: [email protected]