Discover the big disconnects in performance management today in the 2024 State of Performance Enablement report.

Unlocking the Power of Performance Management Dashboards

By Michelle Gouldsberry
September 19, 2024
5 minute read

Performance management has evolved beyond spreadsheets. Modern HR leaders and business professionals need a more efficient and comprehensive way to track, analyze, and improve employee performance. Enter employee performance management dashboards — powerful tools that bring real-time data and insights right to your fingertips.

An effective dashboard provides a single, visually intuitive platform that combines performance metrics, employee engagement, and development data into one central hub — allowing you to use all of that data to drive business outcomes. Having this available at a glance offers insights that you can apply at a strategic level or distribute to managers to help them improve team performance. 

This is supported by findings from our 2024 State of Performance Enablement report. We found that organizations that supplement their existing HCMs with purpose-built performance management software (which includes a dedicated dashboard) see 70% better outcomes in employee engagement and productivity compared to those relying only on HCMs.

“Integrating comprehensive HCMs with agile performance solutions enhances flexibility and data collection, which help HR and managers make data-driven decisions,” says Jamie Aitken, VP of HR transformation at Betterworks.

By leveraging performance management dashboards, you can streamline decision-making, foster a culture of accountability, and ensure alignment with your company’s long-term goals.

What is a performance management dashboard?

At its core, a performance management dashboard is a centralized management tool that displays key performance indicators (KPIs), metrics, and other vital data points in a visual format. These dashboards simplify complex performance data, helping you track everything from sales performance to employee engagement in real time. 

A performance management dashboard uses information from many data sources to show how teams and individuals are progressing toward their goals. Whether you’re overseeing sales teams, marketing efforts, or general employee performance, these dashboards enable you to spot trends, identify areas for improvement, and take action‌ — ‌all from a high-level view.

Employee performance is a key part of a business performance dashboard. It shows how people and teams are helping the company reach its goals. By keeping an eye on productivity and engagement, business leaders can quickly spot and fix performance issues to improve overall success.

Defining the dashboard

A performance management dashboard serves as the heartbeat of your HR strategy. By consolidating KPIs and performance data into easy-to-understand visual representations, it allows leaders to quickly grasp the organization’s financial health, team performance, and areas for growth. 

The goal? Turn overwhelming data into actionable insights that drive meaningful outcomes for your business.

Think of your dashboard as the control center of your performance management system. It offers a long-term view of employee performance while giving you the tools to make informed, real-time decisions that align with your strategic goals.

Core features of an effective dashboard

Not all performance management dashboards are created equal. To truly benefit your organization, you’ll need a dashboard equipped with the following essential features.

  • Data visualization: Interactive graphs and charts that make complex data digestible at a glance.
  • Real-time data: Updated metrics that reflect current performance, allowing you to respond to issues before they escalate.
  • Customizable KPIs: Every business has unique goals. The ability to tailor dashboards to track your most important performance indicators is crucial.
  • Cross-functional insights: Integration with various departments‌ — ‌like sales, marketing, and finance‌ — ‌ensures a holistic view of the organization’s performance.

These features empower HR leaders and managers with the information they need to track employee progress, measure success, and implement data-driven strategies.

How performance management dashboards improve HR processes

Static, once-a-year performance reviews no longer work for a lot of companies. Performance management dashboards make it easy to move to continuous performance management. They give you up-to-date information that improves your HR processes in several important areas.

Streamlining performance reviews

One of the biggest pain points in traditional HR management is the inefficiency of performance reviews. With a greater frequency of data collected from manager-employee conversations, peer feedback, and goal achievement, dashboards give managers a long-term view of employee performance. This lets them make smart decisions, rather than guessing or focusing too much on past actions. With real-time data readily available, managers can identify both top performers and employees who may need additional support.

This data-driven approach ensures consistency and fairness across the organization, as every decision is backed by performance metrics.

Enhancing employee engagement and development

Employee engagement is a critical factor in driving organizational success. Performance management dashboards allow you to monitor engagement levels continuously and track development goals in real-time. If an employee’s engagement starts to dip or if progress toward development goals stalls, HR leaders and managers can intervene before issues worsen.

These dashboards use data from many sources, including feedback tools and employee surveys. They show who might need more training or guidance. From there, managers can work with those employees to establish a targeted development plan. 

Enabling data-driven decision-making

Performance management dashboards offer HR professionals the tools they need to analyze performance data quickly and accurately. Whether it’s choosing who gets a promotion, where to offer additional training, or how to fix underperformance, dashboards make sure you’re making decisions based on reliable data.

Betterworks Advanced Analytics: Driving strategic decisions

If you’re looking to take your performance management strategy to the next level, Betterworks offers advanced analytics tools that integrate seamlessly with your performance management dashboard to provide deep insights into workforce performance. This allows you to make more strategic decisions that positively impact your organization’s long-term success.

Leveraging insights for better performance

With Betterworks, you can move beyond surface-level metrics and uncover granular and cross-correlated data to deliver actionable insights that improve performance management. For example, you can identify which training programs yield the highest return on investment (ROI) or which teams consistently outperform their targets based on the type or frequency of manager-employee interactions. This data not only informs high-level strategic decisions but also provides the feedback loops necessary for continuous improvement.

Real-time data for proactive management

One of the biggest advantages of performance management dashboards is access to real-time data. With current information, you can quickly find possible problems, like employees who are having trouble meeting their goals, and take steps to improve employee performance. Betterworks’ dashboards give managers the tools to be proactive, addressing problems before they escalate and ensuring performance levels remain high.

Why you need a performance management dashboard 

If your organization is looking to improve performance management, boost employee engagement, and drive data-driven decision-making, a performance management dashboard is the solution. These tools give you the ability to monitor KPIs, track employee development, and make informed decisions with real-time data. 

Start exploring how a performance management dashboard can help your organization today. Whether you’re aiming for a long-term strategic advantage or seeking immediate improvements in efficiency, these powerful tools offer the insights you need to succeed.

Want to learn more? Find out how Betterworks’ Employee Performance Analytics and Insights can help.

Analytics designed to Make Work Better

Share