Performance management in the public sector is always a hot topic.
This is particularly true in emerging economies like South Africa, where moaning about public goods and governmental services like the military, law enforcement, infrastructure, public transit, education and healthcare is somewhat of a national pastime.
To be fair, the South African public sector does have its challenges. Everything from skills development to procurement and service delivery needs to be fine-tuned.
As an end user of public sector services, you are not alone in feeling this way. According to a recent McKinsey survey, public sector officials themselves also feel that there is much room for improvement.
The exact quote says that “public sector officials are less likely than their private-sector counterparts to agree that their organisation’s current performance management has a positive impact on individual employee performance”.
The good news is that performance management in the public sector can be addressed.
With a focused, employee-centric approach, there are certain tried-and-tested methods that can improve the things that are proving to be points of pain at the moment.
READ MORE: Your 5-step guide to handling poor employee performance
Here are our recommendations to improve performance management in the public sector:
- Establish the right kind of performance metrics
The only real way to improve the state of performance management in the public sector is to get a clear idea of the current state of problems and processes, and to set goals for the future.
Transparency is key and performance metrics should be chosen and communicated clearly so all role-players are attuned to the success of the process.
Functional silos should be broken down to establish meaningful metrics that are suitable to the tasks at hand. After all, if you measure the strength of a fish on its ability to climb a tree, the yardstick is never going to be in favour of the fish.
The data used to measure success should also be well organised – a flood of information will drown out any usable information, and a lack of data will only lead to frustration.
READ MORE: 6 Employee performance metrics your business should be tracking
- Boost engagement with stretch targets
Stretch targets that are in line with overarching company vision are a great tool to help employees reach optimal performance. This goes beyond the traditional, non-aspirations objectives that normally form part of the game plan of most public sector institutions.
By assigning stretch targets that tap into the personal motivators of each staff member, and tying it back to the overall objectives of the business at large, managers can help employees perceive the importance of pushing themselves to contribute to the wellbeing of the team while enjoying a personal sense of achievement at the same time.
- Get savvy on the digital front
Using digital platforms to share information is another great way to keep employees motivated. When KPIs and stretch targets are visible to the whole crew, it affects real change in the way people work. It motivates employees to pay attention to these metrics and fosters a healthy sense of competition. Additionally, using a platform that incorporates gamification elements can encourage employees at all levels of the business to share performance-related information in real time.
READ MORE: How driving digital engagement unlocks business value
- Offer incentives and support
Aside from conducting regular performance reviews to ensure that public sector employees have the opportunity to correct their trajectory if required, managers should also lay the groundwork of an ongoing motivational dialogue by means of incentives and other forms of support. Employee recognition and reward is one of the simplest ways to boost the type of behaviour you want to see among your team members.
READ MORE: 360 Performance review template and how to use it
By mapping out incentive plans in alignment with a company’s vision and mission, organisational leaders set the scene for achieving high levels of performance.
User-friendly platforms like bountiXP have been tailored to make this an absolute breeze. By combining the power of goal-based and values-based recognition, bountiXP aligns strategy and culture for improved people performance. It also acts as a hub of social recognition and engagement, enabling people to establish connections and build relationships around shared values and a common purpose.
- Embrace more agile methodologies
By using agile methodologies, managers can help boost performance improvement with fast-moving project review cycles.
A clear timeline and support from top management is an imperative if collaboration among relevant departmental stakeholders needs to improve. There is likely to be a lot of resistance to change, so it helps to introduce elements of agility systematically, starting with smaller groups – rather than rolling it out across an entire organisation, all in one go.
- Focus on skills building
Start by filling skills gaps in the most important functional areas. This may require the sharpening of existing skills, a change in the way that work is done, or broader capacity-building programmes that seek to reskill or upskill entirely.
To sustain improved performance in the public sector in the long run, HR and senior management need to focus on capacity building. Without this critical foundation in place, the whole process grinds to a halt. By involving employees in organisational transformation in this way, it isn’t just government agencies that can set themselves up for success.
There you have it – six ways to increase performance management in the public sector, as recommended by the HR and employee engagement experts over here at bountiXP.