Failing at the annual performance review process?
Not reaping the once expected rewards?
It’s not you. It’s them.
Let’s look at the process of monitoring employee performance. It seems the collection of People Performance Processes are endless. There is the 360-Degree Appraisal, the Technological Performance Appraisal, the Employee Self-Assessment, the Manager Performance Appraisal, the Sales Performance Appraisal, the Paired Comparison, the Management by Objective. I could go on.
Regardless of which process your workplace is utilizing, there is one commonality- you are having a conversation. But did you know the importance of a performance conversation varies by the generation having them?
A quick glance at the generations:
Boomers, born mid 1940’s to mid 1960’s account for approximately 31% of the average Canadian workforce, Gen Xers (mid 1960’s to mid 1980’s) another 31%. However, the largest cohort and growing every day are the Millennials (mid 1980’s to early 2000’s) who account for over 35%.
Canadian Business was recently quoted as saying “Millennials are now the biggest generation in the Canadian Workforce” and that “employers need to learn how to adapt or perish”.
Are you adapting your Performance conversations to include this escalating group of employees?
From my experience, it seems workplaces are busy bemoaning or maligning these millennials. The workplace stereotypes surrounding this generation are endless. Lazy. Unmotivated. Entitled. I could go on. But I won’t, as these myths need to be debunked. As the proud mom of two fantastic millennials, who are motivated, career-oriented and committed professionals I say we need to embrace their styles, recognize their differences.
They drive companies to challenge the status quo of how the workplace currently operates.
As an employer here are a few things you should know about millennials. First, they have grown up in an on-demand society with pretty much everything instantly at their fingertips. When it comes to performance, they want:
Ongoing, Effective Communication
Frequent, Quality Feedback, Rather Than Ratings
A Boss Who Guides, Rather Than Instructs
Recognition for Their Efforts and Achievements
Millennials have grown up in an age of real-time feedback, and this is equally expected regarding their professional lives. Providing open channels for communication results in a more engaged & motivated workforce. They want precise information detailing what they are doing right, what they are doing wrong, and how they can improve. Rather than tracking employee movements every step of the way, millennials should be given a certain degree of leeway to accomplish their goals by their own means.
So, remember, regardless of which People Performance Processes you utilize, ensure you are having frequent and ongoing performance conversations — even if they’re brief in nature!
I should say, especially if they are frequent and brief in nature!
Learn more on this topic through our one-hour Lunch & Learn series.