Performance Measurement Tools For Employees

Performance measurement tools for employees are not neutral observers. Measuring something changes how people work, and the change is not always the one you wanted.

Measure calls handled and calls get shorter, including the ones that needed longer. Measure tickets closed and tickets get closed prematurely, then reopened. Measure lines of output and quality drops quietly.

The pattern is consistent. People optimise for the measure, not the intent behind it, and the easiest measures to collect are usually the easiest to distort.

Two habits help. Pair a volume measure with a quality one so gaming the first shows up in the second. And be explicit that the measure is a proxy, not the goal, so a manager can override it where the number is misleading.

The Fair Work Commission covers fair processes. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.

See Sentrient’s goal setting software and performance management system.