Category: Managing Processes

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Managing Processes

5 Proven Hacks for Employee Goal Setting

5 PROVEN HACKS FOR EMPLOYEE GOAL SETTING

By Obinna Kelvin Agomuo

Now performance appraisals have been done and we have already got acquainted with essential steps to take after a performance review. One of the key items to prioritize is goal setting for the next cycle. 

Setting goals is a fundamental practice that can drive both personal and professional growth. As employees transition from performance appraisal season, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the insights gained and look ahead. Whether a manager is guiding a team, or an employee is eager to chart their path, effective goal setting can be a game-changer. Here are five proven hacks to set goals that inspire action and lead to success. 

1. Align Goals with Company visions

The first step in goal setting is ensuring alignment with the organization’s broader objectives. When individual goals support the company’s visions, employees can see how their functions contribute to the larger picture. This creates a sense of purpose and motivation. For instance, if the organization is focusing on innovation, employees should set goals that encourage creative problem-solving and the development of new ideas. 

2. Make Goals SMART

A tried-and-true method for effective goal setting is the SMART criteria. Individual team members’ goals or deliverables must meet with the following to provide clarity and focus. 

  • Specific – Goals should be clear and specific. Instead of saying “I want to improve my sales,” I could say “I want to increase my sales by 20% in the next quarter”. Clearly define what needs to be achieved. Vague goals lead to vague results.
  • Measurable – Ensure the criteria to measure progress can be tracked and the outcome measured. This could be in terms of sales numbers, customer feedback, milestones, or deadlines.
  • Achievable – Set goals that are realistic and attainable. Overly ambitious goals can lead to frustration, while too easy goals can lead to complacency. 
  • Relevant – Ensure that your goals align with your aspirations and the company’s mission. This ensures that efforts are directed towards meaningful outcomes. 
  • Time-bound – Set a deadline for each goal. This instills a sense of urgency and helps prioritize tasks. 

For example, instead of setting a goal to “improve communication skills,” a SMART goal would be “to complete an advanced communication skills training by the end of Q3 and apply the techniques in team meetings.” 

3. Break Down Larger Goals into Smaller Tasks 

Large goals can often feel overwhelming. Breaking them down into smaller, manageable tasks can make them more achievable. This not only makes the goals feel more achievable but also allows for easier tracking of progress. For instance, if the goal is to increase sales by 20% over the next year, it can be broken down into monthly or quarterly targets. 

4. Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 

To ensure that goals are not only set but also met, it’s essential to establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). KPIs are measurable values that demonstrate how effectively an individual or team is achieving key objectives. They provide a clear framework for monitoring progress and making data-driven decisions. For example, if an employee’s goal is to improve customer satisfaction, a relevant KPI could be the Net Promoter Score (NPS). Regularly tracking KPIs helps in identifying areas of improvement and ensuring that efforts are on the right track. 

5. Consider Personal Development 

While professional goals are crucial, it’s equally important to consider personal development goals. These can include improving soft skills, learning new technologies, or enhancing work-life balance. Personal development contributes to overall well-being and can positively impact professional performance. For instance, setting a goal to “finish a stress management course by the end of Q2” can help improve both personal health and workplace efficiency. 

Ready to take goal setting to the next level? HumanManager Performance Management system enables capturing of agreed goals through KPI’s, update of KPI progress and other competencies rating. Schedule a Demo now! 

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Managing Processes

Essential Steps to Take After a Performance Review

By Olamide Abiwo

Performance reviews are foundational for effective employee feedback; however, the critical question remains: “Are performance reviews enough to ignite employee productivity and transformational growth?”   

While reviews offer valuable insights into strengths and weaknesses, they can leave employees uncertain without a clear path forward. Simply understanding areas for improvement is not enough. The key lies in translating this feedback into actionable steps, going beyond the review itself, and fostering a culture of continuous engagement. 

