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Best Performance Management Software

Best Performance Management Software for Q1 2024

Our expert picks for the best performance management software. We cover key benefits, pricing data, demo questions and more below.

Huda Idris
Written by
Huda Idris
Technical writer, B2B software advisor, and marketing strategist
Contributing Experts
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Last Updated: Dec 13, 2023
TOP
Engagement, performance, and goals management
PerformYard
4.0
Popularity Score
4.7
User Score
4.5
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Engagement, performance, and goals management
PerformYard
4.0
Popularity Score
4.7
User Score
4.5
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
Highly Customizable Review Cycles
ClearCompany
4.0
Popularity Score
4.5
User Score
4.3
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Highly Customizable Review Cycles
ClearCompany
4.0
Popularity Score
4.5
User Score
4.3
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
Customizable All-in-One Solution
Leapsome
4.3
Popularity Score
4.8
User Score
4.7
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Customizable All-in-One Solution
Leapsome
4.3
Popularity Score
4.8
User Score
4.7
Product  Score
Learn More
Over 3 million HR leaders trust our advice

Introduction to Performance Management Software

Performance Management Software assesses and manages the relationship between employee output and organizational goals to advance company-wide productivity and prosperity.

You might wonder how a single piece of software could do all that. Your inner skeptic may scream, “It’s too good to be true!” But it’s not. This tool is known for its colossal operational impact. Employees benefit from task clarity, and leadership better understands the daily activities that impact the bottom line.

Is that same inner skeptic now trying to find the catch? In this case, it’s not a “gotcha!” but more of an old saw: this tool isn’t magic. It’s a tool. The time and effort you put into using it will be proportional to what you get out.

To help you understand the performance management software landscape, I will share some of my experiences from my years in HR. I have also enlisted the help of Tracie Marie (talent acquisition leader, CEO, and founder of Hire Incentive) and one of our in-house HR experts, CEO Phil Strazzulla.

One benefit of our collective experience is that we can help you avoid the traps others fall into. Another is the hands-on experience of working with these tools.

Keep reading to learn why we love these tools and how to use them wisely.

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Best Performance Management Software

PerformYard

: Engagement, performance, and goals management

ClearCompany

: Highly Customizable Review Cycles

Leapsome

: Customizable All-in-One Solution

Officevibe

: Employee Engagement & Manager Empowerment

eloomi

: Employee Feedback & LMS

Synergita

: Performance, Engagement & OKR Management

Quantum Workplace

: Performance Management & Engagement Solution

Culture Amp

: Science-Backed Features, Great Service

Profit.co

: Performance Management, OKR, & Task Management

ChartHop

: First-rate Performance and Organization Management

Trakstar

: Smart Preset Competencies & Coaching Tips

WorkTango

: Performance Management & Employee Recognition

Motivosity

: Manager-focused performance + employee rewards

Betterworks

: Good for Smart, Streamlined OKRs

Lattice

: Simple, User-Friendly Performance Management

Our Criteria: Here's How We Chose The Best Performance Management Software

To select the best performance management software, our editorial team attended demos with dozens of vendors, gathered user feedback, and consulted field experts. We’ve also looked into the feature sets of each of these platforms and we think the most important features to look for are scheduled performance reviews, continuous feedback and coaching, goal setting/tracking, and integration capabilities.

  • Scheduled performance reviews with custom frequency: Instead of doing performance reviews annually, the best platforms in this space help you schedule and conduct them as frequently as your team needs, so improvement is continuous and you aren’t overwhelmed with a year’s worth of performance data.
  • Continuous feedback and coaching: We’ve looked into how each platform enables managers to give feedback and coaching to their teams. Features like automated check-ins, 1:1 meetings, and text feedback through notes ensure they’re on top of things, identifying blockers early on and realigning team members as needed.
  • Goal setting and progress tracking: We examined how performance management platforms handle goal-setting and progress tracking. Clear objectives and measurement mechanisms ensure meaningful progress. The tools on this list stood out for us because they let you see and track individual and team objectives side by side, integrated into your existing calendar. This offers a clear view of progress at any scale and across time.
  • Integrations: Great performance management software facilitates employee learning and development, either through built-in modules or by integrating with the top learning management systems. This empowers employees to enhance existing skills and acquire new ones, benefiting both their careers and your company.

For more details on our software vetting and selection methodology, check out our editorial guidelines.

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Compare the Best Performance Management Software

Popularity Score
Best for
Key Differentiator
Pricing
Free Trial
Customers
Users Score
Product Score

PerformYard

Most Popular
4.0
4.7
4.5

ClearCompany

Most Popular
4.0
Custom Pricing
No
2,400+ companies
4.5
4.3

Leapsome

Most Popular
4.3
Custom Pricing
No
1,500+ companies
4.8
4.7

Officevibe

Most Popular
4.0
Starts at $3.5/user/mo
Yes
8,000+ companies
4.3
4.1

eloomi

Most Popular
4.1
Custom Pricing
Yes
1,000 + companies
4.8
4.6

Synergita

Most Popular
4.2
Starts at $2 employee/mo
Yes
350,000 users from 100+ companies
4.5
4.5

Quantum Workplace

Most Popular
4.1
Custom Pricing
Yes
10,000 + companies
4.5
4.0

Culture Amp

Most Popular
4.1
Starts at $3 employee/mo
Yes
6,000+ companies
4.6
4.2

Profit.co

Most Popular
4.0
4.8
4.3

ChartHop

Most Popular
4.6
Free for first 150 employees
Yes
N/A
4.3
4.6

Trakstar

Most Popular
4.0
4.4
4.3

WorkTango

Most Popular
4.2
$8000 minimum annual fee
No
1,000+ companies
4.5
4.4

Motivosity

Most Popular
4.1
Starts at $4/user/month
No
N/A
4.7
4.6

Betterworks

Most Popular
4.6
4.2
4.6

Lattice

Most Popular
4.3
4.7
4.7
Phil Strazzulla
HR Tech Expert, Harvard MBA, Software Enthusiast

Need Help? Get Custom Recommendations for Best Performance Management Software

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Detailed Reviews of the Best Performance Management Software

PerformYard

Visit Website
PerformYard
Learn More
Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.7 / 5
Product Score
4.5 / 5

Why we picked PerformYard

Sharply focused on the performance management software niche, PerformYard is best known for being flexible and feature-rich. They also stand out for constantly rolling out new features based on customer feedback.

PROS

  • Covers nearly all the bases of performance management
  • Regularly incorporates new features based on customer feedback
  • Supports Single Sign-On
  • Highly customizable in terms of content
  • High focus on flexibility within performance management, they can handle a myriad of approaches to PM, adapting to your current strategy. 
  • The PerformYard team constantly listens to their clients, incorporating new features based on their feedback and suggestions.

CONS

  • Focuses exclusively on the North American market
  • Not the most intuitive tool for new users
  • Little lengthy in some processes to get where you need to be
  • Some of the action-to-do descriptions for performance evaluation lack clarity on what to do and what the next steps are.
  • Lacks features to auto-transfer data from HRIS to PerformYard
  • As of mid-2022 at least, PerformYard are mainly focused on the North American market, so for businesses in other geographies and with non-English speaking team members, it wouldn’t be the best fit.
PerformYard dashboard screenshot - one of the best performance management software

PerformYard Review

PerformYard’s flexible performance management system helps managers and employees stay on top of areas for improvement and track success. Its unique goal management feature allows each team member to define and track their goals, tying them to business objectives and facilitating collaboration.

Performance reviews and check-ins offer customizable content templates, while continuous feedback helps recognize accomplishments, document performance, and track notes. The platform's customer service receives positive feedback, with dedicated success managers guiding users. However, some users feel uncertain about the next steps after completing their evaluation due to the complexity automation features.

PerformYard Customers

Blue Nile, The Catholic University of America, Eggstrategy, College Track, Metro Credit Union, Friedman LLP.

PerformYard Pricing

PerformYard has two plans. When billed annually, they cost as follows:

  • Professional: $5-10 per employee per month with access to performance reviews, goal management, continuous feedback, 360s, and peer evaluation tools. It also comes with dedicated customer success management, knowledge base access, and phone or email support.‍
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing and unlocks additional perks to what’s in the Professional plan, including senior-lead customer success management, enhanced on-boarding/training, custom implementation, data integrations, custom single sign-on (SAML), custom service level agreement, additional document storage.

Best For

PerformYard is best suited for organizations (both for-profit and nonprofit) between 30 to 2,000 employees in the United States.

PerformYard in action
No items found.

ClearCompany

Visit Website
ClearCompany
Learn More
Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.3 / 5

Why we picked ClearCompany

ClearCompany offers a holistic approach to performance management, taking employee recognition and satisfaction evaluation into account. The UI is easy to use, and users have had a lot of positive things to say about ClearCompany’s setup process and customer service.

PROS

  • Great customizable review cycles.
  • Users find the UI quite intuitive and easy to navigate.
  • Highly rated for speed and helpful customer support.
  • Smooth implementation experience and integration process.
  • Offers an API available for use.
  • Supports ten languages.
  • ClearCompany offers a host of HR solutions that work well with another. You can choose the solution you need or combine them all to have a comprehensive talent management platform in your stack. 
  • The majority of users find ClearCompany’s interface to be quite intuitive and easy to navigate. 
  • Many users have highly rated ClearCompany’s support team for speed and quality of response. Several users have also reported a smooth implementation experience.

