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MODULE 3

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This is one in a series of articles about occupational health and safety management systems, or OHSMS. It's based on the ANSI/ASS Z10 standard, which we encourage you to buy.

In this article, we're going to take an extended look at Section 4, which is all about planning an OHSMS. That includes reviews, both initial and ongoing; assessments and prioritization of tasks; objectives; implantation plans; and allocation of resources.

In the sections below, we'll link you to all of the articles in this series, but for now, we'll dive right into this one.

And don't forget to download our helpful 10 Steps to Starting Safety Management infographic!

How "Planning" Fits Into the Big Picture of Occupational Health and Safety Management

So, we're going to talk about planning an OHSMS. Let's start by seeing how planning fits into the entire process.

Z10 was written to fit the familiar Plan-Do-Check-Act workplace management method (PDCA), which is often associated with Dr. W. Edwards Deming.

As represented in a somewhat simple illustration, section 4 of Z10 covers planning and also neatly maps to the "Plan" phase of PDCA. (The drawing below is modeled after a few similar ones within Z10 itself.)

Because this is all part of a continuous improvement cycle, there's an initial planning phase and ongoing planning phases over time.

Planning the OHSMS

Now, let's take a deep-dive into what the standard says about planning an OHSMS.

We'll look at:

Purposes of the Planning Process

Within the context of the management system, planning is done to identify the more strategic activities that help identify the best opportunities for continual improvement. Operational plans (by "operational," the standard means "tactical equipment/task level processes and issues rather than management system processes or issues") are addressed in Section 5.

Planning should be performed in an organized, sequential manner that involves the following steps:

Gather and review relevant information to identify OHSMS issues (as described in 4.1). In case you're wondering, "OHSMS issues" are defined as hazards, risks, management system deficiencies, and opportunities for improvement.

Prioritize the OHSMS issues identified during the review mentioned above (as described in 4.2)

Develop objectives for the OHSMS and for risk control based on the prioritized OHSMS issues (as described in 4.3)

Create implementation plan to accomplish the prioritized objectives above (as described in 4.4)

These steps are described further in the sections below.

As mentioned earlier, the planning process isn't something you do just once. Instead, it's an ongoing and recurring process. As a result, the planning process includes what's called an initial review and then later, periodic reviews.

The Review Phase of Planning

The organization must create a review process for performing the initial review and for the later, ongoing/periodic reviews.

The purpose of that review process is to create a "gap analysis." In general terms, a gap analysis is the difference between the current state and an ideal state. In specific terms related to an OHSMS, it's the difference between the organization's OHSMS and the requirements for an OHSMS that Z10 sets out. That difference is the gap, and the ultimate goal is to close the gap.

An organization begins the gap analysis by gathering and then reviewing information to identify OHSMS issues. This includes gathering and reviewing the information necessary to establish the OHSMS or, in later cycles, to improve the OHSMS.

During this process, you'll be gathering and reviewing information about:

Your organization should document the process for conducting the review and also document the review itself. After that, your organization should use the same documented process (or an updated version) to perform the ongoing, periodic additional reviews. The organization should always keep documentation of the most recent reviews.

In order to identify the OHSMS issues, it's important to review a broad spectrum of relevant information. Doing so will allow for identification of system and operational issues. Items to consider in the review are listed below.

Relevant Business Systems and Operational Processes

Reviews of business systems should focus on management system elements and not on specifics of operations. Examples include:

Determining resource levels and expertise

Effectiveness of communication and employee participation

Review of change management timelines and effectiveness

Remember to also review management systems that are not directly related to health and safety but may have an affect on health and safety. Examples of such management systems include procurement, engineering, performance, qualifications of employees carrying out OHSMS responsibilities, quality, environmental, and recognition systems.

It's also important-especially important-to direct attention to compensation systems.

All of these systems that are seemingly unrelated to safety and health can in fact have significant effects on safety and health in a positive or negative manner.

Operational Issues such as Hazards, Risks, and Controls

Although the primary focus on this section is on the management system itself, it still pays to review these operational issues. That's because many operational issues are caused by deficiencies in the management system.

Operational issues may include hazards, health and disaster-related emergencies, as well as emergency events that may arise from the characteristics of materials, processes, and activities of the workplace or of neighboring activities.

Previously Identified OHSMS Issues

If there are OHSMS issues that have been identified before, gather information about them (and/or confirm that the existing information about them is accurate and up-to-date).

