Deloitte’s Innovative Performance Appraisal System: A Fresh Approach to Employee Development

Deloitte has revolutionized its performance appraisal system by shifting from traditional annual reviews to a more dynamic and continuous feedback model. This new system emphasizes regular check-ins and “performance snapshots” to provide timely and relevant feedback.

Structure and Time Commitment

The weekly check-in is the core of Deloitte’s new approach. These brief meetings, which typically last about 10-15 minutes, allow managers and employees to discuss current tasks, achievements, and immediate challenges.

How It Works

The check-ins focus on three main areas:

     1.         Current Work: Discuss what the employee is currently working on.

     2.         Immediate Feedback: Provide praise or address any issues in real-time.

     3.         Future Goals: Set short-term goals and discuss upcoming priorities.

Here are three interview scenarios based on Deloitte's dynamic and continuous feedback model for performance appraisal: 

Scenario 1: Addressing a Specific Challenge

Setting: Weekly check-in between a Manager and an Employee

Dialogue:

• Manager: "Good to see you! Let's dive in—what's been on your plate this week?"
• Employee: "Thanks! I’ve been working on the client onboarding project. While progress is steady, I’ve hit a roadblock with integrating XYZ software."
• Manager: "I see. First off, great job maintaining steady progress. Regarding the integration, have you contacted Joe's team? They might have insights to help resolve this quickly."
• Employee: "Not yet, but that’s a great idea! I’ll contact them today."
• Manager: "Perfect. For next week, let’s ensure this issue gets resolved. Also, consider documenting the process in case we face similar challenges with this client in the future."

Focus Areas: Immediate feedback, specific challenges, actionable advice.

Scenario 2: Recognizing Achievements and Planning Ahead

Setting: Weekly check-in between a Manager and an Employee

Dialogue:

• Manager: "Hi! How was your week? Any key accomplishments to share?"
• Employee: "It’s been productive! I closed the deal with Smithland and finished the initial draft."
• Manager: "That’s fantastic! Closing that deal is a significant win. Congratulations. How did the team respond to the report?"
• Employee: "They appreciated the content but suggested adding more data visuals for clarity."
• Manager: "Got it. Let’s prioritize enhancing the visuals this week. And for next week, I’d like you to start brainstorming ideas for the next quarterly strategy session. Does that sound good?"
• Employee: "Absolutely. I’ll prepare some initial ideas for us to review during the next check-in."

Focus Areas: Celebrating achievements, refining work, future goals.

Scenario 3: Developing Skills and Career Growth

Setting: Weekly check-in between a Manager and an Employee

Dialogue:

• Manager: "Hi! How’s everything going this week? Anything you’d like to discuss?"
• Employee: "It’s going well. I’ve been working on the new marketing campaign, but I feel I could improve my skills in target marketing."
• Manager: "I’m glad you’re thinking about growth. I’ve noticed you’ve managed timelines for this campaign well. Would a short training course or mentoring session with VP Martin Kelly help with skill-building?"
• Employee: "A mentoring session would be great! I could get hands-on insights from someone experienced."
• Manager: "Perfect. I’ll schedule a session for next week. Meanwhile, keep up the great work, and we can revisit how it’s going in the next check-in."

Focus Areas: Personal development, constructive feedback, career growth.

These scenarios illustrate the essence of Deloitte’s continuous feedback model by focusing on current work, actionable feedback, and future priorities.

Benefits

This approach reduces the biases of traditional annual reviews and fosters a culture of continuous development, making feedback more relevant and actionable.

References: 

     1.    Buckingham, M., & Goodall, A. (2015). Reinventing Performance Management. Harvard Business Review. This article explains Deloitte’s shift to a more frequent feedback system and the rationale behind it.

     2.        Deloitte Insights. (2019). Performance Management: Play a Winning Hand. This resource provides further insights into Deloitte’s innovative approach to performance management.

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