Situation

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The British Association of Removers (BAR) is the trade association of the professional moving and storage industry in the UK. BAR approached Alyson Pellowe, Managing Consultant of People Vision, to review their appraisal process and to provide training on it for both managers and staff members.

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Alyson engaged PV associate Rosanne Bernard to collaborate on the project. Rosanne is a management consultant specialising in learning and development, with a background in Human Resources, meaning that she had the technical expertise to design the training programme and the skills as a facilitator to deliver it effectively.

Challenge

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Historically, appraisals at BAR had been relatively informal, both in terms of the guidelines which governed them and the approach with which they were conducted. It was felt that a more systematic process would add value to the business as a whole whilst supporting managers and staff members in their development.

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The challenge for Alyson and Rosanne was therefore twofold:

 

1. To assist BAR in developing more robust processes and procedures.

2. To equip managers and their teams with the skills to conduct more effective performance reviews.

Action

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Alyson and Rosanne first analysed BAR’s existing performance management system, and redesigned the forms which were used in appraisals to provide a more structured and detailed framework.

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Rosanne then prepared and delivered two complementary training programmes, one for managers and one for front-line staff members, focusing on:

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• The structure and purpose of the revised performance management process.

• The new documentation, in particular:

  • ​How to complete the new forms.

  • How to use the forms as a tool to drive performance and support individuals’ development.

• ​The skills needed to conduct an effective appraisal, in particular:

  • ​Setting SMART objectives.

  • Linking objectives to the values of the organisation.

  • Ensuring that objectives address behaviour as well as output: how tasks should be completed not simply what tasks should be done.

Results

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Feedback from the delegates, both formal and anecdotal, indicates that they found the sessions enjoyable, informative and relevant to their needs.

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BAR are continuing to refine their appraisal process in line with PV’s recommendations, including:

 

• Considering the implementation of 3-month reviews to strengthen the performance management system and offer further support to staff.

• Revising job descriptions across the organisation to clarify roles and responsibilities for both staff and managers.

• Exploring how objectives set during the appraisals might be linked to financial incentives.