CONS

  • Undisclosed pricing
  • No free plans or free trials
  • The reporting feature, according to some users, is limited in customizations
  • The search function doesn’t always bring up the correct results
  • No mobile app, but the platform is well-optimized for mobile use
  • ClearCompany’s pricing is not readily available on their website. You also can’t create a trial account on your own from the website and have to go through the sales team for more info. 
  • Some users felt that the reporting feature is limited in customizations.
  • According to a few users, the candidate search function doesn’t always bring up the correct candidate(s) and could use some improvement.
  • ClearCompany doesn’t currently have a mobile app, but the platform is well optimized for mobile use both for hiring managers and candidates.
Our reviewer took screenshot of ClearCompany Performance Management Application during the demo

ClearCompany Review

ClearCompany’s performance management solution comes with a wealth of features that foster a meaningful and transparent experience for your entire team. Users can choose to organize employee performance reviews annually, bi-annually, or quarterly — the frequency that works best for them. The platform’s customizations and pre-built templates allow managers to create a personalized and actionable review experience in less time.

Employee users like that they can do the reviews on their mobile devices and in the language they want. ClearCompany also incorporates goal-planning tools within its performance management product so employers can measure employee satisfaction with continuous feedback loops, employee surveys, and anonymous polls. As a cherry on top, the performance management software even provides features like shoutouts and celebrations to recognize high performers.

ClearCompany Customers

Goodwill, Aveda Institute, and Chick-fil-A are some of 2500+ ClearCompany’s customers.

ClearCompany Pricing

  • It has two pricing plans for different types of businesses. The modular access plan lets users purchase certain modules individually, while the platform access plan offers all modules within ClearCompany’s suite.
  • ClearCompany’s pricing isn't detailed on their site. According to a few users, however, it can start from $7 per employee per month. For the exact quote, you need to contact their team.

Best For

Midsize businesses and large companies looking for customizable performance review rollout.

ClearCompany in action
Reviewer's Rating
10/10

An organization can choose the cadence at which they require employees to set new goals and make progress reports. Whenever I finish a goal, I login and mark my goal complete. Only employees connected to that goal can see my progress, notes I have added regarding that goal, and if that goal has been completed. It is very quick and easy to create a new goal or make an update. I would say I login about once or more a month. But another company may only require employees to login at year end during performance review time. It is up to how the company uses the software.

What do you like about this tool?

Easy to use and navigate for anyone including those technologically challenged. Easy to set up a performance review from the backend perspective. Lastly, I like how an entry level employee can see how their goals are vertically integrated into the top goals/company's strategic plan. I believe this visibility helps all employees understand the end goal better and that they are an important part of a bigger goal.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

I have used ClearCompany for less than a year and am happy with the ease of the product. Our company was looking for a performance review system that was more integrated and connected to our strategic plan. Our company bought ClearCompany because of the many features, advantages, and benefits the product offered over our past performance review provider. One key benefit was the platform provides transparency on the progress of an individual's goal(s) and the team's goals. The organization as a whole can see goals the top executives set for the term and how each contributor's goals vertically connect to supporting those top goals.

What do you dislike about this tool?

I did not care for the performance review builder where they use job descriptions from a prebuilt template. I thought the template was incomplete and lacking in descriptions of job functions/responsibilities. Also, if an organization's goal is to build individual performance reviews for each position, using this software may be very time consuming. This software is better for a standard template review process for groups of employees. Building the review template is not quick because it takes time to learn how to build it first.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

The visibility into a company's goals and others goals is different (and nice). Employees can congratulate others and make comments when their peer's goals are achieved, which is different and a positive employee engagement tool. There is the capability to create more customized performance reviews, if willing to put in the time. There is also the capability to "set it and forget" when creating a performance review. The system will notify an employee/manager when it is time for their review.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

A company should identify their needs first. They might not need this comprehensive performance management tool. They should think about what is currently working and what is not working. I suggest making a list with 1. must haves, 2. would likes, and 3. I wish. This list will guide the buying decision.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

They planned to build out the job description feature more.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

An organization where it is critical to the business that everyone in the organization (from the bottom up) knows and understands the company's goals and who is responsible for each subgoal.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

A business that does not like their strategic plan to be known. Or, a business that does not create a strategic plan.

Leapsome

Visit Website
Leapsome
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.3 / 5
User Score
4.8 / 5
Product Score
4.7 / 5

Why we picked Leapsome

Leapsome is highly flexible; you can quickly set up your review process from the performance management software’s best-practice templates and frameworks or customize everything — from questions to timelines and anonymity settings.

PROS

  • The user-centric design makes the platform easy to navigate.
  • Integrates personalized learning and compensation management into the performance management system
  • The Praise functionality allows users to give credit publicly
  • Users found the training videos and articles comprehensive and helpful.
  • Great meeting features: reminders, drag-and-drop talking points, tag meeting participants in relevant talking points, and shared and private notes.
  • Available in Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. Surveys can be translated into 19 languages.
  • There’s no setup fee.
  • A free trial is available for 14 days.
  • Leapsome is quite feature-rich; the platform packs modules for employee onboarding,  learning management, engagement, performance management, goals tracking and much more. 
  • The majority of users find Leapsome’s UI to be friendly and easy to navigate.
  • There are lots of third party integrations options to choose from, including Slack, which many users appreciate. 
  • The platform has transparent pricing, and you only pay for the modules you need.

CONS

  • Doesn’t have a mobile app
  • Some users found it annoying not to be able to use the keyboard but to use the mouse when switching to the next questions or entering scores.
  • A few users integrating Leapsome with Google Meets encountered sync issues when changing a meeting or schedule.
  • The org chart isn’t very easy to navigate with multiple layers and can’t be filtered by role.
  • Sometimes automatic emotion detection can misdetect positive feedback as negative if it contains "negative" words.
  • The customer success team is available to customers with an annual contract of US$6,000 or more only.
  • There is currently no way to post or upload an image or file into your feedback.
  • Since Leapsome can do so many things, you may need some time to get used to it. The implementation process can also take some time. 
  • There currently isn’t a mobile app that users can download and access Leapsome quickly on-the-go. 
  • Free 14-day trials are available but you need to book a demo with the sales team first to sign up for one; you can’t do so on your own. 
Our reviewer took screenshot of Leapsome Performance Management Solution during the demo

Leapsome Review

Leapsome allows companies to measure employee performance across all critical skills and competencies. Through the platform, you can customize and run simple performance reviews, agile project reviews, 360° reviews, and anonymous leadership reviews — all of which are easy to access and complete. The gathered employee data is actionable and linked to learning and development.

Leapsome's platform offers a range of features to support ongoing learning and development, regular feedback and recognition, and structured performance reviews. Employee users appreciate that the performance management software enables them to collaborate with the manager on setting and tracking goals, get regular feedback and recognition from my colleagues, and gain insights into their performance and how it aligns with the company's objectives.

Leapsome Customers

Mercedes Benz, Spotify, Trivago, Eventim, Babbel, Plus Dental

Leapsome Pricing

  • Leapsome’s pricing depends on the number of your employees, the modules you want to use, and the length of your contract.
  • Its modular pricing starts from $8 per user per month when billed annually. To get a detailed quote, contact Leapsome’s sales team.
  • You can also test out Leapsome free of charge for a full 14 days with no credit card required.

Best For

Leapsome’s multilingualism makes it suitable for teams across different continents. However, with its current pricing and customer service, the performance management software is best for mid-market businesses.

Leapsome in action
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Officevibe

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Officevibe
Learn More
Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.3 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5

Why we picked Officevibe

Officevibe helps companies engage employees and increase their satisfaction - all while nurturing managers and improving how they tackle challenges in the workplace.

PROS

  • Officevibe is easy to use and has a free plan that a team of up to 10 users can use. 
  • To ensure that feedback is truely anonymous, without the manager, or anyone with higher access being able guess who submitted what response, a minimum of 5 responses need to be sent in before the survey manager is able to access the anonymous feedback.
  • The platform has a feature for peer-to-peer recognition, giving your employees the ability to praise one another for outstanding work.

CONS

  • Some users have reported that Slack integration sometimes malfunctions.
  • Officevibe does not include a complete performance management solution among their offerings. They have an OKR tool that lets you set goals but there isn’t a mechanism in place to track those goals or conduct performance reviews.
  • There currently isn’t a mobile app that managers and employees can use on the go.
Our reviewer took screenshot of Officebive Performance Management System during the demo

Officevibe Review

Officevibe is a cloud-based platform that focuses on employee engagement and manager growth. It allows managers to measure employee satisfaction through pulse surveys, then provides them with guidance on how they can improve work environment and culture. The platform packs several pre-made templates and questions to ease the survey creation process. It also offers features for OKR tracking, polls creation, reporting, 1:1s planning, scheduling, and more.

Officevibe Customers

WeTransfer, Dyson, Bose, PayScale, Trivago

Officevibe Pricing

Pricing: Officevibe has three plans:

  • Free: This plan is free of charge for 1 team with up to 10 users. 
  • Essential: This plan allows for unlimited teams and costs $5 per user per month. 
  • Pro: Designed for larger teams, this plan costs $7 per user per month.
  • Business: Available for companies with over 500 users, this plan has custom pricing. Contact Officevibe’s Sales team to get a quote.

Best For

Officevibe can be used by companies of all sizes.

