A performance management system that impacts an agency’s performance is much more than an annual black-and-white report. It is an automated process that analyzes the data for greater visibility and task alignment with agency policies. It creates the ground for talent retention and efficiency.
Avoid the Zero-Sum Game
It is a loss for an agency and its employees if it cannot pinpoint a crucial talent. If an agency lacks such ability, it cannot fully benefit from skillful employees, and achieving goals and delivering services becomes difficult. In such scenarios, even if every staff member puts in all their efforts, it could all be for nothing. Their efforts can quickly go in vain since they cannot see whether they are contributing to the organizational goals and being effective enough.
These circumstances create uncertainty among the best, most sincere, and most productive employees and compel them to move to the private sector. Due to these situations, the recruitment process of talented candidates becomes difficult, as well. As a result, due to the absence of many talented candidates, federal agencies often choose to pick up qualified and skilled workers from other offices. It creates a situation of a ‘zero-sum game’ where a gain of one results in the loss of another, and the aggregate government agency situation suffers.
The Challenge and Solution
Even though performance management systems are not new to the federal sector, the growth in realizing their importance is still an ongoing process. But still, one thing is missing: the automation part that can revolutionize many processes. Present-day technology is up-and-coming, and through automation techniques, it is able to provide enough data to create an impactful performance management system. Unlike federal agencies, the private sector has been using these automated techniques for years and enjoying their benefits. However, the government sector still practices conventional methods, and only legacy information systems have done some good for them that have surpassed their capabilities.
However, recently, a slight change has been observed in the situation. Using modern-day technology in performance management, agencies have deployed specially designed systems created to meet their needs and adapt to staff requirements. Through these efforts, agencies can improve their performance and productivity and enhance talent retention and recruitment by using actual data-driven performance management systems.
Step-by-Step Path to Performance Management
The replacement of conventional systems and methods with this new automated style of performance management is not a single-day process; it is a whole journey. Trying to implement an entirely new system in a short time can pose significant risks of failure and a considerable good-for-nothing cost. Taking small steps toward advancement is the key here, and the upgradation of traditional performance management in the federal sector to a data-driven approach includes the following steps.
Align goals
Since the recruitment of employees till their retirement, the senior and junior management/professionals must work together to create a mission statement that will complement the performance management. Such efforts generate a realization for the senior managers about the crucial organizational goals. While the alignment of duties of all employees with organizational objectives helps realize how their efforts contribute to the mission.
Make change inclusive
The human resources department should actively listen to the concerns and suggestions of the employees about the progressing transition. Such gestures add up to the employee satisfaction level and increase the employee engagement level, motivating them to make necessary contributions to the growth process.
Automate manual tasks for immediate results
This type of transition may lead a federal sector agency’s performance management system to long-term success. However, short-term achievements can lead to results during the transition phase. Automating different processes and redirecting them to cloud servers can significantly reduce costs during short intervals.
Develop a workforce of leaders
Professional training and development is another practice that helps increase employee engagement, allowing employees to acquire new leadership skills. Creating leaders for tomorrow can help an agency with its long-term succession planning.
Drive a modern, agile technology transformation
Once an agency makes a heavy investment in modern and highly adaptable technology that can be reshaped and restructured for individual processes, it can forget the worry of hefty expenses related to taking care of outdated information systems.
Use the Power of Analytics
Different analytical tools come in handy and generate impressive returns. Statistics prove that the recruitment and placement processes of agencies that use analytics improve substantially. They are also able to enhance their leadership sector.
Conclusion
As government complexity intensifies, government agencies’ employees will encounter new challenges and opportunities. Budgets will become limited, and the need for skilled staff will keep growing. However, data-driven performance management systems will prove their worth as a handy tool in combating such challenges. By implementing such systems and solutions, HR departments of federal agencies can establish success for their agencies through the step-by-step implementation of such automated systems.
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