Here is how to ensure your performance review process becomes a catalyst for positive change: 

1. Foster Open Dialogue 

Following a performance review, an open dialogue is vital – whether praising a stellar performance, addressing poor performance, or discussing termination. This allows both managers and employees to align their perspectives on performance, fostering mutual understanding and setting the stage for future actions. Confronting any issue head-on promotes a healthier work environment and prevents prolonged dissatisfaction. 

2. Recognise & Reward Great Work 

Employee recognition is not just about a pat on the back – it is a strategic investment in your organisation’s future. Recognise and celebrate performing employees to motivate them and instill a sense of satisfaction and responsibility. Positive feedback is a powerful motivator, reinforcing the value of their contributions. 

3. Set Smart Goals 

Goal setting within the performance review process transcends simply listing aspirations and aligning them with KPI’s. It is a strategic exercise that bridges past performance with future aspirations, fostering a sense of direction and purpose.  

Through collaborative goal setting, employees and managers work together to define SMART goals that are directly aligned with the broader organizational objectives, providing a clear roadmap to success. 

READ ALSO: 5 Proven hacks for employee goal setting

4. Redefine Roles & Responsibilities 

As employees grow, their roles and responsibilities should evolve. Annual performance reviews are an ideal time to discuss potential lateral or vertical moves. This can involve taking on new responsibilities or exploring different departments, ensuring employees remain challenged and engaged in their careers. 

5. Prepare for the Next Cycle’s Appraisal 

Start preparing for the next appraisal immediately. Keep a running list of achievements throughout the year, documenting successes as they occur with a robust performance management system or HRMS. This ensures that notable accomplishments are not overlooked, giving a comprehensive view of an employee’s contributions. 

“Positive feedback is a powerful motivator, reinforcing the value of their contributions”

Effective communication between employees and supervisors during the review process is crucial. Transparency and honesty are key to success and productivity. By fostering an environment of open dialogue and continuous feedback, you will drive meaningful change and empower your employees. 

Explore our demo 

Ready to transform your organization’s performance management process? Request a demo and take the first step towards empowering your employees. 

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Managing Processes

Mastering Salary Benchmarking: 6 Key Factors to Attract & Retain Talent 

salary benchmarking is vital to creating a fair and competitive compensation structure.

By Opeyemi Olutan 

In a rapidly evolving job market, staying competitive in terms of compensation is crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. Salary benchmarking helps to ensure that your organisation’s compensation packages are fair, attractive, and aligned with industry standards. By considering diverse variables, you can develop a comprehensive strategy that adapts to the changing dynamics of the job market.  

Here are six essential variables to consider when conducting salary benchmarking. 

1. Industry trends and standards 

Staying abreast of the latest industry salary trends and standards is essential to stay competitive. By understanding what other companies in the industry are offering, your firm can adjust its compensation packages to attract top talent. 

2. Geographical Location 

Salaries can vary significantly based on geographical location due to factors such as the cost of living and regional demand for specific skills. Adjusting salary benchmarks based on location ensures fairness and competitiveness in different job markets. 

3. Job Roles and Responsibilities 

Clear definitions of job roles and responsibilities are crucial for accurate benchmarking against similar positions in the market. Understanding the scope and complexity of each role helps in determining appropriate salary ranges. 

4. Skills and Experience 

Consideration of the skills, qualifications, and experience required for each role is important in determining salary benchmarks. Employees with specialised skills or extensive experience often command higher salaries, and benchmarking should reflect these differences. 

5. Market Supply and Demands 

Monitoring the supply and demand for specific job roles in the market is essential for adjusting salary benchmarks. High demand for certain skills can drive up salaries, while an oversupply may keep them lower. Aligning benchmarks with market dynamics helps your firm remain competitive. 

6. Company Size and Financial Health 

The size and financial health of an organisation can impact its salary structures. Firms with strong financial positions may offer higher salaries to attract top talent, while smaller organisations may need to balance competitive pay with budget limitations. Other incentives like profit sharing, stock options, and performance bonuses can be considered. 