Allocation of Resources

Resources may be external or internal and include things like funding, personnel, equipment, mechanisms, and results of employee input into the OHSMS and data systems.

Risk Assessments and Evaluations

For more about risk assessments, see Section 5 and Appendices D and F of the standard.

Evaluations should include data such as:

If the organization hasn't yet completed a workplace inspection, it should do so as part of the review.

Processes and Mechanisms for Employee Participation

Gather all relevant information derived from employee participation in the OHSMS for this review. This is covered in section 3 of the standard.

Results of Audits

Audits can provide information that's useful during the planning review process.

For example, the standard notes that "internal audits can check whether the risk assessments performed reflect the actual workplace conditions and practices."

Management system audits are explained in more detail in 6.3. The review of audits performed for Section 4 (planning) does NOT replace the audit process set out in Section 6.3.

Other Relevant Activities

According to the standard, other relevant activities to review for issues may include things like contractor activities, maintenance, and non-routine operations.

Assessment and Prioritization of Identified Issues

Once the information has been gathered and reviewed, and once the issues are identified, it's time to assess the issues and prioritize them for action on an ongoing basis.

This takes place in four phases:

Assess impact

Assess level of risk

Establish priorities

Identifying underlying causes and contributing factors

You should select the method of assessment based on the type of issue, the nature of the risk, or operations. For example, Z10 says: "...system issues such as lack of a Management of Change process or a non-conforming Management Review process may be assessed using multiple methods that consider level of risk imposed, financial impact, and regulatory compliance."

Setting priorities may require judgements based on several factors, such as:

Issues that require immediate attention

Issues with the greatest potential for risk reduction or improvement

Issues with the highest severity or greatest impact

Issues related to organization, resource, participation, or accountability or other conditions that are fundamental to improvement in other areas

For more on assessment and prioritization, see Appendices D and F of the standard.

Once the process has been established, define and document the process so you can use it periodically to help identify new objectives. Once a prioritized list of OHSMS issues has been created, document the list. See Section E5.4 for more on this.

Let's look at each of the aspects in more detail.

Assess the Impact and Risk of OHSMS Issues on Health and Safety

Assessment of risk should include factors such as:

Exposure to risk

Human behavior, capabilities, and other human factors

Identification of potential hazards

Measurement data

Potential severity of hazards-consider not only high-probability hazards but high-severity hazards, even if they're not likely to occur

Sources and frequency of exposure

Types of measures used to control hazards

Although you'll be making assessments for this section, remember that they're only for prioritizing occupational health and safety issues and they're likely not complete or sufficient to determine appropriate hazard controls. You can see 5.1.2 for more on the hierarchy of controls.

For more on risk assessment methodologies, see Appendices F and O.

Establish Priorities for Addressing/Correcting Issues

You should establish the priority for addressing concerns based on a number of considerations, including:

Identify Underlying Causes and Other Contributing Factors Related to System Deficiencies that Lead to Hazards and Risks

Underlying causes that may be related to system deficiencies and that can contribute to hazards and risks could include things like the following:

Objectives

The next step is to then create a process for setting objectives based on the identified and prioritized OHSMS issues and, of course, to create those objectives.

The objectives should be based on the OHSMS issues that offer the best chances for risk reduction and OHSMS improvements. When possible, the objectives should be expressed in a quantifiable manner.

The number and content of the objectives should be:

Based on the priorities just developed (above)

Focused on making system-level improvements to eliminate or control underlying causes and contributing factors associated with risk

Consistent with the organization's occupational health and safety policy in general

You should measure progress toward achieving these objectives when possible and appropriate. In addition to setting the objectives, you should review and modify them at appropriate time intervals to reflect the efforts of the continuous improvement cycle. Objectives should be modified when information changes and/or when conditions that impact the schedule or possibility of meeting the objectives change.

According to the standard, an organization isn't required to set an objective for every OHSMS issue they identified. But the organization SHOULD set enough objectives to reduce risk and improvement health and safety in the workplace in a measureable manner. Focusing on objectives that provide the greatest improvement in employee health and safety is an effective way to do this. Organizations may find that focusing on the critical objectives often is associated with improvements in organizational performance.

It's not necessary to create objectives (or later, implementation plans) for "find and fix" issues that can be quickly resolved. Just take care of them.

