Performance Management. If you’re like me, you thought just about everything that could currently be done in terms of tech in this category has been. Well, what about Performance Management for the SMB? It’s generally accepted that the SMB doesn’t adopt cumbersome, process oriented software. Classically, even the most usable performance management software is built to automate just that. So, if you were going to offer Performance Management software to the true SMB, it would have to be incredibly elegant and easy to use. It would have to require no training, and really demonstrate, all on it’s own, that it adds value to the day-to-day and not a process-oriented annual review cycle. This means it’s not just valuable for the Employer, but for the Employee, also.
Enter Small Improvements.
Small Improvements is for those that believe in Agile HR. For those that believe that HR is the business of getting work done. It’s also for small companies that don’t yet have HR. It has a focus on goals and objectives in the now or for the year. It encourages collaboration, communication, and recognition. It’s social and engaging software. It’s complexity is behind the scenes. The user experience is incredibly satisfying to anyone that thinks business software should be as intuitive as the social sites we all use.
Small Improvements is used by companies with less than 10 employees/users (for free!) and by companies with up to 2,000 employees/users for $4 to $6 per user per month. They offer a 16% discount if you pay up front. Non-profits get a 50% discount. This is a software package that is delivering on the promise of SaaS/Cloud Computing democratizing technology. Easy to use, powerful, and yet cost-effective because of both the technology and the subscription-based pricing model.
Small Improvements addresses several opportunities or business challenges for companies with up to 2,000 Employees:
Improved Performance Review Completion Rates: Small Improvements focuses on continuous improvements rather than metrics. Users are collaborating and communicating all along, as they reach goals and objectives, ongoing. It is incredibly engaging to users based on its design and the way it has incorporated gamification with it’s icons and badges.
Performance Appraisals We Can All Understand: An email driven process that tells you what to do and when. And a rating system that doesn’t involve the classic 1 to 5, but a graphical approach where you drag the dot on the chart to best represent how you did your job and how you expanded your role. Answer a few questions, and done.
Improve Collaboration and Productivity: Users set and share objectives and due dates, and then the system prompts with due dates, captures feedback, and gamifies successfully reaching goals. Users focus on reaching goals and getting work done, and the feedback and attainment contributes to the bigger performance review process.
The components of Small Improvements look like this:
Performance Reviews: Small Improvements believes in continuous feedback and objectives communication which should be rolled up into more official performance reviews. The result is easier, more meaningful and frequent performance reviews that encourage actual performance improvements.
360° Feedback: A simple and social way to collect feedback from peers, coworkers, managers, and even clients. The feedback loop is always open, not just at review time.
Goal and Objective Management: Short term Performance Objectives or long-term Career Goals. Shared or Private. Small Improvements gives an easy view to where you are against your goals, and reminds you as due dates approach.
Reporting and Tracking: 2D performance charts that are easy to understand and filter up or down the organization. Calibrate and compare to understand how the entire company is doing in one easy view.
If you are a company with up to 2,000 employees in need of a way to collaborate more effectively, measure performance more efficiently, and get the entire company aligned on the right goals and objectives, you should take a look at Small Improvements.
Disclosure: This post is NOT a result of any sponsorship or paid relationship.