Officevibe in action
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eloomi

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eloomi
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.8 / 5
Product Score
4.6 / 5

Why we picked eloomi

Eloomi’s offering is quite flexible; you can choose from their employee learning, development and appraisal solutions, or combine them all into a holistic platform that’s all about employee growth.

PROS

  • Admin and employees can navigate the tool fairly easily with little to no training.
  • Users can have all three eloomi modules (i.e. Learning, Development, and Appraisals) in a complete solution or buy each individually.
  • Surveys are customizable and private — good for getting specific and honest employee feedback.
  • The peer-to-peer feedback feature allows employees to get each other's input on performance.
  • Helpful and responsive customer service.
  • Eloomi is quite comprehensive, with modules for onboarding, training/learning, performance management, employee engagement, and recognition.
  • The platform comes with a library of ready-to-use templates to help you create online training faster. It also has a mobile app for your employees to access training materials on the go.
  • Their surveys are customizable and private, helping you get specific and honest feedback from employees.
  • You can request other members of the organization to provide feedback on certain skills of employees.
  • You can make use of Eloomi’s micro-sized online training content to prevent overwhelming onboarding experiences.

CONS

  • Isn’t the fastest and simplest setup process due to the number of features it offers.
  • Glitches may occur as users generate reports with a large volume of data. But users have noted that Eloomi’s customer support team is quick to resolve such issues.
  • The pricing isn’t transparent.
  • A free trial isn’t available.
  • Because of the sheer number of features Eloomi offers, there’s a steeper learning curve for the average user to get the hang of the platform and understand it to its fullest.
  • A few users reported experiencing bugs and speed issues when generating reports, especially ones with a large volume of data, but have noted that Eloomi’s customer support team is quick to resolve such issues.
  • The platform’s pricing isn’t transparent and free trials aren’t available at this time.
Our reviewer took screenshot of Eloomi Performance Management Software during the demo

eloomi Review

Widely known for their learning management system (LMS), eloomi also offers a solid performance management solution for employee coaching and feedback.The platform’s features include manager-employee check-ins, reports with insights, automated to-dos, 360-degree feedback, and performance appraisals.

The People Dashboard offers an overview of employees' performance, while 1:1 review and coaching conversations can be initiated with a single click using expert-built templates. Eloomi's ease of use and excellent customer support are also strengths worth noting. Though some glitches may be experienced with certain features like reporting, the eloomi support team is always quick to respond with helpful solutions.

eloomi Customers

Eloomi’s customer list includes BONUS Vorsorgekasse AG, Breakout Games, Carne Group, ElectricBrands, Nufarm, Domino’s, and more.

eloomi Pricing

Eloomi offers custom pricing, so the best way to find out how much it costs is to request a demo.

Best For

Mid-sized and large businesses and NGOs with more than 50 employees.

eloomi in action
No items found.

Synergita

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Synergita
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.2 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.5 / 5

Why we picked Synergita

Synergita helps companies dig deep to understand their employees’ performance and company culture. The platform’s natural language processing (NLP) feature allows you to uncover sentiment, while HiPo Score helps you identify top performers.

PROS

  • Synergita is affordable and scalable. Users can choose between its modules or combine them as needed.
  • NLP feature analyzes the tone of employees’ responses and assigns the team a sentiment score— a valuable data point to improve the employee experience.
  • Can integrate with HRIS, CRM, ERP, Learning Management Software (LMS), and Single Sign-on (SSO) servers.
  • Has a 7-day free trial, no credit card is required.
  • Synergita’s platform is affordable and scalable. On top of that, you get to choose between their modules for employee engagement, performance management, and OKR tracking, or combine them as needed. 
  • The majority of users find Synergita’s UI to be user-friendly and fairly easy to navigate. 
  • With the help of natural language processing (NLP), the platform can analyze the tone of your employees’ responses and assign team a sentiment score, which is valuable data you can use to improve the experience of your employees.

CONS

  • Several users noted that the reporting module lacks customizations, and speed/performance issues can be experienced with it, particularly when working with larger reports.
  • A few users have also reported that the support team isn’t so responsive
  • Doesn’t offer a mobile app.
  • Several users noted that the reporting module lacks customizations, and speed/performance issues can be experienced with it, particularly when working with larger reports.
  • A few users have also reported that the customer support team is slow to respond and resolve issues. 
  • The platform currently doesn’t offer a mobile app for on-the-go access.
Our reviewer took screenshot of Synergita Performance Management System during the demo

Synergita Review

Synergita is a cloud-based solution for employee engagement, recognition, performance management, goal setting, and tracking. To achieve all of the above, the platform certainly packs a broad set of features, including engagement surveys, AI-powered sentiment analysis, measure culture score, performance reviews, 1:1 meetings, e-communication, peer recognition, HiPo rating, and employee development planning.

Synergita’s affordability and scalability are the top reasons we chose it over dozens of options in which we have reviewed the PM software market. However, we expected better reporting capabilities from the software. Despite its user-friendliness, the reporting module is quite limited in customizations, and there are occasionally issues regarding speed/performance issues. We also found that Synergita doesn’t offer a mobile app. Lastly, Synergita didn’t get good ratings from our research due to its delayed responses, as reported by some of our HR community members.

Synergita Customers

Lotte, Secova, Global Edge, Indegene, American Micro.

Synergita Pricing

Synergita has three modules, Engage, Perform, and OKR. They can be combined or purchased separately. When billed annually, those modules are priced as follows:

  • Synergita Engage: costs $2 per employee per month and includes basic talent information, continuous feedback, rewards and recognition, e-communication, culture score, and employee and feedback reports.
  • Synergita Perform: costs $4 per employee per month, including features like advanced talent information, SMART goals and achievements tracking, performance reviews/appraisals, custom workflows and feedback templates, and people and performance reports.
  • Synergita Perform Plus: costs $7 per employee per month, Synergita Perform Plus packs everything in Synergita Perform, along with 360-degree feedback, promotion cycle, career aspirations, appraisal letter distribution, skill repository and mapping, HiPo score, employee headcount trends, and employee performance trends.
  • Synergita OKR: costs $4 per employee per month and includes basic talent information, personal OKR, company/dept OKR, and OKR reports.

Best For

Global, US-based, and India-based organizations looking for a simple system that adapts to what they already have in terms of performance management.

Synergita in action
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Quantum Workplace

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Quantum Workplace
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Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4 / 5

Why we picked Quantum Workplace

Quantum Workplace excels through extensive customer service, providing not just one-time software implementation but also long-term support to ensure customers fully benefit from their investment.

PROS

  • The user interface is intuitive and easy to use. You can easily find what you’re looking for as the most critical items are pinned at the top.
  • You can personalize surveys, make them from existing best practices templates, or build them entirely from scratch.
  • You can share and review recognition with your teammates in a social newsfeed format. What’s great is that you can make it as detailed and scheduled or as succinct and impromptu as possible.
  • Quantum has an ever-present customer service team. Many users have complimented them on their responsiveness.
  • Easy to use, the user interface is intuitive, you can find what you’re looking for and still see the most important items pinned on top. 
  • The option to personalize surveys, make them from the best practices templates, or build entirely from scratch.
  • The ability to share and review recognition with your teammates in a social newsfeed format. What’s great is that you have the option to make it as detailed and scheduled or as succinct and impromptu as you please.
  • An ever-present customer service team. Many users have complimented on their responsiveness.

CONS

  • Users commonly experienced problems with 1:1 canceling and rescheduling. Scheduling 1:1s on short notice was also difficult at times.
  • Feedback being visible to coworkers was a frequent complaint. Some wanted more anonymous options.
  • Navigation was confusing for some users, struggling to find certain menus or older goals/feedback.
  • A few users wanted more customization options, like adding more details when updating goals or customizing feedback questions.
  • No free plan or free trial.
  • While this may not be a deal breaker, but a few users wished the platform UI had more vibrant colors.
  • Many users have expressed their issues with canceling, rescheduling, and the inability to schedule 1-on-1s on short notice. 
  • Some users have found the goals feature to be a little confusing to understand because of its extensivity. 
  • This is a rather unprecedented one, but we found many users wishing for more vibrant colors for the platform.
Our reviewer took screenshot of Quantum Workplace Performance Management System during the demo

Quantum Workplace Review

Focused on growth, development, and team alignment, Quantum Workplace’s performance management software is a suite of integrated tools that allow businesses to boost employee performance in myriad ways. Employees can set clear goals and see their progress, and managers and employees can schedule 1-on-1 meetings. Anyone in the organization can request or give feedback. Managers can create different coaching strategies based on talent reviews. And employees can get public recognition for their efforts from their managers and peers alike in a fun and interactive way. What makes this performance management software up a notch, however, is its succession planning tool that helps users find suitable successors for their critical jobs.

Quantum Workplace Customers

Quantum Workplace is used by over 10,000 companies, including Dentsply Sirona, Panera Bread, Fossil Group, DSW, BKD, and Getty Images.

Quantum Workplace Pricing

Pricing is not disclosed upfront, but you can get it after booking a demo.

Best For

Mid-sized and large enterprises (50+ employees) looking for goals, 1-on-1s, real-time recognition, talent reviews and feedback in their performance management software.

Quantum Workplace in action
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Culture Amp

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Culture Amp
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Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.6 / 5
Product Score
4.2 / 5

Why we picked Culture Amp

While relatively new compared to other products in the Culture Amp suite, Culture Amp’s Performance Management solution has caught the attention of hundreds of businesses with its helpful customer service and science-backed reviews and surveys.