Implementation Plans and Allocation of Resources

Once you've created the objectives, it's time to plan for putting this all into action. And that's why the final part of Z10, Section 4 deals with implementation plans and allocation of resources.

There are three basic aspects of this, as explained below.

Establish and Implement a Documented Implementation Plan

The organization may choose to create a documented implementation plan for each objective or a single plan that addresses multiple objectives.

The implementation plan should determine and define:

Assign Resources to Achieve the Objectives of the Implementation Plan

The first important thing is that you'll have to assign enough resources to perform the work in the time frame the implementation plan calls for.

Periodically Review and Update the Implementation Plan

It will be necessary to review the implementation plan on a periodic basis and updated the plan if necessary.

Changes in any of the following may call for a corresponding revision in the implementation plan:

Conclusion: Following ANSI Z10 to Plan an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS)

That's our look at the process of planning an OHSMS system and at Section 4 of Z10's guidelines for doing so.

If you'd like to read all of the articles in this series on OHSMS, here they are:

In addition, know that OSHA has released their own Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs. We recommend you check that out or read our Safety Management Best Practices article, which is based on the OSHA guidelines. And of course, we've all learned that 45001 is now final and will be released soon, so watch for that as well.

Earlier in this series of articles, we mentioned that the standard comes with a very nice series of Appendices. Until this article, however, we haven't mentioned them much. Within Section 4, however, Z10 calls out a few of these Appendices in particular, so we thought we'd call them out here as well.

Appendix D, Planning-Identification, Assessment, and Prioritization, page 38 (mentioned in E4.1F, E4.2)

Appendix F, Risk Assessment, page 47 (mentioned in E4.1F, E4.2, E4.2A)

Appendix O, Bibliography and References, page 78 (mentioned in E4.2A)

Also, Section 4 itself calls out various other Sections of the standard a few times as well. These are listed here for you:

Section 3, Management Leadership and Employee Participation (mentioned in 4.1)

Section 5, Implementation and Operation (mentioned in 4.1, E4.0)

Section 6, Evaluation and Corrective Action (mentioned in 4.1)

Section 7, Management Review (mentioned in 4.1, E4.1A)

Section 6.4, Corrective and Preventive Actions (mentioned in E4.0)

Section 5.1.1, Risk Assessment (mentioned in E4.1F, E4.2)

Section 6.3, Audits (mentioned in E4.1H)

Section 4.3, Objectives (mentioned in E4.2)

Section E5.4 (mentioned in E4.2)

Section 5.1.2, Hierarchy of Controls (mentioned in E4.2A)

Hope you found this all interesting and helpful! See you a few articles down the line for the continuation of this series, in which we look at implementation and operation.

And feel free to download our free Guide to Risk-Based Safety Management, below.

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Planning an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) - Vector Solutions

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This is one in a series of articles about occupational health and safety management systems, or OHSMS. It's based on the ANSI/ASS Z10 standard, which we encourage you to buy. In this article, we're going to take an extended look at Section 4, which is all about planning an OHSMS. That includes reviews, both initial and ongoing; assessments and prioritization of tasks; objectives; implantation plans; and allocation of resources.

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MODULE 4

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MODULE 5

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STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PLANNING TOOL - Bing

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MODULE 6

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HUMAN RESOURCES FUNCTIONS WITH IN COMPANY - Bing

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It's easy to recognize that effective communication is at the heart of any successful business. What's not so easy to grasp these days is deciding which communication channels to focus on.

For example, you may prefer to use email as a medium to communicate strategic decisions. But what if this kind of information is easier to digest during face-to-face meetings?

You need to identify the channels that are appropriate for your message. The good news is once you decide what you want to say to your team, you can identify the best channels for those communications in a few simple steps.

In this post, we'll look at:

🔍 Are you thinking about purchasing a new communication tool and unsure how to get started? Here's a checklist to help you pick the right one for your business.

What are "communication channels," anyway?

In a nutshell, communication channels are mediums through which you can send a message to its intended audience. For example, phone calls, text messages, emails, video, radio, and social media are all types of communication channels.

In a company, communication channels keep information flowing efficiently. A breakdown in any channel, such as phone lines being down, could leave your employees and customers being seriously misinformed or left in the dark. On the flip side, effective communication channels can enhance productivity and help you make better decisions as a team.

