When you define an objective, you can identify a measurement style. This value enables you to judge whether a worker has achieved an objective.
Performance Management defines two measurement styles for objectives: quantitative and qualitative.
You select a quantitative measurement style for objectives with outcomes that you can measure in numerical terms. For these objectives, you specify a target value, a unit of measure (UOM), and a type. To set precise targets for objectives, you can enter decimal values in the Target and Actual value fields. You can provide decimal values for the number, percentage, and currency unit of measurements.
These example objectives have quantitative measurement styles:
| Objective | Target | UOM | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increase sales revenue | 10 | Percent | MIN |
| Reduce department costs | 10,000 | U.S. Dollars | MAX |
| Sell and install complete kitchens | 30 | Number | MIN |
You select a qualitative measurement style for objectives with outcomes that you cannot assess in numerical terms. For example, objectives related to skill development or improvement of worker morale would require a qualitative measurement style. Achievement of this type of objective needs assessment and verification by a worker's manager, for example. For these objectives, managers can indicate, using the View and Track Objective Progress task, that they have verified achievement of the objective. These example objectives require a quantitative measurement style:
Improve merchandise-display skills.
Develop viable customer loyalty scheme.
Manage successful merger of main and subsidiary procurement teams.
Having defined a measurement style for an objective and allocated the objective to a worker, you can track the worker's progress throughout the performance-management period. For example, if a retail manager's objective is to train team members in merchandise display and the target value is 100 percent, after three months the actual value may be 15 percent, after six months 25 percent, after nine months 40 percent, and after 12 months 70 percent. The worker's manager can review progress at any time and take remedial action, if appropriate.
See: Tracking Objectives
During a worker's appraisal, appraisers can assess a worker's performance in the delivery of his or her objectives. Assessment is a separate activity from tracking, and while failure to achieve objectives may also indicate poor performance, the relationship is not fixed.