Reference no: EM132497964

HRM 407 Performance Management - Emirates College of Technology

Performance Management System Rollout at BT Global Services

BT Global Services utilized several steps to effectively roll out a new performance management system called "Maximizing Performance," designed to bring new consistency to managing and developing employees and to create a high-performance culture. BT Global Services, a global communication services company, employs more than 20,000 employees. After obtaining support from senior management, the first steps included a series of communications, including a workshop for executives so that all employees would receive a clear message about why a new system was being developed, what roles employees would play, and how those roles would contribute to the success of the company.

The next step included training line managers, to ensure involvement and commitment, including the important role these managers play in ensuring success. Among other areas covered, training included how to set effective goals with employees, providing coaching and feedback to facilitate development (Results, Behaviors, and Developmental plan has been definitivelyset). Roles were reviewed and clarified to ensure employees understood expectations and how their work contributes to the success of their team, business unit, and the company as a whole. For ongoing monitoring of the program, data were collected through employee surveys, face-to-face meetings with line managers, and team meetings. In summary, BT Global Services illustrates an example of an effective rollout of a new performance management system including communication plan, training, and ongoing commitment to monitoring and improvement (Herman Aguinis, 2013:185)

During the last week of 2019, the final draft of Performance Appraisal Form has been approved for use, just after performance execution had been clearly identified. Top management decided that within one week, all supervisors have to meet their subordinates to appraise their performance using the latter from. As the number of employees was huge, raters felt confused of time boundaries. Time was not sufficient to conduct individual meeting with employees. As they cannot follow the agreed implementation procedures, they decided to meet small groups of 50 employees every day for two hours. During group face-to-face meetings, supervisors discussed with teams' members about their last period performance, encouraged them and provided them most necessary advices and feedback to improve their future performance. The last ten minutes of meetings, employees are asked to fulfill honestly the individual forms distributed to them. Although the procedure mentioned clearly that this task initially should be fulfilled only by supervisors, it was done entirely by employees.

No pilot test system has been used before the performance management system is implemented formally. The HR director, when analyzing all data gathered from these individual forms, they found that 18,000 employees have answered only the colon of "Significantly exceeded expectations" for all items of Area of achieved improvements. One more thing, when they randomly interviewed a sample of them regarding such biased ranking, they replied that all their answers had been influenced by the first item "The employee Encourage performance culture". As consequences, top management and HR decided that they cannot rely on or conclude about performance achievements. Appraisal results did not met expectations and then cancelled.

Q1- What was the main goal of BT Global Services by introducing a new performance system? What was wrong in defining such kind of goal?

Q2- Discuss the main purpose behind the decision of implementing a performance management system by BT Global Services. Do you agree with this strategic purpose?

Q3- Is the method used to gather information about performance is, Reliable, Thorough, Valid, Contextually Congruent and could Identifies effective and ineffective performance? briefly argue.

Q4- Review the important elements of the performance management process and explain in which step the company failed effectively roll out a new performance management system?

Q5- Read carefully the appraisal form, and discuss if the statements used are measuring the important outcomes as stated by the goal of performance system?

Q6- Discus the main disadvantages of allowing employee to apprise themselves and rate their own performance.

Q7- Provide a short discussion of the main intentional and unintentional rating distortion factors that led to the biased ratings.

Q8- Suppose that you are involved in the decision Making of this company. What can you suggest to improve the proposed performance system? Do you think that performance management is necessary?