The Challenge
Our client was a software company with around 60 employees. There were no clearly defined career paths showing employees how to deepen their expertise and advance their technical competence from junior to regular to senior developer. Team leaders supported developers with operational tasks, but there was little structured focus on developing people within the team. At the same time, underperformance was often overlooked or, when identified, was not addressed.
The Solution
We helped the client create a system for managing performance and assessing employees’ technical expertise.
We trained team leaders in our methodology so they could create role profiles based on key result areas and define criteria for measuring employee performance.
We also developed role profiles for each position, together with the relevant criteria and assessment methods. The team leaders themselves drove the process, while we provided expert support and validation of the role profiles and assessment criteria they created. We applied the same approach to non-technical positions. Together with the CEO and HR Manager, we defined how performance results would be linked to compensation and progression to higher levels of technical competence.
We introduced the new system to all employees affected by it and created dedicated time and space to gather and discuss their concerns and suggestions.
We delivered a two-day performance management training program for everyone in the company with people-management responsibilities. The aim was to strengthen their ability to give feedback, conduct performance review conversations and handle potentially difficult situations within the process.
The Results
The company began applying the process independently and embedded it into its regular operations.
Following the training, team leaders developed a clearer understanding of gaps in their people’s development and became better able to plan the support needed to help them grow.
Clear roles
Increased transparency
Consistent process
Leadership development
Underperformance is now addressed much more quickly. Once clear criteria and a transparent process for progression in technical expertise were introduced, conflict situations decreased significantly. There was no longer a significant gap between employees’ and managers’ perceptions of performance, individual contribution and the development opportunities employees could expect.