By considering these variables, you can develop a flexible and comprehensive salary benchmarking strategy that adapts to changing market conditions. This approach helps in attracting and retaining top talent and ensures that employees are fairly compensated for their skills and contributions. 

In conclusion, salary benchmarking is a vital practice to create a fair and competitive compensation structure. By considering the variables outlined above, you can ensure that your firm’s salary packages remain attractive and aligned with industry standards. 

For more insights into salary benchmarking techniques and best practices, click HERE to watch the Corporate Catalyst Conversations (#CCC) second edition webinar. 

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Managing Processes

Choosing the Best HR Tech: Essential Factors to Consider 

By Aisosa Ajayi

It’s the start of a business year, and you need the right operational tools to scale. These tools include adopting flexible and tailor-made human resource technology that will significantly impact your organisation’s efficiency and effectiveness.  

With a plethora of options in the market, it is essential to carefully consider critical features that make the selected Human Resources Information System (HRIS) the best fit for your company. In this article, we have dissected the key factors to consider.  

1.   Automation 

An HRIS’s primary advantage lies in its ability to automate manual processes, enhance efficiency and minimise errors. Choose a solution which incorporates features such as an automated workflow on HR processes and employee self-service functionalities. These features contribute to a seamless and error-free workflow.  

For instance, HumanManager helps you automate all processes from employee entry to exit which gives you the time to focus on strategic business growth.  

2.  Integration 

Efficient integration with new and existing software is crucial for a streamlined workflow. Choose an HRIS that can be integrated with other employee management solutions, including payroll, time and attendance, and benefits management. This integration ensures a cohesive data flow, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing the chances of errors.  

3.  Reporting 

Robust reporting capabilities are essential for gaining insights into various HR metrics and empower you to make informed decisions. Your chosen HRIS should offer customisable reporting features, allowing you to generate real-time data such as employee turnover and headcount.  

4.  Compliance 

Compliance with all extant laws in your area of jurisdiction is non-negotiable for any human resources management system. Choose a solution that provides features such as automatic updates on HR policies, compliance tracking, and other tools that support adherence to legal requirements. Being compliant safeguards your organisation and fosters a culture of trust among all stakeholders.  

5.  Employee Self-Service 

Enhance your overall employee experience with self-service features that foster engagement and reduce the workload on the HR team. An effective HRIS should offer a robust self-service module allowing employees to update their personal information (document uploads, profile update, with little or no paperwork) as well as access data on salary reports, benefits, and lots more.  

6.  User-Friendly Interface 

How user-friendly is the HRIS interface for your HR managers and employees? 

Choose a system with an intuitive, user-friendly interface that facilitates easy navigation. A good interface promotes adoption across the firm, ensure that all users can leverage the system’s functionalities without extensive training.  

Selecting the best HRIS requires a thoughtful analysis of factors that align with your organisation’s specific needs. By prioritising automation, integration, reporting, compliance, employee self-service, and a user-friendly interface, you can identify an HRIS that not only streamlines HR processes but also contributes to the overall success of your firm.  

Look beyond the popularity of the software and invest time in understanding your unique business requirements before selecting the best fit solution. Want to scale your business and give your employees the ease that they deserve? Visit www.humanmanager.net for more information or send an email to [email protected]  

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Managing Processes

7 Key Reasons You Should Outsource Your Payroll

Payroll processing can be time-consuming, complex and repetitive, yet essential. This process includes prompt payment of employees’ salary, calculation of paid and unpaid leave, employee benefits, bonuses, tax deductions and remittances and much more.

While some businesses chose to manage their payroll operations in-house through manual book-keeping or do-it-yourself payroll solutions, others prefer to trust the expertise of a professional HR and payroll firm to manage on a regular basis at pre-determined or agreed rates.

