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Follow a performance map to superior service
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Follow a performance map to superior service
In today`s economy, finding, retaining and developing frontline employees who drive revenue by delivering a superior service experience is more precious than gold.
Luck has nothing to do with it. Savvy companies can follow a real "treasure map" to a talent management "pot of gold" comprising systems that recruit, equip, train and reward 24-carat employees.
Unfortunately, firms that use such maps are far and few between. Further, a major disconnect between management and employees on a variety of issues is negatively affecting customer relationships and, ultimately, the success of many businesses. This often happens due to the lack of a plan or system to create, nurture and retain employees with a singular focus on the outstanding customer experience.
By using an approach called performance mapping that uses techniques that link employee performance to corporate business objectives, companies can build effective workforces whose high performance translates into improved financial performance. And those workforces will deliver service experiences that increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
In today`s tough economic environment and ultracompetitive marketplace, every customer counts. A disconnect between management objectives and employee performance quickly can erode a relationship between a company and its customers. To win and keep business, a company must not only compete on the basis of service, it also must make service its brand - an emblem that customers want to flock to.
The majority of companies are far removed from that ideal.
Is Anybody Listening?
Convergys` "2008 U.S. Scorecard" - research with thousands of customers, employees and senior executives - assessed attitudes on service and the customer experience. It found:
a) In six out of the 10 industries examined, employees had relatively low levels of understanding of company strategies, a view that if properly cascaded throughout the organization, from senior-level executives to customer facing agents, would support better alignment of objectives and behaviors, and ultimately ensure a more precise trajectory toward company objectives.
b) Some 80 percent of employees believed customers report bad experiences, when in fact, more than half of customers said they never bothered to report a bad experience and simply took their business elsewhere.
How could employees be so wrong about actual customer perceptions and in the dark about strategies and goals? These major shortcomings suggest there`s misalignment in the way frontline talent is trained and managed.
Traditional talent management alone won`t solve the problem. Companies must ensure the employee experience is fully integrated into talent management activities. That`s where performance mapping - a process that incorporates visual performance maps to draw a line of sight from company goals to individual performance - can help. Performance mapping must be systemic in employee processes so the company hires, develops and retains the people that are directly aligned to support a desired trajectory for business performance.
The Value of the Right Competencies
Using performance mapping techniques, companies quickly can prioritize current and future key competencies for a specific job role. Not only can talent managers and employees use this information in coaching and mentoring sessions, it can be used as key criteria when screening and hiring new candidates. This information also enables talent managers to identify and develop specific competency-driven learning content that directly links to the key competencies.
Does performance mapping work? Judge by the numbers. Convergys found that when a global financial industry leader deployed its talent management strategy for a division in North America utilizing this process, it increased its margin by 26 percent while increasing revenue growth per customer by an average of 9 percent.
Nuts and Bolts of Performance Maps
There are four steps to the performance mapping process. First, develop performance maps. Second, execute real-time evaluation with star performers. Third, document skills tables for key competencies. And finally, talent managers must apply key competencies to their organizations` talent management strategies.
Performance maps tie tightly to a company`s business scorecard and act as the anchor for the talent management process. They identify how each role within a department directly affects the success of the overall company.
A simple chart lets employees visualize how their roles affect their companies` success. This emphasis on individual contribution helps each employee understand the importance of his or her key competencies. By focusing only on the competencies that are most critical to drive business success, employee development remains aligned with strategic company goals. Management then uses the performance maps to determine where it needs to focus resources to improve overall performance.
Luck has nothing to do with it. Savvy companies can follow a real "treasure map" to a talent management "pot of gold" comprising systems that recruit, equip, train and reward 24-carat employees.
Unfortunately, firms that use such maps are far and few between. Further, a major disconnect between management and employees on a variety of issues is negatively affecting customer relationships and, ultimately, the success of many businesses. This often happens due to the lack of a plan or system to create, nurture and retain employees with a singular focus on the outstanding customer experience.
By using an approach called performance mapping that uses techniques that link employee performance to corporate business objectives, companies can build effective workforces whose high performance translates into improved financial performance. And those workforces will deliver service experiences that increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
In today`s tough economic environment and ultracompetitive marketplace, every customer counts. A disconnect between management objectives and employee performance quickly can erode a relationship between a company and its customers. To win and keep business, a company must not only compete on the basis of service, it also must make service its brand - an emblem that customers want to flock to.
The majority of companies are far removed from that ideal.
Is Anybody Listening?
Convergys` "2008 U.S. Scorecard" - research with thousands of customers, employees and senior executives - assessed attitudes on service and the customer experience. It found:
a) In six out of the 10 industries examined, employees had relatively low levels of understanding of company strategies, a view that if properly cascaded throughout the organization, from senior-level executives to customer facing agents, would support better alignment of objectives and behaviors, and ultimately ensure a more precise trajectory toward company objectives.
b) Some 80 percent of employees believed customers report bad experiences, when in fact, more than half of customers said they never bothered to report a bad experience and simply took their business elsewhere.
How could employees be so wrong about actual customer perceptions and in the dark about strategies and goals? These major shortcomings suggest there`s misalignment in the way frontline talent is trained and managed.
Traditional talent management alone won`t solve the problem. Companies must ensure the employee experience is fully integrated into talent management activities. That`s where performance mapping - a process that incorporates visual performance maps to draw a line of sight from company goals to individual performance - can help. Performance mapping must be systemic in employee processes so the company hires, develops and retains the people that are directly aligned to support a desired trajectory for business performance.
The Value of the Right Competencies
Using performance mapping techniques, companies quickly can prioritize current and future key competencies for a specific job role. Not only can talent managers and employees use this information in coaching and mentoring sessions, it can be used as key criteria when screening and hiring new candidates. This information also enables talent managers to identify and develop specific competency-driven learning content that directly links to the key competencies.
Does performance mapping work? Judge by the numbers. Convergys found that when a global financial industry leader deployed its talent management strategy for a division in North America utilizing this process, it increased its margin by 26 percent while increasing revenue growth per customer by an average of 9 percent.
Nuts and Bolts of Performance Maps
There are four steps to the performance mapping process. First, develop performance maps. Second, execute real-time evaluation with star performers. Third, document skills tables for key competencies. And finally, talent managers must apply key competencies to their organizations` talent management strategies.
Performance maps tie tightly to a company`s business scorecard and act as the anchor for the talent management process. They identify how each role within a department directly affects the success of the overall company.
A simple chart lets employees visualize how their roles affect their companies` success. This emphasis on individual contribution helps each employee understand the importance of his or her key competencies. By focusing only on the competencies that are most critical to drive business success, employee development remains aligned with strategic company goals. Management then uses the performance maps to determine where it needs to focus resources to improve overall performance.
