Design and application of performance evaluation in marketing companies

Various criteria are outlined and some suggestions are provided from the author's personal experience that could contribute to the design of performance evaluations, while mentioning the errors that are most frequently made in this regard, having as background that the Evaluation of Performance is a topic that has awakened countless favorable and other extremely adverse opinions, and considering that it is necessary to clearly appreciate the multiple benefits that it can bring, which will be more appreciated and effective to the same extent as the indicators to be evaluated are more closely linked to the specific activity, and have a better command and knowledge of the overall objectives of the Company, Project or Business in question. It is specified that this is not an end in itself,but an instrument, a means, an important tool that aims to improve the results derived from the management of human resources, both in their actions in the activity in question, and those of the parent organization to which they belong. The Evaluation of Performance cannot be restricted to the simple superficial judgment of the boss regarding the functional behavior of the subordinate, it is necessary to go deeper, locate the causes and establish perspectives in agreement with the evaluated. If you do not have methodology, experience and knowledge in its design, and an improvisation attempt is made without taking into account the accumulated world experience, and many of the elements exposed here, you will have a performance evaluation that instead of help improve,It will make management worse due to the inaccuracy and difficulties that can be generated from an inappropriate conception and application of it.

INTRODUCTION .

Performance Evaluation is a topic that has awakened countless favorable and other extremely adverse opinions. However, very little has been done for real and scientific verification of its effects, and it remains a subject of wide discussion.

Others say that while human resource selection is a kind of quality control in receiving raw materials, performance evaluation is a kind of quality inspection on the assembly line. The two comparisons implicitly refer to the passive, submissive, and fatalistic position of the individual being evaluated in relation to the organization to which he belongs or intends to belong and the rigid, mechanized, distorted, and limited approach to human nature.

However, the experience accumulated up to the present is sufficient to affirm that the Performance Evaluation cannot be restricted to the simple superficial judgment of the boss regarding the functional behavior of the subordinate; it is necessary to go deeper, locate the causes and establish perspectives in common agreement with the evaluated. If performance is to be changed, the largest stakeholder - the appraised - must not only have knowledge of the planned change, but also know why and how it should be done - if it should be done. This, simply, would be a demonstration of respect and consideration towards the evaluated person and towards what is expected of him, which will be positively reflected in the context of interpersonal relationships.

Continuing with this logic of reasoning, I believe that a performance evaluation should be seen as a kind of agreement or contract between the evaluator and the evaluated, in which the governing elements must have as their starting point the culture that is desired to be achieved in the company, its values, and logically the work objectives. For this reason, the performance evaluation, similar to the quality policy, must be prepared, disclosed, discussed and approved with the participation of all interested parties.

When deciding to use the Performance Evaluation of the participants in a Project or Business, it is important to keep in mind that this is not an end in itself, but an instrument, a means, and an important tool that aims to improve the results of human resources both in their actions in the activity in question, as well as those of the parent organization to which they may belong, and that in order to achieve that basic or global objective , it is necessary to first achieve various intermediate objectives.

You often hear people say, "What I evaluate is the results of the work, not the effort." Although the approach could be accepted, especially in the context of current theories associated with process management, it is necessary to be careful at the time of its application, given that it might be asked, what good result is obtained through an ephemeral effort? In general, any good result must be preceded by a well-directed, well-oriented, planned, executed, evaluated and improved effort in a systematic and systematic way, of a certainty, dedication and a lot of persistence in the attempt to achieve the planned objectives. If this is the case, and if the performance evaluation only evaluates the results without recognizing the effort, it could be directly or indirectly contributing to not stimulating it.

From my point of view, although it is very important to reward the result, it is also important to highlight, respect and recognize the effort because not all people show a willingness to strive and, although sometimes, a great effort does not guarantee the obtaining of a good result (multifactorial problem), it is important to stimulate effort as a very effective and safe way to achieve results. It is not for fun that you often hear people say "… life always rewards those who strive…", a very popular phrase, but without a doubt, out of experience.

Personally, when I have had to lead work teams, I have paid more attention to the progress and progress of the results, stage by stage, since progress denotes progress and both generate development. Also, I have shown special care in recognizing those who strive and, in a special way, in trying to lead in an orderly, timely and coherent way.

Practical utility of performance evaluation.

