Find out ways for an admin to prepare for the launch of yearly performance forms to make it a more meaningful experience for everyone.
The biggest piece of advice; advanced planning is key! Make sure you include the right people in the decision making process early on to improve your performance review process.
You will need to understand the specific performance management needs of your organization. It is imperative to align with the business processes in order to have a successful performance evaluation cycle.
Preparation for the New Plan Year
- Set the timeline for the Performance Cycle
- Decide on the date range that performance is being evaluated on. Is it based on calendar year, fiscal year, hire date anniversary, or role-based schedule?
- Who gets a form? All employees, new hires before a certain date, specific groups of employees?
- Include prep time to review last year’s form and make adjustments based on employee and manager feedback
- Determine the form launch date
- Is there an annual launch for all forms or is launch based on the individual?
- Based on the launch date, determined how much time is allotted for each step in the form
- Configure the performance template, making sure the form aligns with your organization’s performance cycle, timelines, and evaluation criteria
- Start by identifying rules for the form
- Can forms be routed back to the prior step?
- Do the route map steps have due dates? if so, are forms auto routed to the next step based on step due date?
- Can forms be sent to others for feedback?
- Can completed forms be sent to others?
- Are the instructions clear on the form? Do certain sections need introductory text to guide the employee so they understand what they need to do?
- Are there any changes to what is being rated, the rating scale?
- Are there new sections to be added to the form?
- Any changes to the workflow, any changes to the permissions on which roles can do what and in which step?
- Data Tracking and Reporting: Make sure the performance forms are set up to collect data for future reporting and analytics. Use the data for insights into employee performance trends, team dynamics, and organizational development.
- Start by identifying rules for the form
Update/Prep the System
- Make sure your data is current
- Update any reporting relationships so that the forms will flow to the correct employees’ managers. If any managers are on leave, make sure their direct reports have a new reporting relationship.
- Make sure any job changes and pending actions are completed so the forms will reflect current titles and reporting relationships.
- Test your form in a controlled environment to ensure it works as expected.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Provide communication on the process to managers and employees. Use multiple means of communication. Make sure they are aware of the time frame and what is expected of them each step of the way.
Training
- Create training guides for employees and managers alike. Tip sheets, quick reference guides or more detailed references are helpful, especially if you are rolling out a new review process
- Conduct manager training sessions. Include how to navigate the system and level set expectations for how to rate employees. Also stress the need to track notes throughout the year in order to be prepared to provide detailed feedback during the process.
Ready for Launch
Review the performance review template one final time and make sure everything is ready to go.
- If the template is copied from the prior year, ensure that the correct goal plan is linked to the template and any references to the prior plan year are updated to the new plan year
- Make sure the correct route map and rating scale are linked
- Make sure the route map has any prior year dates and verbiage updated
- Verify step due dates on route map are correct, if using
- Make sure the advanced settings reflect the current year
- Verify launch date and group of employees that the forms are being launched for
- Verify email notifications are enabled and the text contained in the emails is correct and instructional
- If forms will auto route to the next step based on the step due date, ensure that the nightly auto route job is set up to run
During the Review Process
- Track timely completion of reviews. You can create an ad hoc report to check what steps forms are in. If a step due date is approaching and forms are not moving, it can be a signal to send out communication to remind users to work on their forms.
- Provide guidance. Questions will arise and in order to make the process run more smoothly, be prepared to answer questions, route forms and troubleshoot as needed.
Post-Review Follow-up
Once the review cycle is completed, it is time to reflect and prepare for the next cycle.
- Gather Analytics on the Review Process
- You can track completion rates, ratings distribution, and other key metrics. Use these insights to monitor the success of the performance management process.
- Set up custom reports to analyze performance trends across the organization. SuccessFactors provides pre-built reports for evaluating employee performance, ratings, and competencies. This enables you to summarize key findings to leadership.
- Customize dashboards and analytics to review performance ratings, goal progress, and development plans at a department or company level.
- Collect Feedback on the Review Process
- Ask around, what worked and what didn’t? Discover what employees and managers felt bout the form’s usability and effectiveness. Use this feedback to refine your configuration for future cycles.
- Prepare for Next Review Cycle
- Note updates to make for next year’s template using feedback and changes in the business, employee development needs, or industry best practices.
- Regularly assess whether the PM form and process are meeting organizational needs. Be prepared to make adjustments or add new sections based on feedback from users.
- Plan for new business needs: As your company evolves, the form may need to adapt, such as adding new competencies, revising goals, or adding new development sections.
By following this checklist, admins can ensure that the year-end performance review process is thorough, efficient, and effective, benefiting both employees and the organization.
Do you need help implementing or supporting your SAP SuccessFactors system? Contact info@worklogix.com for assistance, download our support services brochure, or visit https://www.worklogix.com/implementation.html for additional information.



































































