PROS

  • A simple interface makes the platform easy to navigate.
  • The Skills Coach feature delivers daily micro-learning experiences directly through Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email. Users find them practical, on-the-point, and digestible.
  • Lots of pre-built surveys, which users find insightful.
  • Follows scientific evidence to provide insights and recommendations, which according to several users, are helpful.
  • Product updates and new releases are on a monthly basis.
  • No setup fee.
  • Responsive and knowledgeable customer service.
  • People science team
  • Tons of engagement surveys

CONS

  • The People Science Plus plan is not available for very small companies.
  • Billed on an annual basis.
  • The onboarding process differs based on the service tier you select.
  • The mobile app’s functions are pretty limited compared to the web version.
  • Integration options are quite limited.
  • Undisclosed pricing. No free trial or free plan.
  • Their people science plus offering is not available for very small companies
  • Enterprise clients might find that they lack some of the integrations and customizations a bigger team needs.
Our reviewer took screenshot of Eloomi Performance Management Solution during the demo

Culture Amp Review

Culture Amp offers a full range of tools to improve employee experience including performance check-ins and reviews (Perform), coaching plans (Develop), and engagement surveys (Engage). The Perform module is relatively new compared to Engage. Unlike traditional once-a-year performance reviews, Culture Amp enables continuous performance management through more frequent check-ins and feedback opportunities. 

The platform also streamlines 360-degree feedback, integrating peer and multi-rater reviews for a comprehensive view of performance. Features like calibration ensure consistency and fairness in evaluation across the organization. To top it all off, Culture Amp’s people analytics and reporting capabilities give you reliable insights you can base your talent management and development plans on.

Culture Amp Customers

Culture Amp is used by 6,000+ companies, including Nasdaq, McDonald's, Coles, Foundry, and WisdomTree.

Culture Amp Pricing

Culture Amp customers can choose between its available modules, i.e. Employee Engagement, Employee Development, or Performance Management, or combine all three in one plan. The pricing depends on the number of module(s) you’d like to buy and the size of your team. Contact Culture Amp’s Sales dept for more information.

Best For

Culture Amp serves companies with 200 - 1,000+ employees all over the world and across different verticals. 

Culture Amp in action
Reviewer's Rating
10/10

We utilize both engagement and performance. We use engagement for quarterly pulse surveys that determine metrics for our managerial bonus program, as well as our annual survey. We are starting to use the action planning tool with our ELT. We use performance for performance review and calibration. We plan to use it for goal-setting this year, too!

What do you like about this tool?
  • I love the action planning capability that action planning has
  • I love that engagement allows you to filter so many different ways and the heatmap  functionality is fantastic 
  • I love the calibration view you can share in performance
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We decided to purchase Culture Amp as an engagement platform. Later, we added on performance. We needed a tool that helped us act on employee survey results and also had performance capabilities. We chose culture amp because it met the pain points we were having, they have a great customer success team & truly are working toward great product enhancements. I’ve personally used the tool since august 2021. Performance since last October.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • In performance, it’s not as easy as you’d like to exclude individuals from a calibration cycle from a filtering perspective
  • In performance, I wish we could filter by division
  • In engagement, I wish I could share a link with a leader for their dashboard not just via email
How is this tool different than their competitors?
  • Culture amp is different than competitors because of the action planning, it really sets them apart.
  • I prefer the performance to BambooHR (what I’ve used in the past) because the views are so much better in calibration
What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?
  • Consider action planning. What are you going to do with the engagement survey info?
  • Consider how your performance cycle will be imported back into your point of record (for us it’s BambooHR and that may be a challenge, TBD!)
How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

More filtering & word clouds in engagement! Too soon in using performance to tell.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

A medium to large org (one with more data to measure!).

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

For small organizations, it is tough, as if they don’t receive much data, you can’t view the results when you slice.

Profit.co

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Profit.co
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Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.8 / 5
Product Score
4.3 / 5

Why we picked Profit.co

Profit.co is more than just an OKR solution. The platform also packs features for performance management, task management, employee engagement, and recognition.

PROS

  • Provides a broad set of features for an OKR tool
  • In-depth customization options
  • The OKRs coaching program is highly rated by users for its clear instructions and practical case studies
  • Supports multiple languages besides English, including Spanish, Chinese, Dutch, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Bahasa, German, Portuguese, French, and Finnish
  • 24/7 phone and chat support
  • Offers a free plan as well as free trials.
  • The platform has tutorials available that walk you through how to use the system and guide your team onto the platform. There are also examples of different types of goals, objectives and KPIs, so it's easy to see how they work in practice.
  • Profit.co offers an intuitive interface that makes it easy for teams to set goals, collaborate and track progress. The tool allows users to set up OKRs for each team member, which can be done fairly fast with the help of step-by-step instructions.
  • Users can choose from several pre-defined KPIs that range from sales to customer satisfaction, which helps them visualize their progress over time with just one glance at their dashboard.

CONS

  • The customer success team is great, but there could have been more online materials for self-service training
  • Not all the features in the mobile app are working as well as in the website
  • Users find the platform confusing to navigate at times due to its wide feature set
  • Connects with several apps, yet according to some users, the Asana integration isn’t easy to set up.
  • While Profit.co offers a free plan for up to five users, it has limited features. The only way to unlock more features is by upgrading to another plan.
  • One complaint about Profit.co is that there are too many features in one platform. While this might sound like a good thing at first glance, it can actually be frustrating for users who want something simple and straightforward – especially if they’re new to OKRs and performance management.
  • As an administrator, you can create and edit tasks and goals. However, there’s no way to edit or upload tasks or goals on a mass scale. For example, if you want to change the title or description for every task, then you’ll have to manually do it one by one.
Profit Co Performance Management platform dashboard screenshot

Profit.co Review

Profit.co allows companies to create and track corporate, departmental, team, and individual OKRs. The top management defines the corporate objectives and sets them up on the platform with in-app customization. The various departments can create their OKRs to further the corporate vision, while teams and individuals can set their own objectives to serve those larger goals. Through Profit.co’s real-time reporting dashboard, managers can check the real-time progress of their teams, catch potential problems early on, and make decisions as needed.

We appreciate that the software has transparent pricing, a free version, and a free trial. Plus, Profit.co supports multiple languages, making it friendly to distributed teams.

Profit.co Customers

SunTec, Wex, Telmar, Sandvik, CWB Financial Group

Profit.co Pricing

  • Launch: This plan is free for up to five users.
  • Growth: This plan costs $7 per user per month, billed annually.
  • Enterprise: This plan has custom pricing.

Note: Growth and Enterprise have free trials with no credit card required.

Best For

Startups and small to medium-sized businesses — either office-based or distributed teams can find a lot of value in Profit.co.

Profit.co in action
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ChartHop

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ChartHop
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Popularity Score
4.6 / 5
User Score
4.3 / 5
Product Score
4.6 / 5

Why we picked ChartHop

We like that ChartHop is constantly evolving. It started as an org chart tool and gradually built features for performance management, employee engagement, DEI, and people planning/analytics.

PROS

  • Integrates well with several existing HRIS and ATS systems
  • Strong customization and reporting capabilities
  • Transparent pricing. The Basic plan is free for the first 150 employees.
  • The Map feature enables remote teams to see where each employee is located.
  • Has open API
  • Supports Single Sign-On (SSO).
  • Charthop nicely integrates with your existing HR and ATS systems. Having everything under one roof means not having to use ten different applications.
  • Charthop’s organization chart is its biggest asset. Their drag-and-drop feature to edit the chart is a hit amongst a majority of the users. Overall, the tool makes navigation throughout the company really easy - you can find the people you need, figure out their responsibilities, and track changes after the latest company re-organization.
  • Charthop's goal tracking interface is simple, intuitive, and easy to build. There's not much else you can ask for. 
  • Charthop's Map feature allows businesses to see where each employee is located. For organizations that work remotely, this promotes a feeling of togetherness, which is crucial for employee engagement.

CONS

  • Organization chart navigation isn't the best. The chart zooms in and out quite quickly, and the gestures aren't intuitive, making it difficult to use.
  • Takes time to implement and get used to
  • The search function sometimes throws the wrong results.
  • The UI is somewhat dated and clunky.
  • Charthop's organization chart navigation isn't the best. The chart zooms in and out quite quickly, and the gestures aren't intuitive, making it difficult to use. 
  • Charthop can be a little complicated to figure out. Also, the fact that there are so many features is a little intimidating.
  • Charthop's search function isn't user-friendly. There's not much information on how to use it effectively, and it sometimes throws the wrong results.
  • Charthop's UI is somewhat dated and clunky.
Charthop dashboard screenshot - one of the best Performance Management Software

ChartHop Review

ChartHop’s performance management solution helps you conduct different types of reviews, gather feedback and check in with your employees as frequently as you want. Users love its feature coverage and customizability; they can build distinct processes, questions, approval flows, and access controls by department, location, manager, role, and more.

Another thing we’ve in our testing is that ChartHop takes data protection seriously, with fine-grained controls, role-based access, auto-on/offboarding, full encryption, biometric access control, mandatory SSO, and more options included in the security settings.

If you have observed ChartHop for a while, you may have also noticed that they have updated the pricing of the Basic plan to be free as long as the number of employees is no more than 150, which has made the platform a lot more accessible to smaller businesses.

