Success Tips: Performance Reviews With Remote Employees
The time we’re living in now is not like any other period from recent memory. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, global economic downturns and lingering job shortages, it’s safe to say that we’re all charting unknown waters. It can seem like entire processes and workflows have gone out the window—sacrificed for the sake of staying afloat. And performance reviews are among the greatest casualties.
Performance reviews are traditionally conducted in-person, on a recurring basis. But, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, most businesses have at least some employees working remotely. Measuring performance among these individuals can be a particular challenge, sometimes prompting managers to adopt an ambivalent attitude toward performance reviews entirely. This is obviously not a viable solution.
Instead, managers should use this shift toward remote work as an opportunity to rethink how their organization conducts performance reviews, particularly among this set of employees. What’s more, reevaluating and strengthening this process will better position them in the current remote-work landscape.
This article offers tips for successfully administering performance reviews among remote workers.
Consider Your Goal
As with any endeavor worth pursuing, you should first consider the end goal. Performance reviews are a time for managers to sit down with their direct reports to discuss workplace matters. These meetings are generally broad and can serve a variety of purposes.
During performance reviews, employers are usually looking to gauge the success of employees in the workplace. However, your goal should be a bit more specific. For instance, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, your goal may be to reduce burnout rather than single out individuals for promotion. In essence, as employees adapt to new working environments, so too should your performance review goals.
Reevaluate Your Metrics
The way you evaluate performance during reviews should be influenced by your primary goal. The metrics used only a year ago may be unfair to use now. Moreover, those metrics may not even help assess what you need to accomplish your main objective.
In other words, performance reviews are evaluations against a goal. If your goal has changed since the last time you evaluated your performance review program, then your metrics should change as well. For instance, your current goal may be to see how performance ranks against pre-COVID-19 standards. Alternatively, your goal may be to strengthen collaboration between remote workers. How you measure success in these cases will be entirely different, and the metrics used should reflect that.
Remember Context and Compassion
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone, sometimes in hard-to-see ways. For instance, employees may have taken on extra caretaking responsibilities due to school or nursing home closures. They may also be burdened by a spouse being laid off or sick family members who are financially dependent on them.
These realities are sometimes hidden by employees who must juggle many home and work responsibilities. The employees may fear being viewed as prioritizing other matters over their work, especially if they’re both caretaking and working out of their homes.
Your performance reviews should leave room to discuss these types of matters. Use this time to identify responsibilities and workloads. This has been a challenging time for everyone, and it’s important to be compassionate when dealing with over-burdened employees.
Encourage managers to work with employees on ways to accommodate their other responsibilities, as applicable. This may mean creating a flex schedule, adjusting work hours or scheduling regular check-ins.
Look Forward, Not Behind
Remote work is likely here to stay, at least in some capacity. Some of the largest companies in the world have announced plans to allow such arrangements for the foreseeable future. That means your organization should plan for this new landscape right now. For instance, in this new environment, does it make sense to have only one performance review a year? Should promotions be tied to metrics sussed out at these meetings, or is another method better? Is the organization’s definition of “success” the same as it was a year ago?
Pondering these questions will help you evaluate and implement a more meaningful performance review program—one that can benefit remote and in-person employees alike.
Speak with an Acrisure Agency Partner for more workplace guidance, including revitalizing how you conduct performance reviews.
Important Information:
For additional information, please visit our website at Acrisure.com. Products or services identified herein may not be available in all jurisdictions. The information and descriptions contained herein (a) are not necessarily intended to be complete descriptions of all applicable terms, conditions, and exclusions of the policies referenced, (b) are provided solely for general informational purposes, and (c) should not be viewed as a substitute for legal, regulatory, or other advice on any particular issue or for any particular reason. The advice of a professional should always be obtained before purchasing any insurance product or service, and you should not rely on the information provided herein for the prevention or mitigation of risks or as a full and complete explanation of coverage under any insurance policy. While the information contained herein has been compiled from sources believed to be reliable, no warranty, guarantee, or representation, either expressed or implied, is made as to the correctness or sufficiency of any representation contained herein.
© Acrisure, LLC. All rights reserved.
This HR Insights is not intended to be exhaustive nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as professional advice. © 2020 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.
Related Content
January 19, 2021
Acrisure Agency Partner Named One of Insurance Journal’s ‘2020 Agents of the Year’
Insurance Journal's report "features 25 agents who define what it means to be a successful independent agent today. These agents are more than top sellers.
January 13, 2021
5 Steps for Year-Round Benefits Engagement
Open enrollment is something you probably only think about a few times a year. For employees, it might be even less often. And that’s unfortunate because that means employees may not be maximizing their benefits. That’s why it’s important to touch on benefits throughout the year—to ensure employees are making the most of them.
January 4, 2021
New COVID-19 Relief Bill: Highlights for Employers
On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the much-anticipated COVID-19 relief bill (the “Bill”), which was approved by Congress a week earlier. The Bill, a follow-up to the March 2020 CARES Act, provides a second round of stimulus dollars and economic relief measures; it also contains several provisions of particular importance to employers.
December 23, 2020
What We Know So Far: Understanding the $900B Stimulus Package
On Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, Congress passed an emergency stimulus package designed to deliver approximately $900 billion in COVID-19-related aid. The bill, which was part of a $1.4 trillion spending package that will keep the government open for the fiscal year, has been sent to President Donald Trump, and he is expected to sign it into law.
December 8, 2020
Acrisure Unveils New Tech-Enabled Brand
Acrisure, one of the world’s top-10 insurance brokers, today unveiled its new brand identity which underlines its unique combination of financial strength, industry expertise and global distribution power with the integration and deployment of best-in-class artificial intelligence and technology.
December 2, 2020
Benefits Update: December 2020
The Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury (Departments) issued a final rule that imposes new transparency requirements on group health plans and health insurers in the individual and group markets.
November 19, 2020
Study Finds That Workers’ Compensation Mega Claims Are on the Rise
While any workers’ compensation claims can result in costly ramifications for your organization, one category of claim in particular—known as a “mega claim”—has the potential to carry significant consequences.
November 11, 2020
Coverage of COVID-19 Vaccines: Agencies Issue Interim Final Regulations
As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) signed into law in March 2020, most group health plans are required to provide no-cost coverage for COVID-19 preventive services, including vaccinations.
November 3, 2020
Acrisure Perspective: 6+ Million Households & Property Owners Could Be Underestimating Their Flood Risk
According to the insurance professionals at Acrisure’s Agency Partners, we believe that this disparity points to a worrisome trend: more than 6 million households and property owners could be underestimating or unaware of the extent of their flood risks.
October 21, 2020
Staying Connected in the Time of COVID-19
The need for social distancing has put a pause on normal socializing activities, like family get-togethers, restaurant outings and music concerts. As the pandemic continues, social distancing doesn’t need to mean social isolation.