Reference no: EM132959533

Tucker is a full-time employee at a large clothing distribution company; she is a sales representative at this distributor. Her role is primarily face-to-face in the office as part of a larger sales team. Tucker is measured independently on her performance, yet sometimes she is asked to support broader sales and marketing initiatives with her team members that support everyone's goals.

Tucker has an established set of repeat clients, yet to make her annual sales quota, she must bring in new customers every year. Typically, new clients will meet in person at the office, where a grand well-lit showroom is showcasing samples of every product the company has to offer. Tucker knows she can always sell more when the prospective client can see the products in person.

During the pandemic, the office closed, and all employees started working from home as of March 2020. To capture her new client base, Tucker has been working through her networks and booking video calls. Occasionally, Tucker will send samples to prospective clients and discuss key features and benefits on a video call.

Lyla is Tucker's direct manager; she assesses Tucker's performance through the results method? (Chapter 7). Now that Tucker is working from home, she has noticed a steady decline in her performance evaluations and rating. It is harder to capture prospective clients when she cannot network in person. It is also harder to capture non-sales-related duties through the current virtual environment (preparing pitch presentations, supporting junior sales reps with client issues and concerns, managing many client order cancellations).

Lyla has noticed a steady decline in Tucker's performance and understands that external factors that have impacted her results.

Further, Lyla understands that the current performance management system is inefficient and does not align with how team members operate in the current pandemic environment. Some gaps exist which do not account for value-added activities to be recognized.

You have been hired as a consultant to design and implement a new performance management system. The organization has made it clear that the new performance management system will motivate employees working remotely.

1. Why is it essential to align the performance management system to the organization's strategic objectives - especially in a work-from-home environment?

2 Discuss the critical steps in creating an effective performance management system for employees that are working from home:

Elaborate on the importance of implementing this system and how it can help motivate employees to meet organizational objectives

3 Place yourself in Tucker's shoes; how would you feel working from home? If you were in Tucker's position, what types of recognition would you like to receive to help motivate you during this challenging period? (please acknowledge both formal and informal)

4 What voluntary employee benefits could be implemented in a meaningful way during the period employees are required to work from home?

Discuss the factors affecting Tucker's compensation; what internal and external factors are impacting her current situation?