From the point of view of Business Management, of a Project or Business, the Evaluation of the Performance of Human Resources to this integrated can have, among others, the following uses:

The linking of the individual to the position. Salary incentive for good performance. Improvement of human relations between the leader or evaluator and subordinates. Self-evaluation and continuous improvement of the employee. Basic information for research and management of human resources. Estimation of potential of employee development. Encouragement of higher productivity. Opportunity to learn about Project performance patterns. Feedback of information to the individual evaluated. Other personnel decisions such as transfers, expenses, etc.

Undoubtedly, it is necessary to clearly appreciate the multiple benefits that Human Resources Performance Evaluation can bring. These will be greater and more effective to the same extent that the indicators to be evaluated are more closely linked to the specific activity, and there is a better command and knowledge of the overall objectives of the Company, the Project or business in question.

When designing a Performance Evaluation it is important to keep in mind that a Company, in a customer-oriented environment, is an Organization that applies capabilities or resources to satisfy certain needs of its customers, and that as such is a kind of systems, in which each process is a system of functions and the functions or activities have been grouped by department or functional areas.

Each person involved in the process should not think only and only about how to do better what they are doing (division of labor), but why and for what and who does it; since the satisfaction of the internal or external client is determined by the coherent development of the process as a whole rather than by the correct performance of each individual function or activity. Seen thus, the Evaluation of

Performance must stimulate thinking and acting within the whole and for the whole, so as to motivate the concentration of attention on the outcome of the processes and not exclusively on tasks or activities. It must allow obtaining information on the final result and, consequently, that everyone knows how individual work contributes to the overall process; which will translate into a responsibility with the total process and not only with your personal task (duty).

If the design of the performance evaluation is focused only on satisfying certain internal needs, such as control or limitations of departmental responsibility, the risk may arise of incorporating a series of activities of doubtful added value.

Therefore, it is possible to express that through a properly designed and applied performance evaluation, the following must be achieved:

Maximize the best performance of the evaluated, stimulate and encourage initiative, improvement, creativity, innovation and development. In short, constant research. Evaluate the functions of the position and activity in question. Recognize and stimulate the positive values of the evaluated. Identify the weak points of the evaluated and propose appropriate and pertinent ways to improve their activity. Stimulate the achievement of the objectives of the company, project, department or area of work of the evaluated. Stimulate and direct the constant improvement of the staff, as well as their active and conscious participation in the activities of interest. Stimulate teamwork, respect among members and the spirit of collaboration, cultivating good interpersonal relationships,stimulating the sense of belonging and loyalty towards the company.

These benefits will have a notable repercussion both in the short, medium and long term, with the main beneficiaries being: the individual, the team leader, the organization: (Project) and the community.

Some of these benefits refer to below:

For the leader.

It will force you to define with sufficient accuracy and precision the functions that each subordinate or collaborator must perform in correspondence with the performance and specific activities of their job and position. It will better evaluate the performance and behavior of subordinates and collaborators, based on variables and evaluation factors and, mainly, it will have a system of measures capable of neutralizing or reducing the negative effects of subjectivity. It will be able to propose measures in order to improve the behavior pattern of its subordinates and, finally, it will be possible to communicate with their subordinates and collaborators to make understand the mechanics of performance evaluation through this system.

For the subordinate.

It will allow you to know the rules of the game, that is, the behavioral and performance aspects that the company most values in its employees. It knows what your boss's expectations are regarding their performance and, also, according to him, their weaknesses and Know what are the measures that the boss will take to improve his performance (training programs, training, improvement, seminars, etc.) and those that he must take on his own initiative, and also, it will be possible to carry out self-evaluation and self-criticism for self-development and self-control.

For the project.

It is possible to evaluate the progress of the Project, defining how much it depends on the human potential linked to it, which will facilitate making effective decisions in the short, medium and long term, as well as defining the individual contribution of each member of the Project team. emphasize that to achieve the objectives of an evaluation of HR performance. and in correspondence with it, the multiple benefits derived from it, it is essential to define the scope of the performance indicators that must be used, which must be closely linked to the overall objectives of the Project, its characteristics, its purpose, complexity and the processes associated with it. These can vary significantly from one Project to another and should never be forgotten as they will form the basis of such evaluation.

Performance evaluation should never be used:

As an instrument of power on the part of the evaluator. As an instrument to "punish" the evaluated in "their time". As an imposition of criteria of the evaluator. For a "balance of accounts" on the part of the evaluator towards the evaluated. evaluate those aspects for which the evaluated has not been prepared.

In this sense, it is important to comment that just as in sport a field jockey player cannot be required to excel in ice jockey, neither can our collaborators be asked for results superior to those for which they have not have been prepared, or do not have the knowledge, training, means and resources to achieve them. Anyway, you can't skate on the ice with tennis to play soccer.

