Namely Toolkit: Performance Management

This toolkit contains all of the information you need to manage performance in Namely, and will answer any questions you have from setting up review templates, to kicking off and managing review cycles. Read our Recommended articles for step-by-step guides to creating performance reviews.

Refer to this video: Performance Management

GETTING STARTED

Before you start managing performance in Namely, you'll want to review these articles to ensure your team is set up to successfully leverage all of the features we offer to optimize your performance reviews and cycles.

1. Performance Management Definitions - This article defines some common industry and Namely-specific terms about Performance Management.

2. Roles and Permissions for Performance Management - It's important to review your company Access Roles to ensure the members of your HR and management teams have the correct roles and permissions assigned to complete the tasks they'll need to manage performance in Namely.

Performance Labels, Ratings and Templates

Now that you're familiar with our terminology and have your team set up to access our tools, you're ready to begin building your performance reviews. 

1. Performance Review Labels - We recommend adding labels before you begin creating your reviews. Labeling your reviews will help you export different kinds of reviews, or track the status of different kinds of reviews later. 

2. Performance Ratings - This article explains how to set up and manage your performance ratings for use in performance reviews.

3. Creating Review Templates - These are the reviews that your managers and employees will complete, and must be created before you begin building a review cycle. Learn how to create a template in this article.

Creating a Performance Review Cycle

Performance Reviews are managed and administered via Review Cycles. This series of articles will walk you through the configuration of a cycle.

We recommend creating a test Performance Review Cycle following the steps belowthat you can test with your HR team before kicking off a Review Cycle to your employees, to ensure the cycle behaves as you'd expect. 

Once a review cycle has been kicked off, it cannot be recalled - so it's always best to take it for a test drive first. If the test goes smoothly, the test cycle can be duplicated and renamed for use.

1. Creating a Performance Review Cycle: Basic Info - Now that your templates have been created, we'll show you how to build a review cycle. A cycle build begins with the Basic Info page.

• Performance Cycle Types - This article explains the differences between the four review types, and how you can optimize your reviews using Review Administrator Templates. Common use cases are also explored, to help you select the correct cycle type for your employees.

2. Selecting Review Templates and Assigning Roles - Once you've settled on the type of review you'd like to create, this article explains how to select the correct templates, and how to assign your employees to the proper roles within the cycle.

• Employee Roles in Review Cycles - This article defines the different roles that can be assigned in a Performance Review Cycle. 

3. Pulling Goals into a Review Cycle - If your company has set goals in Namely, this article explains how to pull them into a review cycle for reference.

4. Performance Review Settings - This article explains the different settings you can use to customize your review cycle. 

5. Performance Review Notifications - Set up notifications to easily remind your employees about tasks they have to complete around your performance review cycle.  

6. Kicking off a Performance Review and Assigning Due Dates - All that's left is assigning due dates for tasks within the cycle - and kicking off the review! 

7. Duplicating a Review Cycle - If you review cycle went smoothly - you can use the same setup in the future. Read this article to learn how to clone your cycle for next time. 

Namely Recommended: Review Templates

These articles contain sample questions and step-by-step guides to building our Recommended performance review templates.

1. Namely Recommended: Self Review Template - Follow this template to create a self-assessment that can be used to help employees track their performance, or as part of a larger review cycle.

2. Namely Recommended: Employee Review Template - This template is designed to be used by managers reviewing their direct reports.

3. Namely Recommended: Peer Review Template - Many companies find value in soliciting peer assessments of employees as part of their review cycles for some additional perspective. Follow these steps to create a peer review template.

4. Namely Recommended: Exit Survey Template - Performance isn't only about your annual review - follow this template to learn how you can use Namely to survey departing employees about their experience with your company. 

Namely Recommended: Performance Cycles

Follow the steps in these articles to build our Recommended performance cycle configurations.

1. Namely Recommended: 360 Review Cycle - If you're looking to build a comprehensive review cycle that contains both peer and manager reviews, as well as an employee self-review, follow this guide.

2. Namely Recommended: Manager/Employee Review Cycle - This guide will teach you how to build a manager review, with an optional self-review. 

3. Namely Recommended: Exit Survey Cycle - Learn how to build an exit survey cycle in Namely by following this step-by-step guide.

Performance Reviews and Cycles: Frequently Asked Questions 

Can I restrict writers from editing ratings in Performance Reviews?	Can I do a 9 box Review?
How do you create a side-by-side review?	Can you track Goals in a Review Template?
How do we disable electronic approvals for review cycles?	How can I change the name of a review?

