--- title: Help Employees Take Flight With a Performance Management Pilot Program description: "FocusPay Solutions introduces business owners with a different approach to \"performance management.\"" image: https://info.machen.cpa/hubfs/iStock-913582656-1.png --- [Family of Services](http://machenmcchesney.com/about-us/family-of-companies/)  |  [CPA & Business Advisory](http://machenmcchesney.com)  |  [Payroll, HR & Benefits](http://focuspaysolutions.com/)  |  [Wealth Management](http://machenmcchesney.com/services/financial-planning-and-wealth-mangement-services/) Auburn-Opelika (334) 887-7022 | Montgomery (334) 244-8900 [![mm-cobrand-fd-blues](https://info.machen.cpa/hs-fs/hubfs/mm-cobrand-fd-blues.png?width=279&height=100&name=mm-cobrand-fd-blues.png)](http://machenmcchesney.com) Search this site on Google Search Google Search this site on Google Search Google - [Client Portal](https://machenmcchesney.sharefile.com/Authentication/Login) - [1040 Electronic Organizer](https://www.my1040data.com/account/login/HT7902990) - 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But as the workplace has evolved and employers have sought to get a greater return on investment in human resources, the concept of performance management has become much more complex. Today, performance management is a formal and multifaceted system for setting goals, soliciting feedback, generating documentation and ensuring accountability for productivity outcomes. As you might imagine, anything so intricate has a high risk of malfunction or even outright failure. One way to guard against such disappointment — whether your organization is launching its initial performance management system or relaunching it after major renovations — is to conduct a pilot program. **People and time** Because employee trust and confidence help generate cooperation, the pilot program should start with employees and managers who believe in the benefits of change. This group can pinpoint problems and help improve the system. In short, they’re its champions. The performance management system, amended through their feedback, will be more likely to disarm the skeptical or those clinging to old performance-management styles. Another critical aspect of a pilot program is time. Organizations often spend a substantial amount of it researching performance management, consulting with outside experts and designing the program. But then they rush to launch and the entire initiative ends up a confusing, disappointing struggle. That’s why you should set aside a period of months, maybe even an entire year, to test the system with committed participants, analyzing their feedback and making adjustments. **Just one example** What sorts of problems might an organization discover during a pilot program? Let’s say fictitious Company X launches a performance management pilot program and almost immediately learns of a critical snag. Namely, it realizes that its objective-setting form will likely be a major source of frustration for employees and their managers. The form is a means of documenting information such as annual objectives, individual development plans, and supervisors’ assessments. In other words, it’s intended to ensure employees are following the performance management system’s essential components. Although some pilot-program members are comfortable with the form, others describe it as taking on a life of its own. The detractors say it’s too long, much of its wording is vague or confusing, and the design makes it hard to read. On the bright side, the pilot program’s participants overwhelmingly embrace the new system’s fundamental principles. So, before rolling out the performance management program to everyone, Company X acts on these results by shortening, revising and redesigning the objective-setting form. **Their best work** Launching a performance management pilot program can truly help your employees take flight and do their best work. In addition to identifying minor design flaws, it can help the design team learn the underlying organizational barriers to performance management and continuous improvement.  **For additional information on [employee benefits administration and management](https://focuspaysolutions.com/services/benefits/?__hstc=167141729.818e17217a46e350731dda2f9830cddb.1517000107002.1544114368411.1544114798110.1063&__hssc=167141729.4.1544114798110&__hsfp=2923515120),** **please contact Becky Snedigar at (334) 321-4729 or by leaving us a message below.** Topics: [Payroll, HR & Benefits](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/payroll-hr-benefits) Search this site on Google Search Google ### Recent Posts ### Subscribe to Blog ### Posts by Category - [Business Tax (356)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/business-tax) - [Business Advisory (238)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/business-advisory) - [Payroll, HR & Benefits (124)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/payroll-hr-benefits) - [Audit & Assurance (113)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/audit-assurance) - [Accounting & Outsourcing (81)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/accounting-outsourcing) - [Individual Tax (75)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/individual-tax) - [Tax Planning (33)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/tax-planning) - [Tax Updates (25)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/tax-updates) - [Retirement & Wealth Management Planning (18)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/retirement-wealth-management-planning) - [Taxation (15)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/taxation) - [Alerts (13)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/alerts) - [Business Valuation (11)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/business-valuation) - [News & Events (11)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/news-events) - [Tax News (11)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/tax-news) - [Individual Tax Planning (10)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/individual-tax-planning) - [Not For Profit (10)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/not-for-profit) - [Retirement Planning (9)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/retirement-planning) - [Estate Planning (8)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/estate-planning) - [Manufacturing Industry Insights (7)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/manufacturing-industry-insights) - [Individuals (1)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/individuals) - [Insider (1)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/insider) - [Professional Standard News (1)](https://info.machen.cpa/blog/topic/professional-standard-news) see all [![Returning\_Value](https://info.machen.cpa/hs-fs/file-2504250850-jpg/Machen-Blog-Image/Returning_Value.jpg)](http://machenmcchesney.com/about-us/mission-and-values/) - [![AICPA](https://machenmcchesney.com/img/logos/aicpa.jpg)](https://www.aicpa-cima.com/) - [![NACVA](https://machenmcchesney.com/img/logos/nacva.jpg)](http://www.nacva.com/) - ![2026 INSIDE Public Accounting Top 400](https://machenmcchesney.com/img/2026-ipa-top-400.jpg) - ![2026 Best of Auburn-Opelika](https://machenmcchesney.com/img/2026-best-of-auburn-opelika.jpg) - [![2025 Best of OA](https://machenmcchesney.com/img/2025-best-of-oa.jpg)](https://oanow.com/exclusive/readerschoice/ballot-2025/) - ![2026 Best of OA Winner](https://machenmcchesney.com/img/2026-best-of-oa-winner.jpg) - [![2025 Accounting Today Regional Leaders](https://machenmcchesney.com/img/2025-accounting-today-regional-leaders.jpg)](https://www.accountingtoday.com/) - [![ClearlyRated Best of Accounting](https://machenmcchesney.com/img/2024-best-of-accounting.jpg)](https://www.clearlyrated.com/accounting) - [![ClearlyRated Best of Accounting Employee](https://machenmcchesney.com/img/2024-best-of-accounting-employee.jpg)](https://www.clearlyrated.com/accounting) 1820 East University Drive, Auburn, AL 36830 | Tel: (334) 887-7022 | Fax: (334) 887-7221 1761 Taliaferro Trail, Montgomery, AL 36117 | Tel: (334) 244-8900 | Fax: (334) 364-0927 † This is not a CPA firm. \* Assurance, attest, and audit services provided by Frazier & Deeter, LLC. “Frazier & Deeter” is the brand name under which Frazier & Deeter, LLC\* and Frazier & Deeter Advisory, LLC† and its subsidiary entities provide professional services. 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