Due to the spread of new coronavirus infections, the use of telework has spread. Some employees continue to work at the company as before, instead of completely teleworking, and some are hybrid employees who use both. It is also true that there are some areas that cannot be covered by conventional personnel evaluations alone, due to the diversification of work styles, not just in-house. Personnel evaluation is important now that employees are working from home. In this article, we will introduce issues and points regarding personnel evaluation in telework, as well as examples of companies that have actually introduced it.
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Personnel evaluation is important now that telework has spread
Due to the recent spread of new coronavirus infections, we have been forced to change the way we work. With the spread of telework and changes in working styles, there is a need to revamp personnel evaluations. In general, changing personnel evaluations is not easy. This is because personnel evaluations are based on internal management strategies and policies. However, now that telework is rapidly spreading, it is necessary to review personnel evaluation and change the system.
Issues regarding personnel evaluation in telework
There are three issues regarding personnel evaluation in telework:
- bias toward evaluation based on deliverables
- Ambiguous evaluation methods and standards
- Workflow stagnates
Now let’s go through them one by one.
bias toward evaluation based on deliverables
The first issue regarding personnel evaluations in telework is that evaluations are biased toward deliverables. In telework personnel evaluations, there tends to be a strong tendency to emphasize results rather than working hours. The main reason for this is that, unlike working in-house, we cannot see the process leading up to deliverables. If the process for results is not reflected in the evaluation, there is a possibility that even if the result is “results all right”, you may not notice it.
Ambiguous evaluation methods and standards
The second issue regarding personnel evaluation in telework is that evaluation methods and standards are ambiguous. Since remote work is a new way of working, evaluation methods and standards have not been clarified. For example, new problems have arisen, such as: The advantage of remote work is that you can work without being tied to a fixed time.According to a survey conducted by the Japanese Federation of Trade Unions, “65.1% of workers do not report overtime or work on holidays.” is out. When working from home, many employees tend to be conservative in their reporting because it’s difficult to prove hours worked.
Workflow stagnates
The third issue regarding personnel evaluations in telework is the stagnation of workflows. There is a problem that the workflow is stagnant, unlike when you are in the office and making various decisions in person. During remote work, the boss who has the decision-making authority is not in front of you, so if the timing of making a request is not right, the workflow may be delayed. For workflows during telework, it would be a good idea to consider how to use tools to promote approval.
Points for optimal personnel evaluation for telework
There are three main points for optimal personnel evaluation for telework.
- Improve the target management system
- Visualize evaluation items
- Construction of an evaluation system that does not differ according to work style
Now let’s go through them one by one.
Improve the target management system
The first point for optimal personnel evaluation for telework is to improve the target management system. The goal management system is a system in which you decide the goals you want to achieve before the evaluation period begins and decide how to achieve them, and after the evaluation period ends, you conduct a self-evaluation and give feedback to the evaluator. Even if you are teleworking, you can make the final goal an easy-to-understand numerical target and conduct regular detailed feedback interviews to ensure proper evaluation.
If there is no need to drastically change personnel evaluations, we recommend that you proceed with improvements keeping in mind that some adjustments are necessary. We cannot say that telecommuting will significantly change the goals of employees, but the difference between those who are productive and motivated and those who are not will be noticeable. With the introduction of telework, it is also important to flexibly change the evaluation system according to the way employees work, such as switching to a different evaluation system.
Visualize evaluation items
The second point for optimal personnel evaluation for telework is to visualize the evaluation items. Performance evaluation during remote work should be visible. Embrace 360-degree feedback and incorporate many perspectives, regardless of your position in the organization. Self-assessment surveys also help employees identify their strengths and weaknesses and optimize the skills and learning they need. Remote work has made it possible to evaluate in real time. Providing employees with “on-the-fly” feedback is a great way to motivate them to learn, broaden their skill sets, and pinpoint areas for improvement.
Construction of an evaluation system that does not differ according to work style
The third point for optimal personnel evaluation for telework is to build an evaluation system that does not differ according to work style. First, analyze the business and understand the content of the business. On top of that, it is important to comprehensively judge how the work is progressing, such as speed, accuracy, and deliverables. At that time, it doesn’t matter if you’re teleworking or working in-house. It also cautions companies to ensure that employees who work in the office do not have to do more work than those who work from home. For example, in principle, it is necessary to record objective working hours, such as recording computer usage time.
Example of a company introducing a personnel system suitable for telework
Finally, we will introduce an example of a company that has introduced a personnel system suitable for telework.
- Calbee Inc.
- KDDI Corporation
- GMO Pepabo, Inc.
Now let’s go through them one by one.
Calbee Inc.
Calbee Co., Ltd. announced that it will apply the new normal work style “Calbee New Workstyle” from July 1, 2020 to about 800 office workers from July 1, 2020 (Wednesday). I’m here. Eligible employees will pursue results by improving the quality and speed of their work while working remotely. As a result of introducing remote work, it seems that there were merits such as reduction of commuting time for employees, penetration of new communication styles (utilization of various web conferencing systems), and improvement of work efficiency by IT.
KDDI Corporation
From August 2020, KDDI Corporation has announced that it will introduce a new personnel system aimed at evaluating and praising achievements, challenges, and abilities rather than hours worked, and reflecting this in treatment. It seems that the target will be gradually introduced to mid-career employees who joined the company from August 2020 to August and new graduates who joined the company from April 2021 to fiscal 2021.
By introducing a “job-type” human resource management system that clarifies job areas, this system will enable a remuneration system based on market value and the cultivation of expertise. In addition, we plan to introduce a review of the system to realize diverse work styles based on discussions with the labor union.
GMO Pepabo, Inc.
GMO Pepabo, Inc., a member of the GMO Internet Group, has announced that from June 1, 2020, all employees will transition to a work system based on telework. The company’s employees will be able to work autonomously according to their own lifestyles, based on telework, which allows them to work from home or in a shared office, and will come to the office as necessary, such as the content of their work. There is a system for those who wish to receive a certain amount of remote work subsidy.
summary
In this article, we introduced issues and points about personnel evaluation in telework, and examples of companies that have actually introduced it. Personnel evaluation in telework has issues such as biased evaluation of deliverables and workflow stagnation. Therefore, it is necessary to visualize evaluation items and build an evaluation system that does not differ according to work style. We recommend that you refer to the systems of other companies and improve the personnel evaluation that suits your company.
