Effective workforce performance management enables organizations to optimize their performance processes and align employee development and goals with corporate objectives.
The term Workforce Performance Management (WFM) refers to the tasks and processes an organization is involved in to ensure they have a productive workforce. Some of the tasks that fall under WFM include:
- Payroll management.
- Scheduling of employees and resources e.g. service vans and equipment.
- Tracking employee attendance and time use.
- Forecasting demand for personnel, especially for businesses that hire seasonal/ temporary employees.
- Managing employee leaves, absences and vacations.
- Handling training programs and learning management.
- Talent management and mentorship programs.
- Employee grooming, succession planning and career management.
- Tracking employees and usage of an organization’s assets.
Proper workforce management confers a lot of benefits to an organization. It does more than help in making the above mentioned tasks easier: it makes organizations more profitable. It keeps employee engagement levels higher and makes them more productive. It makes for improved customer satisfaction levels. Given the advantages and benefits an organization stands to enjoy if WFM is well implemented, organizations of all sizes are getting more interested in implementing it.
Workforce management is done either manually or be automated. While automated WFM using software is much better than a manual system (easier, readily integrated with other systems such as an ERP system, etc.), both do markedly improve an organizations’ competitive edge. Listed below are some ways in which workforce management makes a business more competitive:
Consistently improves an organizations’ products and/or services.
Workforce performance management tasks and processes improve the quality of products and service delivery. Through processes such as quality control and reviewing employee performance, an organization is better able to serve its stakeholders. Using workforce management software helps an organization do it even better and more easily.
Gains made become a part of the organizations’ culture, making them consistent and permanent. It is therefore important that there are clearly-defined goals and positions. Employees should know clearly how their roles are aligned to the business’ goals.
Improved employee performance
Workforce management aligns employee roles and goals with the organizations’ objectives. Performance expectations are clearly laid out, measured, analyzed and reviewed. Performance ratings across the board are made more consistent and fair. WFM helps ensure employee compensation and rewards are more appropriately awarded.
Better employee engagement
Better-engaged employees are more productive, loyal and creative. Employee reviews help determine an employee’s skill, expertise, aspirations etc. Lower personnel turnover saves a business from losing their best talent to others.
Better workforce management
The adage “you can’t change what you don’t measure” is still very true. WFM requires that a business define its workforce objectives in a measurable way. This enables ease and flexibility in reporting and analysis. It also helps with other personnel-related business requirements such as auditing and compliance conformance and reporting.
More effective communication
An organizations’ core values and mission are effectively communicated to all personnel in the business. The goals and objectives are articulated to employees and aligned so as to fit their roles, skills and goals.
Strategic talent management
Achieved through reviews, adopting a holistic hiring process, training, mentorship, grooming etc. This increases employee retention rates, especially of the top talent.
Workforce performance management is adoptable to any business, be it product/service-oriented. Business owners and management interested in making their business even more competitive and profitable should look into how WPM can help their businesses do so.
SMT Learning offers a variety of learning solutions, comprising the development of online courseware, instructional design services, learning advisory and consulting services, knowledge enterprise learning infrastructures and competency assurance strategies and implementation. Improve the workforce performance of your organization with our proven systems