True

First, a brief introduction to True. From its two offices, in Amsterdam and Maastricht, 150 employees provide web and workspaces for their clients. This includes web hosting and the management and maintenance of Microsoft and Citrix software. Its mission is to help developers, digital officers and IT managers go the extra mile. "Killing complexity is one of the three spearheads of our vision," Melissa explains. "Simply put, we make things easier. Another thing we often say is 'Saving the world from IT monsters.' This is in the DNA of every 'Trueligan'."

Forward and not backward

As smart and efficient as their tech solutions are, their appraisal system was traditional until 2017. It was built into the payroll package. Very convenient for the HR department, but not so much for performance management. "We were working with a long questionnaire with fixed questions in which we maintained norms. That was far from user-friendly. Moreover, we want to look ahead and not assess performance afterwards. In 2018, we rigorously stopped this method of cyclical assessment. We wanted to make it as easy as possible for our managers and employees by giving them all the tools they need."

Steering more by behavior

Treams is a True customer and that's how the ball got rolling. "When I met Iris Zonneveldt, the founder and CEO, it was immediately clear to me that there were a lot of opportunities to redesign our performance management. We immediately jumped into the deep end and started Treams. We rolled this out small and later expanded it. Every True employee now has access to his or her goals and development plan anytime and anywhere in which they can indicate wishes. In addition, all consultations between a manager and employee are recorded Both parties can decide what the topic of conversation will be. Although employees are encouraged to be proactive in their goals, development and learning wishes, the manager remains ultimately responsible. "We now steer much more by behavior and no longer tick off whether you are performing well or not."

"We were working with a long questionnaire with fixed questions using norms. That was far from user-friendly. Moreover, we want to look ahead and not assess performance in retrospect. In 2018, we rigorously stopped this method of cyclical assessment."

Getting employees on board

To get employees on board with this new way of assessing and functioning, Melissa says it is important to keep everyone well informed. "Together with Treams, we organized a kick-off to make our plans clear. The managers and employees were informed personally after which they received an email with how to use the modules optimally."

Next Steps in Performance Management

The next step is no longer to have the performance reviews initiated by HR, but to place the initiative and responsibility with managers and employees. They will of course be given all the tools they need for this as well. "Also, we are letting go of planning. The world is changing rapidly, especially the technological world in which we operate. You have to be flexible and adaptive. We live in the here and now and no longer look backward, but forward. Treams makes a valuable contribution to that."

Shaping the interview cycle

"The possibilities for a contemporary performance management tool are vast. If you want to start using this as an organization, it is wise to first think about how you want to design your process. Treams can provide good support in this and put down a proposal of a working method that suits your organization and wishes." Melissa is also pleased with the collaboration. "The communication is clear and runs very smoothly. We really are partners who together look for the best solution and interpretation."