Helping employees perform well is a central role of line managers and people professionals. People are the greatest creators of organisational value, so effectively managing their performance is critical for success. Employees need to understand what’s expected of them, and must be managed so that they are motivated, have the skills, resources and support they need to succeed, and are accountable for their work. 

This factsheet describes core aspects to get right in performance management and recent shifts in thinking. It summarises the main tools used, including objective setting, performance ratings, appraisals (or reviews), feedback, learning and development, and performance-related pay.

Report: Could do better? What works in
performance management

Key points of interest:

Employers are questioning the value of traditional performance management.
Performance drives both day-to-day and strategic people management.
Goal setting is an effective way to improve performance.

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Video: Changing trends in performance management

In this video, Jonny Gifford, Senior Adviser for Organisational Behaviour at the CIPD, explores the changing trends in performance management over recent years.

This factsheet was last updated by Jonny Gifford, Senior Adviser for Organisational Behaviour, CIPD

A central focus of Jonny’s work is applying behavioural science insights to core aspects of people management. Recently he has led programmes of work doing this in the areas of recruitment, reward and performance management.

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