Traditional Performance Management Systems
There are many reasons why the
traditional performance management systems fail. One of the most common reasons
for these performance management systems to fail is the in ability to
objectively measure a person’s performance, because performance is measured by
people and human subjectivity can play a significant role in the accuracy of
performance predicaments.
There are many evolved concepts
of performance management systems like 360 degree appraisals, Balance Score
card which attempts to minimize the subjectivity towards a certain individual. These performance evaluation systems
are further strengthened through concepts like performance normalization which eventually
increases the number of people who evaluate a single person’s performance
leading to lower levels of subjectivity.
But still with all these evolved
performance management systems in place don’t we still hear conversations, “He
got a better ranking due to this manager and not because of he is a great
performer”. Still these performance management systems have not been able to
accurately diminish the top down approach to performance evaluation and
possible subjective appraisals.
Concept of Gamification
Gamification is the new buzz word
in the field of performance evaluation. Gamification techniques strive to
leverage people's natural desires for competition, achievement, status,
self-expression, altruism, and closure. For example game players play to
earn more points and get a good rank
amongst the other game players. They are concerned about a socially engineered
brand. Likewise evolved version of this concept is used in performance
management.
Gamification utilized for Performance Evaluation
This challenges the traditional
performance measuring mechanisms and takes performance measurement to a next
level optimizing social networking dynamics. Rather than a manager evaluating
the performance, the whole society evaluates the performance. For example an
employee helps another employee on finishing some task where the manager would
not have the exposure of this. Hence aspects like team working may not be taken into consideration. But what if
the second employee who was helped by the first employee goes and thanks him on
a social network for helping him with the task. The concept of like’s, raves,
badges are utilized by the gamification performance management system.
Through concepts like
gamification a person is socially evaluated and also this encourages
organizational wide appreciation. This will eventually mould the workforce into
social team workers constructively contributing towards company growth.