PERFORMANCE IN NAMELY

This section contains articles on day-to-day usage of Namely's Performance and provides helpful instructions on the administration of performance reviews.

Managing Performance

1. Performance Notes - Did you know that you can track employee performance directly on their Namely profile, year-round? This article explains how you can add notes on employee performance to their Performance tab throughout the year. This is helpful for documenting one-on-one conversations, performance improvement plans and more. 

2. Navigating the Performance Dashboard: For Admins - Most performance-related tasks are managed from the Performance Dashboard. This article provides an overview of its features and functionality.

3. Navigating the Performance Dashboard: For Employees - This article is similar to the "For Admins" article, but is designed to be shared with your employees to help them manage their performance tasks and view their reviews.

4. How to Write a Performance Review - This article provides instructions on how to write a performance review in Namely, and can be shared with your employees.  

5. Reviewing Your Performance Reviews - Provides instructions for reviewing reviews written by or about an employee. This guide can help walk employees through a completed review.

6. Post Kick-Off Adjustments to Performance Review Cycles - Once a review is kicked off, you can still make some adjustments to cycle settings, but there are limitations.

7. Reporting on and Exporting Performance Reviews - Explores the reporting options available to mine your performance data.

Performance In Namely: Frequently Asked Questions  

How can you share review answers to a reviewee?	How do you remove a reviewee from a performance review?
How do I find the reviews I need to work on in Namely?	Where do I find my employees'performance reviews?
Can the automatic emails be disabled for the review cycles that were just created?	How do I re-open and update a completed performance review?
Why am I seeing performance reviews of employees who do not report to me?	How can managers view their pending reviews?
How can I edit deadlines for performance reviews?	How do you amend a performance review if it is not complete?
How do you add a reviewee to a review?	How do I add an additional peer to a submitted review?
How can I delete certain employees from a review cycle after it has already kicked off?	How can I delete a performance review cycle?

TROUBLESHOOTING:

If something goes wrong - no sweat! We've got you covered. Here are some solutions to issues we've seen.  

How do I change the manager on reviews?	Why can't I see the review I wrote for an employee?
Why can performance reviews be submitted after the deadline?	Can employees still complete their Performance Review after the deadline?
How can I delete a performance review cycle?	How can I edit deadlines for performance reviews?

EMPLOYEE RESOURCE CENTER:

These resources can be shared with your employees to help guide them through Performance Management in Namely.

1. Navigating the Performance Dashboard: For Employees - Most performance-related tasks are performed from the Performance Dashboard - including where employees can view their past reviews, or write manager, peer and self reviews.

2. How to Write a Performance Review - This article provides instructions on how to write a performance review in Namely. 

3. Reviewing Your Performance Reviews - Provides instructions for reviewing reviews written by or about an employee. This guide can help walk employees through a completed review. 

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE CENTER:

Help Community

1. Namely Toolkit: Talent Management - This toolkit will teach you how to optimize our talent management tools, including Goals, Competencies and Skill Tags, that can take your performance reviews to the next level! 
    

Comply Database

The following content is available in our Comply Database and Advice & Action platform. For more details, read: Namely Comply Database and Comply Advice & Action.
 

1. Employee Performance Evaluations - A helpful introduction to creating performance reviews, why they're important, some key objectives, and methods for performance.

2. Salary and Performance Review Policy - A sample policy you can use to explain your salary and performance review philosophy. 

Namely Blog

1. How to Customize Your Company's Performance Reviews - Whether you conduct reviews quarterly or annually, evaluating your employees’ performance is critical to their success at your company. From quality of work to productivity, performance reviews recognize your employees for their accomplishments and identify their areas of improvement.   

2. How to Avoid the ‘Awkward’ Performance Review (During COVID-19 & Beyond) - Performance reviews can be stress-inducing as it is—and conducting them in a remote environment presents an even greater challenge. But the reality is that they are essential in order to provide structure and opportunities for growth to your employees. 

3. How to Train Managers to Give Great Performance Reviews - Your performance strategy may look great on paper, but its success depends on execution. Here's how to get managers on board with your performance reviews.

4. How to Build a Performance Management Program that Works - Three HR professionals share how they promote a culture of continuous feedback. Plus, tips on how to build a performance management program that suites your company's needs.

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