Whichever method you choose to adopt has its merits, but the latter outweighs the former. Read on to find out why you should outsource your Payroll:

1. It Saves Time & Money

From managing staff salary and other benefits, to maintaining payroll departments and/or software solutions, the time and financial cost to any company can be significant over time. Outsourcing payroll to a reputable provider gives you more time and resources to focus on other critical business priorities, such as increasing revenue or retaining existing customers.

2. Helps to Avoid Statutory Penalty

The need to compute taxes correctly, document, and remit same to the Board of Internal Revenue and other statutory agencies of government within the time stipulated can be a major hurdle for businesses of any size. Regulatory compliance is a key outcome of engaging a reputable payroll provider.

When payroll is outsourced correctly, employee taxes and associated schedules are streamlined and made available on time and in the proper formats or order. Also, having an expert on hand helps keep track and stay up-to-date on regulations.

3. Heightens Data Security & Privacy

How safe and secure is your payroll data? Where and how is it stored? Who has access to it and what level of access do they have? What processes are in place to mitigate staff data breaches, particularly for sensitive payroll information? Trying to answer these questions can really break a sweat as data breaches, identity theft and fraud expose the organisation to untold heartaches.

Outsourcing your payroll to a trusted and experienced provider will help de-risk and allow in-house teams focus on monitoring or controlling the process while passing the burden of data security/confidentiality to your preferred provider.

4. Helps Businesses to be Globally Competitive

A manually-driven workforce is like driving a car with square wheels, indeed a very daunting task.

Having a functional Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) to manage both HR and Payroll operations can greatly improve organisation of any size, as it helps structure and scale operations in a seamless way. Automated outsourced payroll service also comes with a modern, easy to use HRIS platform, Employee Self Service (ESS) capabilities, and mobile friendly technology at subsidised or reduced cost.

5. Increases Employee Satisfaction

Prompt salary and benefit payment remains a proven way to keep your employees motivated. A certified outsourcing firm ensures that salary payment is done on time, and the correct deductions and bonuses calculated. It also offers a holistic process that eliminates human error to the barest minimum making reporting and comparisons easier.

6. Allows for 24/7 Access to Payroll Experts

Payroll experts are conversant with evolving regulations and structured to manage complex as well as mundane payroll processes. While some large enterprises often have dedicated teams or departments handling their payroll process and compliance related documentations or timelines, many small businesses don’t have such luxury.

It is important you engage a qualified team of experts with a track record of delivering quality payroll results in a functionally compliant way.

7. Provides Accurate Payroll Reports for in-house Decision Making

Depending on the size and structure of the business, payroll reporting must be securely maintained to aid evaluation of previous reports for hiring and staffing projections, financial auditing in a fiscal year and tax and reporting purposes.

You enjoy access to accurate, timely and comprehensive report when you outsource your payroll to a reliable firm. They ensure that your payroll data is organised and easily accessible for future reporting.

If you can relate to any of the above benefits, it will be a good time to consider outsourcing your payroll or some other processes to your preferred provider.

We have the expertise needed to help you save cost while enabling your team focus on core functions and operations geared towards achieving organisational goals. Learn more at here,  or contact us at [email protected] to get started.

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Managing Processes

Errors To Avoid During Performance Appraisal

Performance appraisals have proven to be one of the best ways to improve employees’ productivity and enhance outcomes. This periodic evaluation of staff performance provides feedback on their strengths and weaknesses, enhances subsequent output, helps identify and reward high-performing members of staff, and determines appropriate salary upgrades.

Despite its numerous benefits, a lot of mistakes — sometimes known as rater errors — from a supervisor’s biased viewpoint can result in low morale, anxiety, poor job satisfaction, or even loss of job. It is therefore pertinent that supervisors, managers, and human resources personnel understand these biases and how to eliminate them during appraisal exercises.

These few points present some of the pitfalls that must be avoided and how to overcome them:

1. Central Tendency/Favoritism/Grouping

Challenge: The appraiser rates staff in a not-too-good or not-too-bad category. This is unfair to employees who really deserve a higher grading.

