In The Employee Datamine, You're Always The Coal

by Gregory Sullivan — Friday, July 06, 2007, 09:00 AM EDT

CNNMoney examined the growing use of worker performance software by large companies to rate their employees' skills, ongoing progress, and value, and how it's transforming the mundane yearly review into a bar chart extravaganza. Does it work? Since only 39% of employees surveyed by Salary.com think the current employment practice of a yearly performance sitdown argument with your boss is a useful way to review an employee's status and prospects, it can't do much worse.

Most management software is delivered as an online service. A typical package provides a resume-like profile that workers and managers can update anytime. When a review period rolls around, employees rank themselves on skills and competencies listed by the company. (Aetna, for example, has 43 for each position, ranging from "Can program C++" to "Performs case reviews.")

Managers can adjust the employees' self-ratings up or down and then, during face-to-face reviews, discuss and finalize them. Employees who need improvement can use the software to find online courses, completion of which is recorded by the system.

Meanwhile, managers and the human resources department have a consistent view of each employee's skills and performance and can spot in advance any gaps in their succession plans.

So you and your supervisor are going to look at a sort of USA Today pie-chart that says you're going to get half the raise you think you deserve, which is twice what your supervisor thinks you should get. At least it's something tangible and standardized. You could always start showing up before 10 AM, too. Couldn't hurt.

Tags: Data, Mine, AM

In The Employee Datamine, You're Always The Coal

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