The days of tedious and unorganized performance reviews are over. The modern era of human resources (HR) and an HR Information System (HRIS) has arrived, changing how many HR processes are done.

HRIS has completely changed the way HR technology is utilized today. An HRIS system allows HR professionals to streamline, integrate, and automate HR management responsibilities in various ways.

For this blog, we will discuss implementing performance management solutions through HRIS. Performance management HRIS software integrates with existing HRIS solutions to improve the performance management process. A Performance data and management HRIS platform enhances the traditional employee performance management function by allowing for application-based goal setting and a proper employee performance review, improving both user and employee experience.

The Problems with Traditional Performance Management

Traditional HR performance management processes can be very tedious work. In the past, individual performance reviews were often paper-based, which is time-consuming and can be disorganized. In addition, goal setting was paper-based, causing similar issues. These traditional performance reviews and goal-setting strategies could be more efficient because they require a lot of manual effort from both managers and employees. It also leads to disorganization for the core HR leaders and employees alike. An HRIS performance management software eliminates these inefficiencies by storing all the performance review and goal-setting data in one place.

Another problem with the more traditional way of solving employee performance management needs is its inconsistency and bias. Adopting an HRIS for performance management solutions can eliminate these inconsistencies by having access to consistent templates for performance reviews. In addition, it can help with bias by providing access to a previous employee performance review and reviews that have been conducted for other employees at the tip of the finger, improving insight on employee turnover and employee data as a whole.

A lack of development and feedback is one of the most common roadblocks for HR departments regarding the performance review process. Many organizations wait an entire year to conduct performance reviews; even worse, some wait until they get into a situation where an employee's performance becomes an issue. A performance management HRIS eliminates this by allowing for ongoing two-way feedback between the employee and HR. It can also provide settings for quarterly reviews or even a 30-, 60- and 90-day review period for new employees.

How a Performance Management HRIS System Can Help

Upgrading performance management HRIS data can enhance almost every existing traditional performance management method. Let's take a look at some of these areas:

Streamlined Processes

HR Automation has changed the way an HR team can do their work by eliminating redundant tasks and freeing time for more strategic HR tasks to be completed. In a performance management HRIS platform, traditional functions can be automated in myriad ways. One is setting goals; at the start of the quarter or beginning of the year, managers and employees can set their goals in the system. Repeated goals can be automated with just a click. A good performance management platform will automatically track the progress of a goal throughout the year, setting good performance standards with an easy HRIS implementation. This capability lets the manager view their direct reports' progress in real time. They can immediately evaluate poor performance and provide feedback to their direct reports.

Improved Accuracy and Objectivity

Using a performance management system will also improve objectivity. An HRIS performance management tool can reduce bias and improve consistency in the evaluation process. It does this by using a consistent method for managers to give feedback to their employees. At the same time, it improves accuracy by providing managers immediate access to a past employee performance review at the click of a button. In addition, reporting and analytic features enhance this purpose by visualizing employee data and performance on a chart for managers to view and evaluate.

Continuous Feedback and Development

Another way robust performance management processes improve on the traditional method is the option to give continuous feedback instead of waiting until a yearly review period. Performance management HRIS solutions provide HR teams with the professional options to set up quarterly or monthly review periods. This will allow for more opportunities to evaluate the performance of their employees regularly. In addition to regular feedback, it also gives managers tools to see the progress on goals and assess their employees before their regular review period. This continuous feedback offers managers and employees awareness of their performance before the performance reviews.

Key Features of a Performance Management HRIS System

Goal Setting and Tracking

An effective performance management strategy for HR software is the process of setting and tracking goals. A performance management HRIS allows managers and their direct reports to collaboratively set goals, track progress, measure results, and add feedback throughout the tracking period. After discussing the goals, the manager or employee can submit them into the system. Typically, they are SMART goals, which are specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and time-bound. These goals give employees a set time to complete tasks that will lead to the completion of a goal. Once the goals are complete, the employee and the manager can review them to determine the performance. Since the goals are time-bound, the employee will have a set date to complete the goal; if not, the performance management module will mark that goal as past due.

Performance Reviews and Appraisals

The other primary feature, as mentioned above, is the robust performance review ability. The system will provide templates and tools for conducting performance reviews and delivering feedback throughout the fiscal year. These HRIS systems often offer templates for different types of reviews that will best fit your company.

A robust performance management module system will offer a plethora of types of reviews. For example, some companies want to use a core competency review to rate them with more general review prompts like attendance, integrity, enthusiasm, etc. Others may want to do a technical competency review that uses prompts specific to the job type an employee is working. Some companies want to use both, and a good performance management HRIS can tailor the review process to the company's needs.

In addition, a performance management HRIS will often give an option for feedback before the review period is up. These appraisals can be done if a manager sees an employee needs to catch up on their goal or if an employee marked a goal as completed, but it wasn't done in a quality way.

Performance improvement plans (PIPs) are another feature included in some performance management systems. PIPs are usually specific plans given to underperforming employees. A PIP in a performance management HRIS can be given to employees instantly. These PIPs create new goals and performance standards that an underperforming employee must complete.

Reporting and Analytics

In addition to performance reviews and goal-setting features, a performance management system should have an HR analytics page for managers and HR teams to visualize all the data collected from the system and make data-driven decisions. This data can be visualized in many ways and customized to the organization's needs.

All previous performance reviews are stored in the system. The reports give managers access to these performance reviews and the ability to visualize them on graphs to evaluate employee performance. They will also show all past goals, with any feedback in one place. If a goal is not completed on time, it will appear on the performance reports.

The CEO will have access to view the performance of all their employees in real-time on the system. They can easily see if someone is underperforming and address it before the problem grows bigger. Managers will be more likely to recognize employees who exceed expectations.

Other Benefits of a Performance Management HRIS System

These features combine to bring other benefits to an organization's HR. One of these is an increase in employee engagement. Continuous feedback and goal-setting collaboration will lead to more engaged and motivated employees. Open dialogue between employees and managers is healthy for employee engagement.

An HRIS performance management module will also increase employee performance. It will help them perform by providing them with a clear focus on the goals and tasks they need to complete. In addition, they will be able to see the tracking progress on their goals live, so they will be aware if they are falling behind on a performance appraisal or review.

Lastly, it will reduce the administrative burden for HR professionals and track HR data. Streamlining a performance management system can save HR professionals and managers time and effort. This is done using review templates and reducing the traditional performance goals and reviews made on paper. Everything is done in one place, saving time for everyone in the organization.

Conclusion

The times of unorganized and tedious performance management needs are over. Implementing a robust performance management system eliminates all previous issues of inefficiency, inconsistency, and lack of continuous feedback. In turn, the performance management function of HR systems will be enhanced with goal tracking, regular performance reviews, and a reporting function. It keeps everything involved with performance management in one place to the benefit and needs of an organization.