Some criteria to keep in mind when designing a performance evaluation.

When preparing a performance evaluation, it is useful to ask yourself the following questions:

What are the objectives to be achieved by evaluating the performance of our collaborators? How does this evaluation relate to the company's management system, its mission, vision, corporate purpose and work objectives, and in the case of an entity? dedicated to the commercial activity, with the rest of the actions related to the client? What procedure should be used to define the key parameters and indicators that define the quality of the service? Has the information been obtained from the clients to define the key parameters? Are all the key parameters really covered to evaluate the performance, and at the same time, they define the client satisfaction? The questions and indicators of the questionnaire, Are they clear and concise enough? Has a statistical analysis been developed to validate the reliability,that is, the validity of the information provided by the evaluation? Are other sources of information being used in addition to the indicators of the performance evaluation and, at the same time, its relationship with customer satisfaction? over time to analyze the evolution of the evaluations carried out on each collaborator and its relationship with customer satisfaction?

Therefore, a possible outline of the methodology to follow to correctly carry out the analysis could be:

Integrate the results of performance evaluations into a customer satisfaction analysis as part of a customer relationship management strategy. Define exactly what the objectives of the analysis are within the customer relationship management strategy. Specify the key parameters that allow evaluating the quality of the service through interviews with clients, as well as with the help of internal and external experts. Integrate other sources of information into the analysis. Design of the questionnaires
- Define the elements of the questionnaire Verify the wording of the elements Select the response format Do a test with a group of clients (in case of surveys with a large number of clients) to validate the questionnaire and performance evaluation indicators.
Make a statistical treatment of the evolution of the different evaluations over time. Extraction of conclusions Follow-up of the solution used

As can be seen from this approach, it is not so simple to correctly design and apply the performance evaluation of a commercial area, especially if it is included in it, as I consider it should be, its interaction with the evaluation of customer satisfaction. Although these simple recommendations and the support of experts in this area can help it to develop correctly and to obtain the expected results.

It is prudent to express that, if you do not have methodology, experience and knowledge in this area, and an improvisation attempt is made without taking into account many of the elements expressed here, you will have a performance evaluation that instead of helping us improve, It will make our management worse due to the inaccuracy and difficulties that can be generated from an inappropriate application of it.

In the case of companies whose fundamental purpose is marketing, it is particularly important to link performance evaluation with an appropriate design for evaluating customer satisfaction; This, in practice, can become an element that provides indispensable and highly appreciated information when evaluating the performance of human resources in a commercial area.

Some frequent mistakes in the design of performance evaluations.

The study, analysis and evaluation of more than 250 formulations of performance evaluations applied by different companies in different countries, of different ranges and specific activities, have allowed us to summarize some of the errors that are most frequently made when approaching design. These may include:

The problem was not treated with the correct approach It was designed what was not Criteria and the wrong technology were used No good agenda for the development of the work was designed The adequate information and the pertinent advice were not available The team was not in agreement, an adequate selection was not made to tackle the work The right people were not involved What was intended to be done, what was being done and what was desired to be done was not adequately communicated No attention was given to the risks, nor to the criteria of future assessors The scope of the assessment was not understood nor its interrelation with the environment,customers and when the company was located tried to do too much improvisations were carried out not enough documentary and personal consultations were carried out was not known to train the staff tripped up at the finish line those responsible for certain tasks did not do what they should not had a plan B in case something went wrong

A proposal of categories, subcategories and indicators.

The studies carried out by the author on a large group of performance evaluation designs for companies basically dedicated to commercial activity, show that there are certain indicators that are repeated with high frequency. These are summarized below:

Level of Quality of the services provided Understanding of customer requests Compatibility between the offer and the customer's request Customer / commercial communication Reliability and guarantee of the services provided by the commercial and perceived by the customer Courtesy of the commercials Ease of access client / commercial Image and presence of the salesperson Personalization of the customer service Professionalism of the salesmen and the service they provide Response time to a customer request Security perceived by the customers of the technical suggestions of the salesmen Warehouse attention Privacy and discretion during customer service Attention, speed and professionalism in responding to customer complaints and claims.Organization and cleaning of the offices Quality of the Show Room

From my point of view, any performance evaluation proposal must contain indicators that can be conveniently grouped so that they allow evaluating a series of main categories, which are referred to below. Its description, formulation, statement, treatment, grouping, relative value (weight), may differ from one entity to another, and even within it from one scenario to another, depending on its specific activity, interests, objectives and motivations of a given moment, but in any case the experience accumulated so far should not be ignored:

CATEGORIES .

