Explain how employee performance is measured and managed
A business such as the likes of Apple can only find out how hard employees are actually
working if they measure their performance. There are many different ways in which Apple
can measure the performance of their employees. First of all, there are performance indicators
present in which can be used to measure employee’s performance. Performance indicators
could be things such as how many customers an employee has served during Christmas, how
many cars have been sold at the end of the current month, how many products have been sold
and how many reports have been written. Measurements such as these performance indicators
can assist managers in creating comparisons between different employees.
Apple has specific performance criteria that is associated with all job roles. First of all, there
are different performance criteria’s that can be used to measure employee performance. Goal
theory is a method that can be used to measure employee performance. Goal theory is
essentially setting goals for employees to achieve that are agreed upon by both the employer
and the employee. Doing this can result in more motivated employees. Using goal theory to
set employees clear and challenging goals can provide them with an incentive to work harder
as well as motivate them to be more productive in the way they do things to achieve required
performance. Goal theory can ultimately help the business work towards meeting their
overall goals. In goal theory, it is important that employees see the importance of meeting
goals and actually want to go forth to achieve the goals. It is also vital that employees realise
the rewards they receive for achieving goals and see them as important. Rewards that could
be given to employees could range from money to recognition or specific praise of a certain
employee. Another method that can be used to measure employee performance is SMART
targets. SMART targets are used to work out how useful a set of objectives are. Deciding
upon objectives depending on how SMART they are (Specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Realistic and Time-bound) involves checking out how focused said objectives actually are.
SMART targets could be used to provide employees with a set amount of work or set amount
of sales that they have to try and meet. When creating, SMART targets, measurements and
review dates need to be included as they can help monitor and review progress by the end e.g.
To sell 10% more iPhone’s in the first quarter of the year compared with the same quarter last
year. SMART targets can be used for sales targets, growth targets, employee punctuality,
employee attendance, customer waiting times and financial targets. Another method that can
be used to measure employee performance is benchmarking. Benchmarking is a method in
which a business can measure its own performance by comparing itself against other
businesses. It is essentially a business trying to meet or beat the performance of another
maybe competitor business. Benchmarking can also be used to make comparisons between
employees and the best standards. For instance, the attendance of certain employees can be
compared to the top performing employee which would be the benchmark for comparison.
As well as methods of measuring performance, there are way in which performance can be
managed. Managing performance consists of reviewing targets and goals that certain
employees have been set with and seeing how they have progressed in terms of the final
result. One way in which performance can be managed is through appraisals. Appraisals are
systems intended to make employee more motivated and encouraged thus strive for optimum
performance levels. Targets that are set ought to be a combination of both what the employee
needs and what the business needs so that things aren’t one-sided in the business’s favour. In
an appraisal system, an employee can set themselves are target or be set targets at the
beginning of a year. Targets are reviewed and analysed through different periods in the year
and employee’s performance is measured against the targets. Sometimes, bonuses, pay
Page 1 of 5
, increases and other bonuses can be associated to an employee’s achievement of targets.
Within the appraisal system, there can be self-appraisal. This is where the employee has an
opportunity to reflect upon their own performance and set their own targets to achieve. Self-
appraisals can assist employees in managing their own performance and making
improvements thus being more motivated. Another way in which performance can be
managed is through probation. Probation is used to manage performance of newer employees.
The probationary period provides an employee with an opportunity to show that they are
perfectly capable in carrying out a certain job role, however it also assists the employer in
deciding whether or not the new employee should be discharged from the job if not suitable
for the role. Probation can also help an employer look at new employee performance and
provide feedback where needed.