Here are a few other ways to use communication channels:

Receive and send important messages

Answer your team's questions in real time

Prompt discussions that encourage teammates to communicate with each other

Share materials like presentation files and important documents quickly

Communication channels are typically classified as oral and written communications. Within these categories, communication channels can be formal, informal, or unofficial.

An example of a formal communication channel is a slide deck shared during an all-hands meeting, which gives employees a clear idea of the company's goals. Informal communications, on the other hand, could include group chats addressing work-related issues. Lastly, unofficial communication channels could be any medium that team members use outside of work hours to discuss random topics (like that Warriors team chat you've got with your coworkers).

How to choose the right communication channels

Although it might be tempting to communicate through as many channels as available, most businesses would benefit from a more calculated and mindful approach. Below are a few things to think about before you select a channel for your business messages.

1. Get familiar with your team

It might seem obvious, but the choice of communication channels largely depends on the preferences of your team. Who are they and what channels do they engage in? Do they prefer phone calls, text messages, or some other form of communication?

You can find this out by conducting an employee engagement survey or using employee engagement apps. Knowing where your team hangs out will help make sure you're using the right communication channels to talk to them.

2. Consider your message

The type of message is another thing you should take into consideration.

Ask yourself:

Is the information formal or informal?

Does it include visuals or text?

Is the message time-sensitive or trivial?

Does it need to be easy to find later?

Then, zero in on the appropriate communication channels to use. If, for instance, you're delivering a presentation, then you might want to take advantage of video conferencing software that has a screen sharing feature so that you can share different types of reference materials:

3. Take a look at your budget

Your budget will also influence your choice of communication channels because you'll have to invest some money to get your message across. Ask yourself: Is the channel affordable given your company's overall budget? What tools are available for each channel? If you're going to use multiple mediums for business communications, how much money are you willing to invest in each?

5 examples of communication channels

1. Email

Among the written communication channels for companies, email stands out as the most popular option. You can compose an email and get your message across in a jiffy. If you're sending something that you'd like to be able to trace or refer to later on, emails are a good option because they can be stored in an inbox. The only thing is that employees are inundated with emails every day, so it can be easy for them to miss crucial messages.

So, try a more flexible approach:

When to use email: When you need to forward a sensitive document or keep a permanent record of communications.

Emails are great, but be careful not to over-rely on communicating through emails-inboxes tend to be overflowing with junk, so it might not be the best way to get a hold of someone. Always have a back-up alternative (like the other options on this list) ready!

2. Video conferencing

Once in the realm of science fiction (remember the Jetsons?), video conferencing software has become an almost indispensable part of today's businesses:

People can join meetings from locations around the world, from one-to-one catch-ups to all-hands meetings with hundreds of people.

This channel also comes to the forefront in certain industries like healthcare, with healthcare professionals using video conferencing to see patients and offer remote treatment. It may take some time getting used to, especially if your employees haven't participated in a video conferencing session before, but generally it's pretty easy to pick up.

When to use video conferencing: When you want to communicate strategic decisions or hold discussions with your remote team.

3. Phone calls

Besides video conferencing, a phone call is a great way to communicate urgent issues and get answers quickly. If you don't need visuals to communicate your message, a voice call is a little more convenient. Plus, if the person you called isn't available, you can leave a voice message without being restricted to a certain number of text characters.

That being said, phone calls can incur massive initial costs, especially if you're using traditional phone lines or systems, like a public branch exchange (PBX) to transfer calls to other members of your team.

If you think you'll be making lots of international calls, look into a cloud phone system that lets you make calls over the internet. Again, RingCentral is a good option here (especially since the app has phone calling, video conferencing and even team messaging all in one place):

When to use phone calls: When you need to communicate something urgently but you don't need to give a visual demonstration.

Use a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) calling app. This lets you make calls over the internet (no pricey phone lines used here) and eliminates the need to purchase expensive hardware.

4. Instant messaging (IM)

IM, or team messaging, is great for simple and direct communication between teams. You get pinged right away if someone sends you a message, and you can type out a reply in seconds. Some messaging platforms even let you share files and create tasks in your message threads:

While all of this sounds great, IM channels can get "noisy" if you have your notifications turned on all day. There can be many ad hoc groups, comments, and discussions on various topics depending on how your team uses it, so make sure to customize your notifications or your availability status so that you don't get disrupted too often:

When to use messaging: When you want to collaborate quickly on a project or get an informal opinion.

Use a team messaging tool that makes it easy to sort discussions by topic or groups.