Solution: Establish and agree on SMARTKey Performance Index (KPI) at the beginning of the appraisal period and evaluate performance against these goals. Also, document observable behaviour over the entire performance cycle.

2. The Halo/Horns Effect

Challenge: Occurs when the appraiserallows specific positive or negative factors related to the employee’s work affect the overall assessment of performance.

Solution: Track and document performance based on agreed KPIs daily, weekly, monthly, bi-annually, or annually. Identify specific behavioural attributes that support your ratings and be sure that none is influenced because it is particularly admirable or irritating.

3. Bias/Comparison/Holding a Grudge

Challenge: This is when the appraiser makes an employee suffer for past behaviour, irrespective of the positive output at work or when the appraiser judges the employee based on factors like state of origin, gender, religion, age, disability, weight, height, marital status, etc.

Solution: Focus on the employee’s work, not on personal matters, unless those personal matters affect the work of the employee. Check your perceptions for accuracy, fairness, balance, and consistency.

4. Recency

Challenge: This occurs when an appraiser rates only recent performance, good or bad.

Solution: Keep track of performance and document observable behaviour over the entire performance cycle to get a balanced view. Ask others for their observations of the employee to see if they have different views.

5. The Sunflower Effect

Challenge: This is when an appraiser rates employees high regardless of performance, to make themselves look good or to be able to give more compensation.

Solution: Employees can justify ratings through tracked comments across set approval workflows for various levels.

6. First Impression Error

Challenge: This is the rater’s tendency to let their first impression of an employee’s performance carry too much weight in the evaluation of performance over an entire rating period.

Solution: Appraisals should support regular feedback, reports and trend analysis to help line managers and HR track employee’s rating over a period.

7. Concluding appraisals without feedback for improvement

Challenge: Employees do not get comprehensive feedback after the appraisal exercise.

Solution: Use an automated appraisal system that allows for feedback. Always provide unbiased feedback about employees’ strengths and weaknesses, and even suggest helpful measures to boost outcomes.

Appraisal errors can cause your entire performance review programme to lose credibility among your employees. Consistent analysis of the process can help avoid this situation!

With HumanManager, you can enjoy a seamless and efficient performance management process that suits interactions within your organisation among employees at all levels, as well as in the physical and virtual workspace. HumanManager makes it a lot easier to achieve your organisational goals.

Ready for a topnotch appraisal? Get started at www.humanmanager.net.

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Managing Processes

7 Must-have HR Modules for your Organisation

Human Resource Management (HRM) processes have evolved over the years, with the growing interest in the need to give employees the best opportunities for optimal performance, and to inherently boost revenue.

These inter-related, complex and often difficult tasks could be overwhelming for HR managers, leaving little or no room for strategic planning and proper fusing of their execution into the firm’s operations.

It is therefore important to consider an intuitive and innovative solution that delivers data accuracy, efficient management and enables the aggregation of multi-sourced data for quality decision-making.

When choosing an HR solution, it must have these 7 modules in order to enhance your operational productivity:

  1. Employee Information Management

The beginning of proper HR management is having the right staff data for a comprehensive insight into the type and capacity of the workforce. A good solution simplifies this process and eliminates hours of searching through hardcopy files for relevant staff information whenever required.

2. Administration Module

This helps you manage organisational structure and data through predefined metrics which enable seamless exchanges, approvals and decision-making. There should be clearly defined access rights for users and automated workflows for various processes to eliminate the need for time-consuming manual approval processes.

3. Performance Management

A fit-for-purpose appraisal system is key to evaluating individual and collective contributions towards set organisational objectives. This module simplifies the management of various appraisal systems including the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) or the Balanced Scorecard systems for an appraisal cycle.

4. Leave Management

According to a popular proverb, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. You can now ensure that your employees take the needed rests as and when due, using a leave management solution to specify applicable leave types, staff entitlements, applicable allowances and schedule vacation times among others while ensuring a smooth handover.