ChartHop Customers

Sequoia, Plaid, Locus, InVision, BetterCloud

ChartHop Pricing

ChartHop has three plans:

  • Basic: Free for your first 150 employees, $2 per employee per month for every employee beyond 150.
  • Standard: $8 per employee per month (billed annually) plus $20,000 minimum annual contract plus a one-time implementation fee.
  • Premium: $16 per employee per month (billed annually) plus a $28,000 minimum annual contract plus a one-time implementation fee.
  • Add-ons start at $2 per employee per month.

Best For

Mid-sized organizations and global teams looking to gather and centralize people data in one place.

ChartHop in action
Reviewer's Rating
7/10

ChartHop harmonizes information from our HRIS and ATS, providing us with a dynamic org chart that displays our current team as well as future hires; we can easily scroll in time to see historical and future statuses. We can also view data by department or location as needed. The map view is a tremendous help in visualizing our organizational distribution across the globe.

The data sheets option offers data in excel format. The automatic sync option into Google Sheets is a bonus and makes collaborating a breeze. We have stopped using our HRIS reporting feature and instead review data through ChartHop.

What do you like about this tool?

The UI is very appealing and well laid out. I like the dashboard and the components of what is included. It has beautifully developed org charts. Extracting data from the data sheet tab is easy. ChartHop compiles data from HRIS and ATS to create a robust database to build reports and organization structures. The support and product assistance is great.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We were looking for a comprehensive "1-stop" shop for critical People Analytics. We've been using ChartHop for over two years and are very satisfied with the data management and reporting capabilities. While our HRIS system offered some basic dashboard options, there were a lot of gaps, and we don't have the capacity to build the dashboard internally. We started with the free version which offered minimal yet useful insights and have remained impressed ever since. The Org Charts in a single platform is a dynamic solution. ChartHop has completely changed the way we look at employee data.

What do you dislike about this tool?

Charthop is not the most user-friendly where mapping custom fields and building reports is concerned, and they could have more self-service options available so that one-to-one support is not needed. Charthop can seem difficult to use at first and the implementation process can be overwhelming.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

Charthop is unique in the way performance reviews transfer to the compensation section. There's also a variety of options for viewing employee information. Charthop is better than our HRIS for delivering information, and is one of the best employee dashboard analytics available for the cost, service and capabilities offered.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

It is most important to consider integrations and compatibility with other systems as this is pivotal to the success of this platform within any organization. It is equally important to consider how information will be uploaded/downloaded. Lastly, consider the features needed; customization can be tricky with Charthop, so if there are specific data/analytics needed, it is imperative to ascertain whether these data sets are possible to extract from this platform.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

Charthop is ever evolving to meet user needs and is transparent in its communications of such via regular notifications and emails. There have been improvements to data fields and sorting and filtering functions.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Organizations of any size and within any industry could benefit from Charthop. Charthop has different packages offering a variety of features, making it easy to adapt to an organization's changing needs through periods of growth, expansion and/or transition.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Charthop is not a good choice for organizations seeking a cheap or low-cost option; although the free version offers wonderful insight, the paid versions offer the complete picture, and can be costly by comparison to HRIS included functions.

Trakstar

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Trakstar
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Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.4 / 5
Product Score
4.3 / 5

Why we picked Trakstar

Trakstar is notable for adding learning management capabilities to its performance management suite. We love that they didn’t stop there and have integrated employee engagement and succession planning features.

PROS

  • User-friendly for employees and administrators.
  • Responsive live support.
  • Extensive knowledge base and video tutorials.
  • The automated feature helps schedule reviews on a routine basis.
  • Provides unlimited storage.

CONS

  • Does not provide reports that show progress over time.
  • No free trial or free version.
  • Undisclosed pricing.
  • Doesn’t have a mobile app.
  • May take a while to complete the setup.
Trakstar dashboard screenshot - one of the best Performance Management system

Trakstar Review

Trakstar’s performance management solution (Trakstar Perform)  allows companies to deploy performance reviews, set goals, and monitor results in real-time. The platform also has learning management, employee engagement, and succession planning capabilities.

Users can customize performance evaluations, import users, design forms, and configure workflows to fit their organization. The 360-degree feedback feature allows managers to control who can access it and request feedback from people inside and outside the team. The 9-box grid is another highlight in Trakstar's succession planning module, which ties in nicely with the performance management one, providing insights into employee performance and potential for advancing within the organization.

Trakstar Customers

Charles River, Beta Calco, Task Rabbit, Chemline, Minsterbank.

Trakstar Pricing

The pricing of Trakstar’s plans and services isn’t disclosed on their site. You have to demo with the vendor to get a price quote.

Best For

Organizations looking to track performance at the individual and team levels via a ratings-based review format.

Trakstar in action
Reviewer's Rating
6/10

We use Trakstar for recruiting and hiring. It is not very customizable so it can be difficult to use. You can set up different stages of interviews and assign interviewers to each stage. Notifications are nice and sent via email when candidates are moved from stage to stage. The system will integrate and sync with your calendar to allow for easy scheduling of interviews. You can even connect it to zoom and schedule straight from the platform if you wished. I use Trakstar about every other day to gage candidate flow and complete hiring tasks.

What do you like about this tool?

Easy scheduling options. The stages are customizable. Posting is easy.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We started using Trakstar in June of 2021. We were moving away from ADP to a new payroll system. We were looking for an ATS that would give us better more customizable options for candidate flow and interview stages. I implemented the new system. We are a small company with around 350 employees. Our new payroll system had an ATS but the cost would be too much for a company our size.

What do you dislike about this tool?

Reporting is horrible, everything is lumped into one big report and you cannot write reports as needed. Searching is also horrible, they should implement boolian search capabilities. The system lacks text automations which would be helpful for interview reminders.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

Trakstar is good for small companies with medium applicant flow. For a company that uses recruiting heavily it does not work as well.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Really think about what you will be using it for. Does it have the capabilities that your company needs? Can it adapt to a growing company or changing company?

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

It really hasn't. It still does not truly meet our needs but it is doing its job.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

An organization with heavy candidate flow and few positions.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Any organization that needs specific licensure or has little candidate flow.

WorkTango

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WorkTango
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Popularity Score
4.2 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.4 / 5

Why we picked WorkTango

WorkTango (formerly Kazoo) achieves the right balance of comprehensiveness and simplicity. The platform combines surveys, performance reviews, goals, and recognition and rewards, driving engagement and helping everyone stay aligned with team-level and business-wide objectives.

PROS

  • Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Korean.
  • Simple implementation process with training sessions available.
  • Supports anonymous surveys.
  • Straightforward UI that’s easy to navigate.
  • The mobile app has undergone significant improvements, offering more built-in features and enhanced performance.
  • Flexibility — users can buy the modules they need then add more as they go.
  • Unlimited surveys available in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Korean.
  • You can add modules as you go and these will be charged on a prorated basis.

CONS

  • Billing is only done annually; all plans require a minimum agreement for a 24-month subscription.
  • There isn’t a free trial or free plan.
  • Billing is only done annually and all plans require a minimum agreement for a 24-month subscription (see our FAQs for more and their pricing page for full details).
  • Several users have complained about the rewards redeeming process being not very intuitive.

WorkTango Review

WorkTango combines continuous performance management, employee recognition, rewards, and surveys into one platform to help businesses improve employee experience and, by extension, company culture.

One aspect that stood out to us is its three-pronged approach, which seamlessly connects the Survey and Insights, Goals and Feedback, and Recognition and Rewards modules. This allows users to easily share data across all three areas and ensures that individual goals align with their overall business objectives.

The platform's Surveys and Insights features have proven to be invaluable. We appreciate the ability to create surveys using pre-built templates or customize our own, gaining valuable feedback from employees, including anonymous responses. WorkTango's ability to analyze this feedback data and provide actionable suggestions is also highly praised by users as it helps them address areas of concern more effectively.

WorkTango offers a user-friendly interface, and we like that the mobile app has undergone significant improvement, offering enhanced performance and more built-in features. Additionally, the availability of training sessions has made the implementation process a lot simpler, ensuring a smooth transition for their organizations.

WorkTango Customers

1000 organizations, including Allianz, Hitachi, Kia Motors, and Patagonia.

WorkTango Pricing

WorkTango has three modules: 

  • Employee Surveys & Insights: Pricing starts from $8,000 billed annually.
  • Recognition & Rewards: Pricing starts from $8,000 billed annually.
  • Full Employee Experience Platform: Pricing starts from $10,000 billed annually.

Best For

While the majority of WorkTango’s customers are in tech, FSI, healthcare, and business services, the software can work great for mid-sized to large businesses, US-based or otherwise, across most industries.

WorkTango in action
Reviewer's Rating
10/10

We used it for all employees to recognize each other for a job well done, birthdays, and anniversaries. HR would send birthday and anniversary recognition and other employees would comment wishing them well.

What do you like about this tool?

I liked that employees can recognize each other for accomplishments and a job well done. I like that employees can be recognized for their birthdays. I like that employees can be recognized for their anniversary each year.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We purchased WorkTango to build employee morale and encourage team building and recognition amongst peers. This is another way to provide positive reinforcement to our employees and encourage them to work hard and love what they do! I used it for 2 years.

What do you dislike about this tool?