5. SMS texting

If your teammates are often away from their desk, then business SMS may be the most efficient way to communicate something urgent. You don't need internet connection to send and receive messages, and SMS logs can also be kept and referenced to make sure everyone's accountable.

Plus, you can get your message across without derailing someone's focus since they don't have to open a browser or log in to an app. But mobile phones remain a personal space for most people, so SMS texting should probably be avoided unless it's something really important.

When to use it: When you want to check in on the status of a project or communicate last-minute requests.

Use simple, clear, and direct language to get your point across. (Remember, you can only use 160 characters in a single text with some providers.)

The 3 best business communication tools for small businesses

Identifying the right channels is a good first step, but you also need the right communication tools to relay your message through different mediums. Here are three options to look at:

1. RingCentral

As we mentioned earlier, if you're looking for an all-in-one communications app that won't break the bank, RingCentral might be the perfect option for you. Video conferencing. VoIP calls. Instant messaging. SMS. You get all of that and more without a phone system or having to download tons of different software.

The other perk is that you can switch easily from a phone call to a video call in the app, just by tapping a button:

As a UCaaS (unified communications as a service) platform, RingCentral gives you a consistent, unified experience across multiple devices, no matter which channel of communication you choose to use at a particular time. The nice thing about having all these communication channels in one app? You don't have to pay multiple subscription fees every month for different apps.

Pricing: $19.99/user/month to $49.99/user/month

🤯 On top of all this, RingCentral could save you up to $400 an hour in IT costs.

Explore the RingCentral Advantage for small businesses:

💰 You can also use this calculator to see roughly how much your business could save by using RingCentral to support your team's communications with clients or customers, and each other.

2. Slenke

Slenke combines business communication with task and time management. In terms of communication, you can have both team and individual chats, and you can even create messaging boards for participants. All messages and files shared with this tool enjoy top-grade encryption for the utmost safety of your information.

One thing to note: Slenke doesn't have a built-in video conferencing or screen sharing feature. You'll need to invest in a standalone video conferencing tool and then integrate it with Slenke for a unified experience.

Pricing: $18/user/month

3. ContactMonkey internal communications

Not everyone's hopping off the email train. Let's face it, sometimes, emails are still the best way to communicate with your team.

This is where ContactMonkey comes in. It's ideal for internal email communications and integrates seamlessly with Outlook or Gmail. That means you can track every email opened and know which messages are being read.

Want to know how individual employees or campaigns are doing? There are advanced analytics for that. Dig into the data to identify your most engaged employees or measure link clicks, email opens, devices, and feedback.

Internal communications often get overlooked because the focus is (often, rightfully) on the customers. But if you need to step up your internal email game, then ContactMonkey has everything you need to analyze the performance of your emails and make logical conclusions based on emerging trends.

Pricing: Custom, based on your needs

Remember, choose your communication channels based on their effectiveness for you

You might have decided that one channel is right for you, but don't get stuck with it. Experiment with a few channels to see which ones deliver the best results.

For instance, depending on the urgency of your message, you may want to use instant messaging or opt for an even quicker medium like SMS. But there's no guarantee that these channels will work better than, say, video conferencing.

So take the time to test a few channels, so you'll know which ones will help improve your communications strategy. Also, make sure whatever tool you choose, it offers multiple ways to communicate-you'll be amazed at how much more efficient and streamlined it'll make your business communications.

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Communication channels for businesses: 5 examples + 3 tools | RingCentral

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It's easy to recognize that effective communication is at the heart of any successful business. What's not so easy to grasp these days is deciding which communication channels to focus on. For example, you may prefer to use email as a medium to communicate strategic decisions.

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HR and non-HR professionals are in the profession because we love working with people, and performance management tools can help us do one of the most important and rewarding parts of our job: help people do their work better.

Employee performance evaluations are a crucial way to ensure effectiveness and productivity within the workplace. This is a form of performance management tool that assists in identifying areas of improvement to help streamline and target organizational goals.

Employment performance appraisals are just as helpful for employees themselves as they are for management. After all, how else would employees know where they can best address efforts for improvement? Plus, any employee review should spend some time praising the employee in areas where they have excelled, which is an important way to keep morale up.

This article will help you quickly evaluate the best performance management tools and other talent and development software applications.

Quickly Compare & Evaluate The 10 Best Performance Management Systems

What is the best type of performance management system? Is it one with a robust onboarding solution or something with engaging, interactive employee reviews? What exactly you need will be up to you. This list of performance measurement tools can help in your decision-making.