Employees can be supported by Apple through a couple of different ways. Firstly, employees
can be supported through mentoring. Mentoring is when another individual within the
workplace such as a manager encourages an employee in order to assist them in achieving
their peak performance. Mentoring can also be when an individual in the workplace assists
new employee’s or those underperforming in order to be their ‘mentor’ and build upon their
confidence by sharing knowledge and experience with the new or underperforming employee
thus helping them tackle their problems. Employees can also be supported through
monitoring. Monitoring can be a superior individual to a regular employee such as a manager
who keeps a record of every individual employee’s performance. The manager keeping a
record of employee performance can then also check which employees are actually making
progress and which aren’t. There are two types of monitoring: formal monitoring and
informal monitoring. Formal monitoring is where the manager will keep an eye on an
employee in an obvious manner whereas informal monitoring is where the manager will
make much more isolated judgements on an employee such as whether or not they are fitting
in well and are creating problems or not.
Everyone can naturally develop feelings of being pressurised especially in a working
environment thus in order for employees to work at their peak performance, they need to be
stress-free and helped with pressure. Apple can help their employees stop feeling pressurised
and become stress-free by making the work environment less stressful and more productive.
For example, having plants in the workspace can help to increase productivity and lower
employee stress levels. Making the workspace less stressful and more relaxing can make
employees feel happy and safe thus more motivated to carry out work and strive towards
goals set.
Apple has specific performance criteria associated with all of their job roles. Apple uses the
goal theory for all of the job roles at Apple. For instance, Apple communicate with their
employees to agree upon certain focused goals. When Apple agrees goals with their
employees, they can help to motivate employees because it shows employees that Apple cares
about their opinions and also, they are more likely to strive towards achieving goals if they
know that they helped decide that certain goal. Using goal theory, Apple makes employees
more productive in the way they work. Apple monitors their staff to ensure they are working
effectively and meeting standards and targets that are set. They do this mainly through
appraisals. In the Apple stores especially, employees (Sales teams who mainly aim to sell
Apple products) set themselves targets such as ‘capture 10% more sales by the end of this
month compared to the amount of sales captured last month’. These targets are then reviewed
after every month and how well an employee is performing is judged upon against the target
that was set either for them or by them personally. If an employee has substantially surpassed
Page 2 of 5
A business such as the likes of Apple can only find out how hard employees are actually
working if they measure their performance. There are many different ways in which Apple
can measure the performance of their employees. First of all, there are performance indicators
present in which can be used to measure employee’s performance. Performance indicators
could be things such as how many customers an employee has served during Christmas, how
many cars have been sold at the end of the current month, how many products have been sold
and how many reports have been written. Measurements such as these performance indicators
can assist managers in creating comparisons between different employees.
Apple has specific performance criteria that is associated with all job roles. First of all, there
are different performance criteria’s that can be used to measure employee performance. Goal
theory is a method that can be used to measure employee performance. Goal theory is
essentially setting goals for employees to achieve that are agreed upon by both the employer
and the employee. Doing this can result in more motivated employees. Using goal theory to
set employees clear and challenging goals can provide them with an incentive to work harder
as well as motivate them to be more productive in the way they do things to achieve required
performance. Goal theory can ultimately help the business work towards meeting their
overall goals. In goal theory, it is important that employees see the importance of meeting
goals and actually want to go forth to achieve the goals. It is also vital that employees realise
the rewards they receive for achieving goals and see them as important. Rewards that could
be given to employees could range from money to recognition or specific praise of a certain
employee. Another method that can be used to measure employee performance is SMART
targets. SMART targets are used to work out how useful a set of objectives are. Deciding
upon objectives depending on how SMART they are (Specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Realistic and Time-bound) involves checking out how focused said objectives actually are.
SMART targets could be used to provide employees with a set amount of work or set amount
of sales that they have to try and meet. When creating, SMART targets, measurements and
review dates need to be included as they can help monitor and review progress by the end e.g.