Some employees would complain about the shop and being hard to navigate. We would receive feedback that employees didn't think it was super user-friendly. We had technical issues occasionally that would take a little while to resolve.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

WorkTango is very similar to other programs out there. Not a lot of difference between the different ones I've used.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

This is a great way to build morale and recognize employees. Employees love to be able to use their points towards items in the shop.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

They have added unique features that make the overall experience more enjoyable.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

WorkTango is good for companies that are looking for ways to recognize employees and build morale.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

I think WorkTango is good for all companies that are interested in building morale.

Motivosity

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Motivosity
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Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.7 / 5
Product Score
4.6 / 5

Why we picked Motivosity

Motivosity’s Manager Development module offers an interesting approach to performance management. It’s offered as an add-on within the broader employee experience tool, with features that are great to help your managers be better leaders.

PROS

  • If you go with Motivosity, you get an employee experience tool on top of the performance management module. You can also upgrade your plan to get parts of the tool like rewards & recognition and employee insights.
  • All plans include free implementation support for a seamless onboarding experience.
  • Premium support offers comprehensive assistance, including a help desk, community site, training videos, and quarterly QBRs with a dedicated Customer Success representative (for large customers).
  • Administrators spend an average of only 43 minutes per month in the system.
  • Their 1:1 tool is quite unique. It incorporates coaching prompts generated by AI, designed to help managers develop a better relationship with their direct reports.
  • Employees can access this system from their phones, desktop, and apps they are in at work such as Teams/Slack
  • One platform that combines rewards, recognition, employee engagement, and more
  • Built in reporting with insights around potential attrition, most recognized employees, managers that need coaching, etc.

CONS

  • As mentioned before, the Manager Development module is offered only as an add-on. This means you’d have to purchase the Community and Connection tool which starts at $2 per employee per month, and then add another $2 to the final price for the single add-on.
  • Since it’s offered within such a big tool, with so many workflows, some of the basic performance management features, such as 1:1s and coaching, can feel less intuitive when you compare them to performance management-focused solutions.
  • The goal tracking feature (Priorities) is more team-oriented, lacking individual goal mapping for tracking progress on both team OKRs and individual goals.
  • Only has dollar (not points) based rewards.  Their research shows dollars is more effective, but many companies want points.
  • Some users claimed sometimes it can be a bit buggy connecting to Slack to notify people that an appreciation came through.
  • It would have broadened the number of gift card options for users to choose from.
  • There could have been an easier way to integrate the software with swag stores. For now, you have to transfer funds to a card and then link that card with the swag store, which slows down a bit the process to cash in funds.

Motivosity Review

Although originally an employee experience rewards tool, Motivosity has been expanding steadily into other areas of employee experience. With the idea of offering a holistic approach to the fine-tuning of people’s work experience, they’ve added several new modules since we first came across the tool a couple of years ago.

One of these modules is called “Manager Development”, and we recently got to see a demo of it. This module is worth checking out because it puts a unique spin on some of the standard performance management features; like 1:1s, priority alignment, succession planning, and task tracking. Motivosity’s approach to performance management is all about bringing out leadership qualities in each employee through continuous 360° feedback. This is why it makes sense for the module to be offered within a tool that’s aimed at nurturing your company’s cultural heartbeat.

For example, instead of leaving it at quarterly 1:1s or even just a yearly performance review, the platform encourages managers to schedule regular coaching sessions with their direct reports. Motivosity also gathers and provides insights about how they are perceived by their team members and offers novel features like journaling, and preparation prompts for 1:1s delivered by generative AI.

Motivosity Customers

Motivosity serves a range of customers, including Instructure, the University of Michigan, WGU, Cotopaxi, and HealthEquity.

Motivosity Pricing

Motivosity offers their core product, Community and Connection, for $2 per employee per month. The other modules (Manager Development, Rewards, and Insights) are offered as optional additions, on top of this starting kit. You can see a full list of the features they include on Motivosity’s pricing page.

Best For

Motivosity, seen as an employee experience tool, is a good bet for organizations of all kinds of sizes, from 10-person startups to large enterprises with 10,000 employees. However, it’s best suited for mid-market and small companies that want to have a single hub for their employee experience needs, instead of, let’s say, a start-up that only wants a performance management tool.

Motivosity in action
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Betterworks

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Betterworks
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Popularity Score
4.6 / 5
User Score
4.2 / 5
Product Score
4.6 / 5

Why we picked Betterworks

Betterworks is more common among large teams due to its sheer amount of features. Businesses choose it to get a wider set of data points and tools for employee engagement, performance, and goal management.

PROS

  • Supports manager-employee conversations on planning and setting up quarterly objectives and key results
  • Users highly praise the e-learnings along the OKR setups.
  • Has a user-friendly and clear UI.
  • The customer support team gives timely responses and is helpful.
  • BetterWorks helps you get the performance data you need, whenever you need it. You can calibrate the system to your standards and objectives – annually, quarterly, monthly, or on demand – or choose from a wide selection of filters to get exactly the information you want.
  • There are a few features in place that can help you uncover hidden biases and uphold your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. For example, you can learn if talent decisions – such as promotions – are impacting certain employee populations unfairly.
  • The platform is fairly easy to use with built-in analytics that help you understand how well you are doing toward achieving your goals.

CONS

  • Limited integration capabilities
  • Filtering isn’t in the best shape, leading to confusion as users navigate between individual and team goals.
  • Its price tag makes it not friendly to budget-minded teams
  • No free trials
  • It can be difficult to know which goals are active, because the label ‘Active’ is set as the default.
  • Betterworks offers considerable integration options with third-party solutions, but its main focus is on sending and receiving employee information between systems.
  • Some users may find the Goals and OKR module overwhelming due to the sheer number of features, buttons, and options available. For example, a user complains that there's no need for three separate modules: Goals, Conversation, and Appreciation. The user should be able to click on a Goal and immediately start a conversation with the manager about it.
Betterworks dashboard screenshot - one of the best performance management software

Betterworks Review

Betterworks provides a smooth performance journey to end users with an intuitive UI that’s easy to navigate. The software enables employees and managers to understand where the organization is trying to go and how they impact these goals by providing users with regular check-ins, OKRs, feedback, and recognition.

The web-based performance management platform gives visibility into the objectives of both individuals and the whole team, their progress, and how it all ladders to the set goal. Admin users can create regular reports to keep track of all conversations and measure the impact. We heard a lot of positive feedback from users on the tutorials built-in along the OKR setups and also its customer support.

Betterworks Customers

Hulu, Kroger, FedEx, Udemy, Posadas, University of Phoenix.

Betterworks Pricing

  • SMBs (5 to 1000 people): $7.00 per user per month (billed annually)
  • Mid-Market (1000+ employees): custom pricing
  • Large enterprises (5000+ employees): custom pricing.

Best For

Organizations (midsize or larger) looking for a robust and feature-rich PM software.

Betterworks in action
Reviewer's Rating
3/10

I primarily use Betterworks for team building. It is helpful in tracking progress toward goals. Betterworks has helped the team in strategizing improvements across the organization. The service also allows for feedback between staff. It also has a very helpful scoring system for employees.

What do you like about this tool?

Betterworks is great for building team collaboration. It has a well developed information hub. Betterworks also has a mobile app that is popular with employees.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

Betterworks was purchased to streamline collaboration among the team. It is primarily used in employee goal setting across the organization. It provides team members with the ability to recognize and congratulate each other on accomplished goals. It integrates with multiple systems that we use. I have used Betterworks for 1 year.

What do you dislike about this tool?

It is very expensive and not suitable for small teams. It also has issues with integration across several systems that we use. Customer service isn’t super responsive.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

There are other more cost effective and less buggy tools to use. However, its goal setting capabilities are impressive.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Betterworks is built for teams that are 1000+. It is an investment at its price point. I have run into technical issues and had issues with customer service occasionally.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

They have added features to be more competitive and updated their goal setting capabilities.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Betterworks is good for large organizations with a large budget and someone to keep track of interface issues.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

It is not a good fit for organizations with a small budget or those that can manage their OKRs on their own.

Lattice

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Lattice
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Popularity Score
4.3 / 5
User Score
4.7 / 5
Product Score
4.7 / 5

Why we picked Lattice

Lattice helps managers form a well-rounded approach to performance management, packing reviews, OKRs, goal management, and engagement in single, enterprise-ready platform.

PROS

  • Has a modern design
  • Helps you conduct 1-on-1s and reviews smoothly and in an organized manner
  • Allows you to keep track of all meetings’ agendas, action items, and shared notes
  • It’s quick and easy to see people directory and org structure
  • Seamless integration with Slack and Google Workspace
  • Lattice allows managers to record their 1:1 meetings with employees in real time. That way, both parties can go back later and revisit what was discussed during the meeting – as well as make sure nothing gets lost in translation!
  • The platform has a host of tools supporting employee development and performance-based compensation setting, which isn’t common for the average performance management product. 
  • Review templates and survey questions are among several things that can be customized to ensure you’re getting relevant data.

CONS

  • Updating OKRs is not the easiest. The goal view resets as users add or update a goal.
  • Doesn’t have the option to do the feedback/suggestion box anonymously yet
  • Sometimes it's not always intuitive when it comes to looking back at old reviews or adding someone to a survey.
  • The mobile app has very limited functionality.
  • Starting at $11 per person per month, Lattice’s pricing is on the expensive side compared to competitors.
  • The platform is feature-rich, which is great but also means that it takes some time for the average user to get acclimated with it. 
  • The available selection of third-party integrations is rather limited, with a few users complaining that their HRIS isn’t covered. That said, Lattice does have an open API that allows users to plug-in other third party tools.
Our reviewer took screenshot of Lattice Performance Management Software during the demo

Lattice Review

Lattice’s performance management solution provides managers and HR teams with a comprehensive view of their organization. It features highly customizable reviews, with built-in tools to help users automate review cycles. Engagement is also taken into account, with users having the option to give feedback and appreciation privately or publicly (on integration apps like Slack or Teams), and request feedback from people both inside and outside the company. 

