Great article on Economist.com that we picked up from Jim Holincheck’s blog. The article discusses how the big four accounting firms (Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers) are leading the way when it comes to employee performance and talent management. Some great observations in the article and well worth a read. Of particular note is how these firms are attracting top performers and the importance of employees [...]

Seems that everyone is talking about the increased visibility HR is getting in the boardroom. But why? In a webinar we’re hosting on Thursday, learn why CEO’s should care about employee performance and talent management. Discover how to design an automated HR software system that addresses their particular concerns. Only by understanding what top stakeholders want from the performance management system will HR get the support it needs for the system to [...]

Experienced managers know it is far harder to get alignment than one might expect. Each business unit, each person, has their own interests and their own way of hearing things. What seems like a straightforward communication may not be heard, not acted upon, or it may be misunderstood.

There are two core methods to improve alignment: culture and goal management. A strong culture creates a common mindset, while goal setting ensures that the specifics are [...]

Normally we think of management control systems as something employees don’t like but that is not really the case. Employees like having clear goals. They are flattered if managers a level or two above them care about their goals. They are impressed if a company has an effective on-line system that helps their manager set goals give feedback and assign appropriate training. And most of all, if they genuinely are high performers they are pleased [...]

A common problem in a lot of companies is that managers focus all their time and energy on the lowest performers, overlooking the workhorses – the “superstars”. An article in the June issue of HR Magazine provides some great reasons why managers need to spend more time with their superstars. In the current talent market, one of the biggest reasons should be to ensure that the employee’s needs are met, and that she isn’t going [...]