Talent Management Challenges During Covid-19 and Beyond: Performance Management to the Rescue | Business Research Quarterly

Many firms are adjusting their approaches to performance management (PM) to align with new ways of working. This journal article provides five recommendations for adapting and improving PM to better align with the future of work. The recommendations include (1) measure results besides behaviors, (2) measure adaptive performance, (3) conduct stay interviews to retain top performers, (4) implement a multi-source performance management system, and (5) collect and use performance promoter scores. While a few of these recommendations are well underway in many firms, two have been less discussed. Concerning #2, the authors suggest PM should include the measurement of eight dimensions of adaptability, ranging from handling emergencies and crises to dealing with uncertain and unpredictable work situations. They also recommend developing a Performance Promoter Score (PPS), an aggregate of answers to the questions: How likely would you recommend working with [name of individual, workgroup, or unit] to a friend or a colleague? Why did you provide the rating that you provided? What would it take to raise the score just by one point? Table 1 summarizes the five recommendations. What are your thoughts on the two highlighted recommendations? Do they add more complexity to a talent process that firms have been working hard to simplify, or do they provide incremental value? For other ideas on PM, check out Gartner’s September issue of HR Leader’s Monthly, which includes seven articles on PM.