Furthermore, the Updates feature connects employees and managers on progress and roadblocks. There’s also a mobile app available on both iOS and Google Play stores, but it has limited functionality compared to the web-based version.

Lattice Customers

Lattice has over 2,000 customers, including Reddit, Slack, and Asana.

Lattice Pricing

Lattice pricing is very flexible:

  • Performance Management costs $8 per person/month
  • OKRs & Goals costs $8 per person/month
  • Performance management plus OKRs & Goals costs $11 per person/month
  • Performance plus OKRs & Goals plus Engagement costs $15 per person/month
  • Performance plus OKRs & Goals plus Grow (targeting employee growth and development) costs $15 per person/month
  • Performance plus OKRs & Goals plus Compensation (linking performance and compensation) costs $17 per person/month
  • Enterprise plan has custom pricing

Best For

Growing teams looking for a platform that combines surveys, performance management, feedback, and goals will benefit most from the scalability and feature wealth of Lattice’s offerings.

Lattice in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

As a Recruiting team, we leveraged Lattice to create candidate surveys that gave us actionable insights. This meant the RecOps team worked closely with Recruiting and Business leadership to identify areas they wanted to measure. We then built these into the surveys and used the results to redesign our interview process and measure our NPS score. The integration with our ATS made that easy as well.

What do you like about this tool?
  • Data/Reporting
  • Integrations
  • Customer support team
  • Webinars/thought leadership
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

Our organization chose to buy Lattice for a few reasons. At the time, they were one of the few companies offering a people management platform at an enterprise level that had been shown to deliver results. Additionally, they provided customization and data through their engagement surveys that helped make a difference at a company level. We also were able to connect it with our ATS for better candidate engagement surveys.

What do you dislike about this tool?

I can't recall anything that we disliked when we were using Lattice. I think the initial setup of integrating it with our ATS and then permissioning to be able to see results was difficult but that wasn't necessarily a Lattice issue as much as an internal controls one.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

Lattice competed very strongly with WorkdayHCM and CultureAmp. I generally preferred Lattice and CultureAmp equally though I like the webinars and thought-leadership that Lattice puts out a lot, so that is where I might give it the edge.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?
  • Integrations
  • Overall usage
  • Ease of use
  • Ability to share/collaborate on with the information
  • Cost per user or survey
How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

When I was first introduced to Lattice, it seemed everyone talked about the survey capabilities. Since though I've seen it discussed more for the analytics and internal mobility elements. Given how the world has changed, seeing it evolve in that direction is cool.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?
  • People Teams (HR/Recruiting)
  • Managers
  • Business Leaders
  • C-Suite
What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Not really... there are so many important aspects to the results Lattice can provide. What matters is if you are a consumer of the data (which most departments/users are) or need to work behind the scenes with it. So if you are a data consumer, you might not be a good fit for what Lattice has the power to do.

What Is Performance Management Software?

Performance management software's most commonly used features are structured 1:1s, annual reviews, development plans, and workflow automation. Each of these modules relies on this tool's powerful, underlying function: discerning analytics.

Performance management software is like an employee analytics flashlight. Whether taking it all in from a distance or closely looking at one tiny element, the illumination can help HR and business leaders observe and interpret the entire scope of company activities.

I saw the impact this tool could have early in my career. I was consulting for a bootstrapped startup, helping them identify spending leaks. It was a young company, so their recordkeeping could have been better. By chance, one of the founders had a beta version of a performance management platform she’d been asked to test drive. So we thought, why not? Nobody expected what would happen next.

The software uncovered overspending in multiple areas, including unused software and hardware expenses that were four times higher than necessary. We also found operational redundancies and costly oversights.

It’s ironic that the free software saved the day, but it really did!

This anecdote illustrates an important point. What we were slowly uncovering with hours of work, the platform captured at a glance.

This is the magic of performance management tools. The ability to comprehend all the moving parts, from the whole org to a tiny element, can rapidly empower improvement at any scale.

Not only can these platforms drive significant, systemic overhauls across departments, but they can also work on the individual level. They can provide the context and perspective to help employees understand where they fit into the larger organization, which can lead to performance improvement.

Performance Management Software answers questions like:

  • Big picture: what is the entire organization working on?
  • Mid-range: what are departments, divisions, and teams working on?
  • Small-scale: what are individuals working on?

With the above questions answered, leadership can develop innovative, precise, and effective strategies to enhance the company’s performance.

What Are Use Cases for Performance Management Systems?

Performance management software is helpful to an organization in more ways than we can cover in one article. The following are among the most common, but every company is different, and your mileage may vary.

According to our contributor Tracie Maire, who has used performance management tools for team sizes from 25 to 3,000, the tool can benefit teams of any stature. She notes that the right time to start using one isn’t based on headcount. Instead, factors specific to your business, your culture, and your structure determine the right time to buy.

Among our team at SSR, our collective experience of buying and implementing these systems with companies of all types aligns with her sentiment. Among our staff of writers and HR professionals, I agree that there is no good standard time to start, but luckily, the use case for performance review software is evident.

1:1 meetings: Make the most of these critical interactions by using a tool to fold them into your Big Picture strategy. Performance management software can help managers and employees collaborate to create (and actually stick to!) an agenda and a regular schedule. They can review notes from past meetings, use pre-built conversation starters, and tie 1:1s back to goals and feedback. From either side of the manager or direct report line, I agree: 1:1s with purpose enhance productivity. But in my experience, that’s not all they can do.

When I worked in HR, a new manager approached me for support. He was overwhelmed by his new responsibilities, so I suggested that he use the company's performance management software, particularly structured 1:1s, as a training tool. I encouraged him to look for insights into goal-setting, targeted feedback, productivity measurement, and data analysis. He incorporated these strategies into his fledgling management philosophy, his confidence grew, and he became a well-respected member of leadership.

Objectives and key results (OKRs): Most performance management software contains a goal-setting feature that allows businesses to list their OKRs and record progress toward them.

Goal setting cuts an unambiguous path between an output (whether individual or division-wide) and the organization’s goals. The benefits of clarity around a central purpose and the ability to track progress toward it are conspicuously missing in many organizations, often due to the effect of information silos.

Performance Reviews: Many need help remembering what happened last week, let alone any details from six months ago!

The right platform can facilitate meaningful conversations that stand the test of time. By implementing structure, cadence, and documentation, companies can avoid the two worst types of performance evaluations. First, the rushed, scattershot, far-too-general-to-be-useful type, and the second,  the rushed, narrow, we-can’t-remember-last-week-let-alone-details-from-six-months-ago type.

Employee Performance Management: From onboarding to 360-degree feedback and regular check-ins, modern performance management systems provide managers with a complete picture of employee performance. It creates and monitors measurements for productivity and illuminates the connection between daily activities and long-term company goals.

I’ve seen this from both the direct report and the manager's side. While the benefits are not as easy and obvious as the focused 1:1s (more on that later), a well-managed review cycle can be transformative.

People Analytics: Fluent in both process and people, these platforms generate high-value analyses that can illuminate the relationship between the two. Insights on using the platform, the need for more training, adherence to OKRs, and the formalization of 1:1s are abundant.

Pro Tips on Performance Management Software

6 Common Pitfalls of Performance Review Software (And How to Avoid Them!)

Now that you know what it can do, let’s look at a few common mistakes companies make in buying, implementing, and capturing the value of this tool. 

1. Limited Product Suite: Some vendors offer stripped-down suites with limited capabilities or single features a la carte. Though they are often more affordable, they should be avoided.

We recommend a feature-rich product with supplemental offerings you can use now or deploy in the future. Your long-term people strategy should always be top of mind, especially when shopping for a tool deeply embedded in a worker's daily activities. 

For example, if you plan to roll out an employee engagement initiative in the next 18 months, a performance management platform that lacks this feature is a bad choice. 

2. Culture Change Catastrophe: A common mistake to avoid is inadequate planning for this tool's impact on company culture.

I’ve seen things get ugly when this kind of tech is applied at the wrong time or with the wrong message. What do I mean by “ugly”? Ugly is what happens when the effect of buying and implementing new software is net negative either in terms of ROI or in terms of employee engagement.

The topic of worker productivity is well-studied and notoriously complex. The U.S. has a long-established history of laws and institutions created to protect workers’ rights, but a persistent sense of threat remains. Some believe the best interests of workers and the scrutiny of their output are at odds. 

While I’m not suggesting that using performance management software requires a company-wide curriculum on the comprehensive history of labor relations, you should be aware that adopting a tool that monitors your worker’s daily activities may cause alarm. Keep reading for our recommendations on handling this, but first, let’s survey the landscape.

If you’re shopping for an enterprise-level tool, the culture change process will be part of the package you buy. In most cases, you’ll have access to a professional change management team to help with messaging and implementation. However, if you are like us and most other small businesses, you can’t afford Deloitte! So focus on what you can control: the message and how you deliver it.

While a white-glove consultancy service may not be your thing, you do have distinguished, dependable, and highly skilled messengers at your disposal: your human resources team.

