Performance Management: Changing Perspectives/Practices

CHANGING PERSPECTIVES AND PRACTICES IN PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR HRM
by (Name)
The Name of the Class (Course)
Professor (Tutor)
The Name of the School (University)
The City and State where it is located
The Date
Performance Management: Changing Perspectives/Practices
Introduction
During the first months of COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest concern that faced HR managers ensuring the safety and well-being of employees. However, when traditional work practices became untenable owing to widespread lockdowns and social distancing rules, the focus of HR leaders shifted from employee safety to performance management. The decision to have employees work from home brought forth several issues such as how to identify, measure, manage, and develop the performance of workers. HR managers were worried that one of the most important segments of organizational performance was going to suffer. This realization forced HR managers to change their perspectives and practices in performance management. The pandemic facilitated the implementation of new performance management methods including remote surveillance, gathering performance data in real time, flexible work hours, and mentorship. However, the single biggest change in how HR managers conceptualized performance management post-Covid relates to the digitization of team organization in terms of tracking performance, providing continuous one-on-one feedback, and mentoring employees. This essay will discuss changing perspectives and practices in performance management and the implications for HRM.
Trends in Performance Management
The pandemic is largely to thank for the marked changes in how HR managers are now approach performance management. For instance, although remote working was already proven to be a possibility, many organizations were hesitant to allow staff to work from home. However, remote working became an absolute necessity for many organizations and HR managers had to reconsider how to manage multiple hybrid teams (Kähkönen, 2023). Traditional performance management systems lacked the flexibility and effectiveness to adjust to the sudden switch to remote working. The pandemic called for a complete overhaul of how HR managers identified, measured, managed, and developed the performance of the staff in their organizations. Organizations that relied on annual and bi-annual employee reviews to manage their workforce were forced to migrate to a more flexible system that could facilitate optimum employee performance, motivation, and productivity (Ortlepp and Hloma, 2006). One of the biggest changes in how HR managers approached performance management relates to flexible work hours.
Traditional performance management systems relied on fixed work schedules to monitor, appraise, and mentor employees. The rigid system involved annual and bi-annual employee reviews: employees would meet with their HR managers every six months or once a year to create a few SMART goals. These goals were hardly revisited until the next annual or bi-annual appraisal. However, the switch to remote working emphasized the need for ongoing performance management. Every staff experienced the pandemic uniquely with some employees experiencing greater challenge...