Best Performance Management Tool List

These are the top performance management solutions on my list.

Performance Management FAQ

Here are answers to some general questions before diving into the best performance management software.

What is performance appraisal?

Want more insights into the staffing and recruiting industry? Check out our other lists of staffing tools and info:

1. Performance software is often accentuated by OKR software (Objectives and Key Results), so you know what to align goals around. Try Top 10 OKR Software To Jumpstart Your Business.

2. You can also find performance management modules in a lot of larger software suites designed for larger HR departments-check out the 10 Best Talent Management Systems.

Performance Management Tools Comparison Criteria

What are we looking for when we select performance management tools for review? Here's a summary of my evaluation criteria:

1. User Interface (UI): Is it clean and attractive?

2. Usability: Is it easy to learn and master? Does the company offer good tech support, user support, tutorials, and training?

3. Features & Functionality:

1. Review and Feedback - Are there pre-built evaluation templates to help with the review process? Is the employee performance review engaging and flexible? Do is there a way to positively call attention to top performance?

2. Training & eLearning- Does the software have the means to create and implement training/eLearning courses for employees? Is content creation easy? Do any courses come with the software?

3. Improvement Plans- Does the software have the capability to design and execute performance plans? Does it offer templates with which to do so?

4. Reporting and analytics - Are the reporting tools robust, customizable, flexible, and visually appealing? Can they be used to provide employees with relevant performance metrics?

4. Integrations: Is it easy to connect with other tools? Any pre-built integrations?

5. Value for $: How appropriate is the price for the features, capabilities, and use case? Is pricing clear, transparent, and flexible?

People Managing People is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click through links on our site - learn more about how we aim to stay transparent.
Overviews of the 10 Best Performance Management Tools

Keep reading to get a basic outline of each of the top performance management tools on this list. I will go over their strengths and weaknesses as well as general features and software pricing.

1. Factorial - Easily manage and evaluate employee performance with customized questionnaires and assigned reviewers.

Factorial lets you track company performance management with custom reports, add feedback in an employee's portal, and send instant notifications to participants. The Factorial performance management system has a web-based solution as well as iOS and Android smartphone apps.

Factorial connects with all sorts of different add-ons and tools to ensure your performance management system integrates with your day-to-day workflow tools. An account with Zapier will unlock hundreds of connector apps; thus, this tool scored highly in the Integrations review.

Integrations include Slack, Google Calendar, Outlook, Gmail, and hundreds of available tools through a Zapier account.

One con of this software is that there are a few limitations that might slow you down a bit; for example, vacation requests cannot include partial days without entering a second item - one for the full days and one for each partial day(s).

Factorial starts at $32.50/user/month and has a free 14-day trial.

2. Trakstar - highly customizable performance appraisal software

Trakstar has space for professional goals, self-review, manager feedback, and archived entries.

Trakstar is for organizations interested in comprehensive performance appraisal and employee engagement software that comes with an interface that's easy on the eyes and looks quite like some of today's social networking sites.

Trakstar helps your organization manage performance reviews, employee engagement surveys, 360-degree/multi-rater feedback, and goals across hundreds or thousands of employees. You can also build customized appraisal forms, set SMART goals, and create flexible workflow processes to meet the needs of your organization.

What Trakstar lacks in third-party integration support it makes up for in usability and UI. Trakstar is a streamlined performance management tool without all the fluff. They can accommodate SMBs and enterprises with their volume-discount pricing plan.

Trakstar integrates with Google Workspace, Okta, and OneLogin.

Trakstar costs from $4370/year and is priced based on the number of employees at your organization. They offer a free live demo upon request.

3. SAP - Reduce attrition, retain and develop employees, drive engagement, optimize benefits, and increase productivity.

SAP is an intelligent ERP featuring AI and robotic process automation (RPA) capabilities, embedded analytics, and industry best practices. Their human resources and people engagement tools include software for performance, compensation, learning, and succession/development.

A standout feature of SAP is the flexibility of the program. Any company can completely customize their SAP ERP arrangement to make sure they are getting all the functionality they need by integrating their various process modules.

SAP offers digital content packages with APIs, pre-packaged integrations, and sample apps from SAP and select partners, which can be viewed via their SAP API Business Hub.