To sell 10% more iPhone’s in the first quarter of the year compared with the same quarter last
year. SMART targets can be used for sales targets, growth targets, employee punctuality,
employee attendance, customer waiting times and financial targets. Another method that can
be used to measure employee performance is benchmarking. Benchmarking is a method in
which a business can measure its own performance by comparing itself against other
businesses. It is essentially a business trying to meet or beat the performance of another
maybe competitor business. Benchmarking can also be used to make comparisons between
employees and the best standards. For instance, the attendance of certain employees can be
compared to the top performing employee which would be the benchmark for comparison.
As well as methods of measuring performance, there are way in which performance can be
managed. Managing performance consists of reviewing targets and goals that certain
employees have been set with and seeing how they have progressed in terms of the final
result. One way in which performance can be managed is through appraisals. Appraisals are
systems intended to make employee more motivated and encouraged thus strive for optimum
performance levels. Targets that are set ought to be a combination of both what the employee
needs and what the business needs so that things aren’t one-sided in the business’s favour. In
an appraisal system, an employee can set themselves are target or be set targets at the
beginning of a year. Targets are reviewed and analysed through different periods in the year
and employee’s performance is measured against the targets. Sometimes, bonuses, pay
Page 1 of 5
, increases and other bonuses can be associated to an employee’s achievement of targets.
Within the appraisal system, there can be self-appraisal. This is where the employee has an
opportunity to reflect upon their own performance and set their own targets to achieve. Self-
appraisals can assist employees in managing their own performance and making
improvements thus being more motivated. Another way in which performance can be
managed is through probation. Probation is used to manage performance of newer employees.
The probationary period provides an employee with an opportunity to show that they are
perfectly capable in carrying out a certain job role, however it also assists the employer in
deciding whether or not the new employee should be discharged from the job if not suitable
for the role. Probation can also help an employer look at new employee performance and
provide feedback where needed.
Employees can be supported by Apple through a couple of different ways. Firstly, employees
can be supported through mentoring. Mentoring is when another individual within the
workplace such as a manager encourages an employee in order to assist them in achieving
their peak performance. Mentoring can also be when an individual in the workplace assists
new employee’s or those underperforming in order to be their ‘mentor’ and build upon their
confidence by sharing knowledge and experience with the new or underperforming employee
thus helping them tackle their problems. Employees can also be supported through
monitoring. Monitoring can be a superior individual to a regular employee such as a manager
who keeps a record of every individual employee’s performance. The manager keeping a
record of employee performance can then also check which employees are actually making
progress and which aren’t. There are two types of monitoring: formal monitoring and
informal monitoring. Formal monitoring is where the manager will keep an eye on an
employee in an obvious manner whereas informal monitoring is where the manager will
make much more isolated judgements on an employee such as whether or not they are fitting
in well and are creating problems or not.
Everyone can naturally develop feelings of being pressurised especially in a working
environment thus in order for employees to work at their peak performance, they need to be
stress-free and helped with pressure. Apple can help their employees stop feeling pressurised
and become stress-free by making the work environment less stressful and more productive.
For example, having plants in the workspace can help to increase productivity and lower
employee stress levels. Making the workspace less stressful and more relaxing can make
employees feel happy and safe thus more motivated to carry out work and strive towards
goals set.
Apple has specific performance criteria associated with all of their job roles. Apple uses the
goal theory for all of the job roles at Apple. For instance, Apple communicate with their
employees to agree upon certain focused goals. When Apple agrees goals with their
employees, they can help to motivate employees because it shows employees that Apple cares
about their opinions and also, they are more likely to strive towards achieving goals if they
know that they helped decide that certain goal. Using goal theory, Apple makes employees
more productive in the way they work. Apple monitors their staff to ensure they are working
effectively and meeting standards and targets that are set. They do this mainly through
appraisals. In the Apple stores especially, employees (Sales teams who mainly aim to sell
Apple products) set themselves targets such as ‘capture 10% more sales by the end of this
month compared to the amount of sales captured last month’. These targets are then reviewed
after every month and how well an employee is performing is judged upon against the target
that was set either for them or by them personally. If an employee has substantially surpassed
Page 2 of 5