A known and trusted entity, HR has a tremendous advantage over a consultancy: they are the architects of your culture. No team is more well-suited to bring people on board (literally and figuratively) with enthusiasm and solidarity.

Pro tip:  Focus on the development aspects of the tool. Advocate for a frame of mind that sees the implementation primarily as a means to develop each employee’s strengths. To this end, integrations with tools that manage incentives like bonuses, rewards, and recognition can be helpful to the cause.

When I used the words “get ugly” earlier because this critical element was overlooked or under-resourced.

3. Misguided Compensation Alignment: Are YOU ready to question one of the foundational elements of modern capitalism? Sorry if I caught you off guard, but here we go!

Compensation is often tied directly to an individual’s achievement of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). It follows that a person who meets 100% of their OKRs has earned their keep by doing 100% of the job they were asked to do. This makes sense until you consider how one might measure and reward accomplishments that exceed expectations.

The solution: OKRs should only be 60-70% attainable.

The space between 60-70% and 100% is the domain of discretionary effort, and that should be made clear to your employees as you roll out your very OKR-focused program. Let your team know that their compensation and achievement of OKRs are not directly proportional, and support them in the counterintuitive task of creating goals that they won’t meet 30%-40% of the time.

When I’ve laid this out to the various teams I’ve worked with, truthfully, only about half of the minds are blown. The other half have MBAs or have otherwise acquired business acumen that made them immune to the effects of this news.

4. Rushing the Roll Out: Avoid whiplash going zero to sixty with your rollout: don’t redline your implementation! 1:1 meetings with OKRs are an excellent place to start. If possible, you can pace yourself as you shift to a new program by finding a solution that overlaps your current system. The same is true if you’re starting from scratch— avoid the temptation to do too much, too fast.

How do I know this? This advice comes straight from the headlines of the team's real-world experience at Select Software Reviews. In other words, been there, done that: rushed it, regretted it.

I once witnessed a performance management software rollout tank because it was both rushed and scatter-shot. The tool's promise was squandered by pushing too hard: the training was minimal, the expectations needed to be more attainable, and the integration needed to be more robust. The company lost thousands of dollars and invaluable measures of trust from the workers.

You should schedule one to four months per module and dedicate copious resources to education for managers and employees. It’s essential to be patient when asking people to change their behavior. With a thoughtful, phased rollout, you’ll give your team time to adjust and the software the chance to justify itself.

5. Adding Another Login: If you chose a tool that requires your team to log in to anything other than what they already do, you’ve chosen the wrong tool. Many factors contribute to workplace stress, and extraneous tools can be counted among their ranks. Fortunately, many of these systems are built with an open API and integrations in mind.

Your platform should provide seamless integration with email, internal comms tools like Slack, project management tools like Jira, and any other virtual environments where you will likely find your team. Well-integrated tools increase the chances of high engagement and bottom-line impact.

Here’s some water cooler gossip: unless your team is using a password management system like it 100% definitely should all of the time, one of the best ways to introduce security threats to your company is to tempt people to reuse passwords by giving them too many things to log into.

6. Misaligned Goals: Employees will instinctually set OKRs that are directly related to company goals, but sometimes this needs to be corrected.

For example, if an organization aims to cut costs, you can expect to find this item listed among individuals’ OKRs.

But here’s another true story from one of our HR pros who was an eyewitness to this misalignment pitfall: following what they thought was the direction of the company, a person from the marketing team included “cut costs” among their OKRs. Somehow, nobody noticed. The sun didn’t crash into the earth. Still, heaps of time was wasted scrutinizing transactions to cut costs when the company's needs would have been better served by this person spending on initiatives that support creativity and innovation.

The key to goal alignment is education. When structuring OKRs, individuals must be supported by managers who, in turn,  were well supported when learning how to educate their direct reports.

4 Key Performance Management Platform Features

The features listed below represent the fundamental functions standard to these platforms. Your company may require more, less, or alternate options, but these four define the baseline.

1. Integrations: Though more of a characteristic than a feature, software seamlessly integrating with your existing tools is crucial for maximizing productivity and reducing operational costs. A tool that integrates with your current stack minimizes the need for manual data entry, avoids potential data errors, and allows for a smooth workflow between different systems. In short, easy integration saves time and resources and provides for a more effective and streamlined operation.

2. Check-ins: Employees want and deserve frequent check-ins with managers. Comprehensive annual reviews have their place too, but OKR-driven 1:1s and regular check-ins keep employees engaged and focused. They can be an opportunity to teach skills that improve performance.

100% of Select Software Reviews employees agree on this one. It’s a no-brainer and should be baked into the platform you buy.

2. Automation & Workflows: Look for a tool with integrated automation options from top to bottom—one must-have feature: automated 1:1's with templated questions and built-in scheduling. Integrations with your other HR tech and internal comms like Slack and Outlook are also critical.

3. Annual Employee Evaluations: The awkward yearly review is quickly becoming a thing of the past (hooray!), but that doesn't mean employee evaluations have disappeared completely – they've simply evolved.

When choosing your software, take a hard look at how the tool streamlines and improves this part of your talent management strategy. Ideally, the tool will ensure the year’s worth of 1:1s and check-ins have been purposefully designed to lead to a meaningful, comprehensive retrospective. The best among the best will also curate a well-informed vision of the future.

Our take on this feature is unified: it is essential to get this right! All roads of your performance management system should lead to this point, and it should be (assuming the best of everyone) a positive experience across the board.

4. Development Plans: Look for a platform with features focused on helping your workforce develop skills to meet company and personal goals. At a minimum, the system must track OKRs to ensure development is headed in the right general direction. On the other end of the spectrum (and, usually, price range), we’ve seen companies reap massive benefits from platforms with built-in learning management capabilities. The more specific the educational material, the better.

About half of our team (all dignified HR professionals, mind you) scoffed at this and said something like, “Okay, we’ll just take the company jet to meet with the dignitaries from the Learning Management Department of the Performance Management Software most small businesses can barely afford.” Point taken, fellow pros. There are not many options for SMBs who want good performance management software. But keep this in mind: while much of what I’ve discussed is specific to (game-changing) software, much of what I hope to get across are tactics that can be deployed for the low price of free-ninety-nine.

For example, here are three things that zero dollars can buy you:

1. A Source to Learn Better People Management Skills

2. A Nuanced Understanding of Performance Management

3. A Way to Ensure a Positive Effect with a Performance Management Strategy

Questions to Ask in a Demo

Ask these questions to each company you speak to. Do your research beforehand, but have these in your back pocket.

  • What is your product roadmap? How do employee engagement, recognition, and rewards fit into that vision?
  • How does your solution integrate with my existing HRIS or HRMS?
  • How does this tool integrate with our project management software?
  • What is your change management playbook? How will you help our employees and managers transition to this solution?
  • Do you have recommendations for the rollout? Which modules go first, and why?
  • If I’m already doing OKRs and 1:1s, how much time will this save my team?
  • Is this solution designed for specific types of organizations? Is it best for small businesses, enterprise/knowledge workers, retail, remote teams, etc.?
  • Can I export the data to cross-reference with other KPIs kept in other systems? Which systems?
  • How does the annual performance review process work?
  • How does the tool navigate systematic reviews?

Our #1 Pro Tip: Divvy up the Lift

Don’t underestimate the resources involved in making this choice or the impact of your selection. You’re not simply buying another piece of software.

You are introducing an operational paradigm shift by selecting and deploying a change-making, eyebrow-raising, OKR-activating transformative powerhouse. Don’t do it alone! Build a team for this task.

A cross-functional buying committee is a small team assembled to speak to the needs of the departments they represent. In addition to the benefit of their perspectives, their collective knowledge, skills, and “weight” will help secure the budget you need to support the program. Equally important is the personal connection to their divisions, amplifying the sense of safety and trust needed for a successful implementation.

I have seen firsthand how helpful this type of coalition can be, and I cannot recommend this enough.

Performance Management Software FAQs

What does performance software do?
It does a lot! This includes but is not limited to scheduling and scoring performance reviews, measuring OKRs and goals, scheduling check-ins, and analyzing employee data.

What benefits does it provide?
Increased retention, a better understanding of your organization, easy tracking of performance data, and increased employee engagement.

What are the primary features?As mentioned above, check-ins, workflow automation, annual evaluations, and development plans are the standard functions, but integration is the feature that ranks above the rest.

Final Advice

Performance management software is a powerful tool that operates in the space between behavior change and analytics. For maximum effect, sustained resource requirements must be accounted for.

Buying, implementing, and maintaining this type of software requires a commitment to the continual process of operating it. Out of the box, it provides a framework and analytic capabilities, but it must be tuned into your team’s specific needs to be effective and well-received.

Remember that HR tech is a highly dynamic market, so be patient and prepared to sort through dozens of options on your way to the best fit.

Don’t underestimate the pace of evolution in this space. Fundamental business principles and HR best practices are essentially unshakable, but HR tech tools are in a state of constant, rapid development. Don’t fall behind!

HR pros and decision-makers: subscribe to our newsletter to keep pace with the progress.

About Us

  • Our goal at SSR is to help HR and recruiting teams to find and buy the right software for their needs.
  • Our site is free to use as some vendors will pay us for web traffic.
  • SSR lists all companies we feel are top vendors - not just those who pay us - in our comprehensive directories full of the advice needed to make the right purchase decision for your HR team.

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