The over-$100 per user price tag lands SAP at the higher end of the pricing scale for performance management software, which lost them a few marks in the review consideration for Value for Cost.

SAP starts at $108/user/month and has a free 30-day trial.

4. ADP - Align individual, team, and organizational goals; optimize achievement via modern feedback, coaching, targeted training.

Track key performance indicators, like skills and certifications.

ADP Workforce Now is an all-in-one platform for payroll, HR, time, and benefits, and talent management. Specific features include performance reviews, hiring tools, people analytics, real-time employee feedback, social platforms for peer-to-peer support, engagement surveys, and goals management.

One of ADP Workforce Now's best qualities is the robust list of third-party integrations offered for additional solutions and services. Whether you need accounting or chat capabilities, ADP Workforce Now evaluated highly in the Integrations review consideration.

Integrations include Quickbooks, Wave, Xero, FinancialForce, Infor, Oracle, SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, ClockShark, Deputy, Homebase, TSheets, Avionte, ClearCompany, iCIMS, Jobvite, TalentReef, Docufree, Microsoft Teams, Pingboard, Slack, and more.

A few critiques to note: 1) clicks are not used sparingly and users may find themselves hunting through 3 or 4 layers of links before coming across what they need, 2) more reporting options for admins would be welcome.

ADP starts at $10/user/month and has a free demo.

5. Oracle - Conversational UI, digital assistants, intuitive workflows, and self-guided transactions to increase productivity.

Plan and execute required learning modules for the team.

Oracle ERP's performance management features include career development learning and succession planning.

One of the highlights of this tool is that it is robust and easily scalable, able to handle large amounts of data, and is flexible enough to accommodate any level of growth as your company or team expands.

Integrations include many first-party solutions for business processes as well as third-party apps like DocuSign, Facebook, Google Calendar, Twitter, Gmail, Mailchimp, Adobe Sign, LinkedIn, SurveyMonkey, Twilio, Eventbrite, Trello, Evernote, Google Tasks, Microsoft solutions, and more.

One con is that the pricing and payment system is not transparent or intuitive at all. They offer "pay as you go" or "monthly flex" pricing options but both are hard to navigate and difficult to understand at a glance.

Oracle starts at $1000/month and has a free 30-day trial.

6. PeopleStreme - Align organizational objectives with employees' skills/competencies for personally-tailored development plans.

PeopleStreme performance management software allows you to manage performance development, goal setting, and alignment of your employees with the strategic plan to drive better performance improvement. Access 1 on 1 session and feedback and real-time reporting.

PeopleStreme has a sleek, modern, and intuitive interface that scored them highly in the UX category of the evaluation criteria. Everything from the color scheme to the charts is visually appealing and the app will look right at home on any smartphone or tablet device.

Integrations include GO1, The Australian HR Institute (AHRI), Broadbean, CT Management, Indeed, Intercheck, Seek, and Workpro.

One downside to Peoplestreme is the system's inability to identify the same candidate applying for multiple roles within the company. Duplicates like this are not grouped or flagged in any way, which can be a challenge to sift through.

PeopleSteme offers pricing upon request and has a free trial.

7. OrangeHRM - Continuous tracking of employees' performance with advanced metrics such as OKRs to dynamic objectives.

With OrangeHRM's HR performance management software, you can provide peer to peer feedback, alongside performance reviews, and encourage engaged employee growth. Features include advanced performance tracking by OKRs, revisions and 360° workflows, and more.

With a fair monthly price and a generous free trial, OrangeHRM evaluated well in the Value for Cost section of the review criteria. This performance management software would do well for small to midsized businesses looking to get a good deal.

Integrations are not listed on OrangeHRM's website.

One weakness to be aware of is that OrangeHRM does not have any third-party integrations or add-ons available, which will be limiting for anyone hoping to connect with their preexisting workflow software.

OrangeHRM starts at $6/user/month and has a free 30-day trial.

8. Eloomi - Define, design, deliver employee appraisals with pre-made templates, and visually engaging evaluation forms.

Eloomi's performance management platform consists of solutions for 360-degree feedback, digital to-do's and reviews, targeted objectives and check-ins, performance appraisals, and automated checklists to streamline operational routines and optimization suggestions.

One of the best elements of Eloomi's performance software is their learning capabilities, which are engaging whether you are an admin, content creator, or a student. They use top tier gamification strategies to activate learning.

Integrations are not listed on Eloomi's website.

