By Michael W. Hill, Mobius Vendor Partners Executive Consultant, Author of Measuring to Manage

I’m often asked why you should measure an employee’s performance? The inquirer then states: I’ve given the employee a job description – they “know” what to do. This is a cop-out because the manager may not know how to measure an employee or is afraid of being confrontational with the results.

It’s important to measure and share the results for several reasons. Let’s look at a few. One reason is that it helps the company. Your company cannot reach its full potential unless the employees are reaching theirs. Secondly, it benefits the employees. No employee wants to perform a job and not know how they are doing. It also helps identify what the employee is doing well and what the employee may need to work on. Thirdly, there is a benefit to the managers. The measurements give insight to the managers as to what needs to be addressed regarding employee performance, both good and not so good.

So, what should a manager do? Sit down with the employee and list all the measurable criteria that show the employee is making progress toward his or her job performance goals. Brainstorming these measurements assures that you and the employee are on the same page as to what success (meeting the criteria or exceeding) looks like. Then, record these measurements in writing with a copy going to the employee so that at feedback/evaluation time, there is no subjective discussion. When objective measurements are used, confusion is eliminated.

With a measuring-to-manage system in place, the employee can track his or her own performance. Your remote employees can now be evaluated in the same manner as your in-office employees. This is a win-win for the employee and the company. Another benefit of this type of system is that it works for companies of all sizes.

The answer to the question “do your employees know how their productivity is measured?” can only be answered by the employees themselves. Maybe a survey would help? You might be making some assumptions that are just not correct! Some of your employees may feel they know how you are measuring, and others may not. Some of your employees may currently be looking for employment elsewhere because they don’t feel that they are being measured in a fair manner.

You may want our help.

At Mobius’ Employee Experience – EX Consulting Employee Experience – Mobius Vendor Partners (mobiusvp.com)– we have the software to survey your employees so you can make the best decisions for your company and respond to your employees’ needs. Contact us to get started.