5. Expense Management

Certain jobs demand staff to spend on behalf of companies, and on time too. This process can however be taxing due to the required audits and approval requirements. Automating the entire flow from advances to retirements or even re-imbursements and all the settings to align with company policies is the sure way to go!

6. Payroll Management

Another major source of expenditure of organisations is the compensation system, which largely involves the payroll. You can achieve more productive time for other HR functions and avoid falling on the wrong side of the law when you automate this complex process with the right application.

7. Self-Service

The self-service module empowers employees to comprehensively manage their personal information as well as drive transaction flows, approvals and feedback to monitor progress with relevant processes. Strict access rights should be applied as expected of a standard business support application.

In addition, when all activities have been carried out on the system — transactions passed, approvals given and major processes completed, reporting is the output that makes the work worthwhile for decision-making. Also, a comprehensive solution should have an up-to-date reporting system with easy-to-use infographics for high-level information from the solution.

You need not worry about where and how you can get all these benefits in one solution.

HumanManager, known for its 28 years of optimising workforce and talent management processes, can give you all these benefits and more.

Visit www.humanmanager.net now to request a DEMO and get started!

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Managing Processes

6 Proven Tips for Expense Management in your Organisation

Manual expense management is often a complex process in business, with loads of paperwork and spreadsheets that only result in lots of data entry, large investment of time, and careful maintenance of records — with no guarantee that the process will be error-free, no matter how meticulous it gets.

In order to stem these challenges, some organisations have come up with expense policies to streamline types of expenditure, their rates and/or even limits to which they can be incurred. They also have a process of getting funds in advance or reimbursed. But monitoring and enforcements of such policies remains a challenge.

A little purchase here and a staff travel and logistics cost there can quickly pile up your running cost. If you do not manage your spending and keep it at the barest minimum, it could result in a sizeable bill that you are not prepared for.

This is why as a manager, an admin or HR professional in any organisation, these proven tips will help to improve your expense management. Take a dive!

1. Do a Comprehensive Analysis

Carry out a thorough review of your organisation’s expense policy to define what types of expense will be reimbursed, how expenses should be submitted and how they will be reimbursed. Also, make sure to clearly inform and educate your employees to ensure that they act accordingly. But if you do not have an expense policy, create one today!

2. Have a Budget

Budgets help to set expense and revenue goals. When you know how much you can spend, you can more easily manage your spending. If your revenue is lower than budgeted, find ways to cut expenses and increase income. You can also establish metrics that are meaningful to your business and at par with standard companies in your industry.

3. Get Tough on Fixed Costs

Don’t be complacent about fixed costs because they are generally recurrent and often reflect long-standing relationships with suppliers. You should periodically review market costs to see if you can get better deals from competing suppliers.

4. Reimburse your Employees Promptly

Delayed reimbursements is a common problem. Ensure your staff turn in their requests in time and you act on it within the agreed time. This cultivates employee commitment and satisfaction. Also, let your employee know why an expense is not approved.

5. Cultivate Financial Discipline as a core Company Value

Financial literacy should be extended to your staff through decision-making and team-building, so they are better able to control their own costs. Also, you should actively involve your employees in the cost management process, and seek cost effective ways of operation.

6. Implement an Expense Management Solution

Having a software to ensure an automated reimbursement process gives you and other members of staff ample time to focus on other tasks, and remain motivated to perform better. Such solution will facilitate the submission or reporting of expenses by employees from any location for review and approval by managers from anywhere and at any time.

HumanManager can help your organisation manage its expenses, approval workflow, and required controls, as well as provide adequate reports and generate accounting journals based on your requirement.

HumanManager offers your employees the flexibility and ease to submit their receipts and get their managers’ approvals in real time. It is tested and trusted by hundreds of organisations to effectively manage their Claims and other HR needs including employee information, payroll, performance and leave.

Remember, that lovely quote by Benjamin Franklin: “a penny saved is a penny earned.”

Visit www.humanmanager.net today to get started.