One critique to note is the lack of integration options for third-party software like accounting tools, chat, and project management. Thus, the tool lost some marks in the Integrations category of the review considerations.

Eloomi offers pricing upon request and has a free demo.

9. Kissflow HR Cloud - Get a 360-degree view of employee performance metrics: timeliness, work efficiency, and other KPIs.

Kissflow HR Cloud offers methods to collect, measure, and manage employee performance data to spot performance gaps, identify top performers, and reduce turnover. When dips or disappointments are spotted, leaders can choose to initiate a performance improvement plan.

Kissflow is flexible and easy to use with user-friendly performance management tools like qualitative reviews, performance action plan templates, and a tailor-made reward and recognition program. Thus, they scored well in the Usability review criteria.

Integrations include Quickbooks, Google solutions, DocuSign, Dropbox, Webmerge, SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, IBM tool, and more.

A modest critique of Kissflow HR would be that it seems to be more tailored for simplistic workflows; the more complex your workflow, the less likely this software will be the right choice for your business.

Kissflow HR Cloud starts at $690/month and has a free trial.

10. PeopleFluent - Custom workflows and evaluation forms designed to be configured for any device and are easy to use.

PeopleFluent is a set of digital tools designed to give structured feedback, measure performance based on preset qualifications, and achieve present goals. Features include robust goal setting, objectives, and competency management, and dynamic, continuous feedback.

This software does one thing really well: being able to create custom performance plans and workflows and offering high levels of flexibility, like the ability to move reviews ahead or backward in the workflow chain as needed.

The PeopleFluent LMS can integrate with any third-party systems via APIs. There is a built-in mechanism to allow real-time data import and export through the APIs, which are HTTP-based, and make use of widely-supported web data formats such as XML, JSON, Atom, and RSS.

People Fluent has a bit of a steep learning curve, as seen even in their integration options, all of which require some level of coding skill. This software lost a few points in the Usability segment of the evaluation criteria because of this.

PeopleFluent offers pricing upon request and has a free demo

Other Performance Management Tools

Still haven't found the right performance management tool for your team? Here are some performance software options that didn't make the top 10 list but still deserve a special mention. Check them out!

1. Employment Hero - Communicate and engage with your team using peer-to-peer recognition and user happiness surveys.

2. Traqq - Best performance management tool for remote work

3. Reflektive - Hone business results through goal alignment, gamified engagement, 1-on-1s, and other performance review check-ins, and data-driven feedback.

4. Culture Amp - Get a clear understanding of skills at the team and organizational level to help with strategic talent planning and learning and development programs.

5. Lattice - An organized way to reflect on individual performance and get formal feedback from peers and managers while tying individual goals to the overall company direction.

6. BambooHR - A modern approach to performance management and the latest tools for measuring engagement, like mobile-ready applicant tracking and automated onboarding.

7. Leapsome - Performance management and personalized learning designed around regular check-ins, managerial tools, and aligning your team around a mission.

8. Zoho - Zoho One offers 40+ integrated applications, of which you can also pick and choose what you need, including solutions focused on people, the workplace, and collaboration.

9. Engagedly - A tool that combines performance reviews, real-time feedback, ongoing check-ins, goals, 360 feedback, recognition, and social learning.

10. 15five - Tools for communication, alignment, and recognition through aligned OKRs, weekly check-ins, 1-on-1s, gamified engagement and congratulations, and self-reviews.

11. CakeHR - The CakeHR performance module lets users set relevant goals, keep track of progress, and align team efforts with your company vision.

12. PiiQ by Cornerstonr - easy-to-use performance and learning solution for small & medium businesses that could use automated performance reviews and development tools.

13. Namley - Develop your people through onboarding, goals, reviews; simplify assessment cycles with intuitive forms and manage goals from the company-level down to every employee.

What Do You Think About These Performance Management Tools?

Have you tried out any employee performance evaluation vendors listed above? What performance management software company do you prefer during your day-to-day? Let us know in the comments.

If you find that you're not quite ready for the help of a software, here's something we're sure can be of help: How To Optimize Your Performance Management.

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10 Performance Management Tools Every HR Pro Should Know - People Managing People

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HR and non-HR professionals are in the profession because we love working with people, and performance management tools can help us do one of the most important and rewarding parts of our job: help people do their work better. Employee performance evaluations are a crucial way to ensure effectiveness and productivity within the workplace.