Performance reviews are critical to employee development and promotion but are also susceptible to bias. Incorporating Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) into a performance review can create a more objective evaluation based on data, resulting in a more equitable review.
ONA offers a unique and insightful approach to performance reviews by analyzing communication and collaboration platforms to track the strength, frequency, and nature of interactions between colleagues. ONA can quantitatively identify key collaborators, indicate strong and weak interpersonal relationships with teams, and pinpoint gaps in the flow of information due to (accidental or purposeful) exclusion. When applied to performance reviews, ONA helps organizations in the following ways:
- Quantify employee relationships and contributions. ONA provides a data-driven understanding of how individuals interact, collaborate, and contribute to the organization’s overall functioning. This information can also assess employee performance more objectively and fairly.
- Get a holistic perspective on employee performance. Traditional performance reviews often rely on the input of a few managers or other reviews. ONA expands the evaluation process to include input from all employees, offering a more comprehensive view of an individual’s performance and impact throughout the organization.
- Identify hidden influencers. ONA can reveal influential employees who act as connectors and information hubs within the organization. Although these individuals may not hold leadership positions, their influence is critical to the organization’s success.
- Identify collaboration patterns. ONA highlights collaboration and information-sharing practices within the organization. It identifies teams or departments that exhibit strong collaboration, fostering innovation and driving results. Conversely, it reveals where cooperation is lacking and where silos exist, providing valuable insights for improvement.
Incorporating ONA data into performance reviews allows organizations to make more informed and objective decisions while helping ensure the process is fair and equitable, giving all employees an equal chance to succeed. For more information on ONA and performance reviews, visit https://casbo.info/ona-review.