The proposed categories and a proposed weighting, given their importance, could be:

A. Attitude 40% B. Skills 20% C. Knowledge 15% D. Results 25%

SUBCATEGORIES.

The subcategories associated with each of the different categories could be:

A. Attitude 40%

ResponsibilityService and external customer serviceTeamworkImprovements at workEnthusiasm for workTeach and / or share their knowledgeCommunication to their immediate superior and / or work team.Use of resources and facilities in the area.AssistancePunctualityConflicts
- With external clients: With internal clients:

B. Skills 20%

Time management Communication Internal customer-supplier relationship Conflicts at work Analysis ability

C. Knowledge 15%

Current situation Learning from the last period of personal potential evaluation Knowledge search

D. Results 25%

With external customers, at work On projects Working under pressure Efficiency to solve problems Meters

A proposal of indicators by subcategories and categories.

The indicators by subcategories and categories could be ordered as shown below. The criterion of proposing different options for each indicator has been used, as well as a tentative weighting; in any case, it is appropriate, and in fact is so conceived in the original document prepared by the author, the possible use of a greater number of indicators.

Attitude 40%

1. Responsibility (15%)

He has no sense of urgency and is not aware of the importance of work in area 0-20. He merely complies strictly with what is asked of him. 21-70 Do what you have to do and at the right time. 71-100

2. External customer service and attention (15%)

Low willingness to serve the external client. 0-30Sometimes he is irritable with the request for help from the external client.

31-60

Shows readiness of service most of the time serving a client 61-90 Always looking for alternative solutions for external clients. 91-100

3. Teamwork (12%)

It hinders teamwork. 0-30 Works alone and independently. 31-60 It is indifferent to work as a team. 61-90 Encourages teamwork. 91-100

4. Work improvements (12%)

a) He does not propose improvements, complains or makes negative comments about the new processes, methods to be used and, sometimes, by his colleagues. 0 -30 b) It limits itself to carrying out its work as indicated. 31-60 Occasionally proposes improvements to the processes of the area. 61- 90 Look for improvements or new alternative solutions to problems in the area. 91-100

5. Enthusiasm for work (12%)

Show apathy when doing your work. 0-10 Do your job properly, but without enthusiasm. 11-60Enjoy doing your job. 61-90 Conveys to her colleagues her enthusiasm for work. 91-100

6. Teach and / or share their knowledge (7%)

He does not share his knowledge, he does so reluctantly or halfway. 0-20 Share your knowledge only when requested. 21-70 Likes to share her knowledge with others and has patience to teach. 71-100

7. Communication to your immediate superior and / or work team. (7%)

It does not report important events. 0-20 Only broadcasts some important events and sometimes not in a timely manner. 21-80 Communicate important events at the right time. 81-100

8. Use of resources and facilities in the area. (5%)

Wastes and / or damages equipment and resources in the area. 0-30 Makes proper use of facilities and resources. 31-70 Optimizes the use of resources. 71-95Promotes the saving of the resources of the area. 96-100

9. Attendance (5%)

More than once a month ask for special permission, license or no show. 0-30Once a month ask for special permission, license or do not show up. 31-70 Exceptionally ask for permits or licenses. 71-100

10. Punctuality (5%)

More than once a week does not arrive on time at the time established, agreed or planned with a client or by the area. 0-20 Occasionally fails to meet their schedules. 21-90 Always arrive on time. 91-100

11. Conflicts (5%)

11.1. With external clients:

Frequently has conflicts with an external client. 0 -20 Occasionally has conflicts with external clients. 21-80Almost never has had conflicts with external clients. 81-100

11.2. With internal clients:

Frequently has conflicts with some internal client. 0-20 Occasionally has conflicts with internal clients. 21-80Almost never has had conflicts with internal clients. 81-100

Skills 20%

12. Time management (20%)

He constantly wastes time and wastes time to others. 0-20 It has a delay generated by loss of time. 21-50 Performs your work in a timely manner, but does not productively spend the time that you 51-90 Performs your work in a timely manner, productively using the remaining time. 91- 100

13. Communication (20%)

Unable to communicate with peers. 0-20 You find it difficult to communicate with your peers. 21-50 Communicates appropriately with peers. 51-90 He is able to integrate and create synergy with all his colleagues. 91-100

14. Internal customer-supplier relationship (20%)

You do not understand the relationship you have with all provider members, so you do not value the importance of serving. 0-20 Does not seek feedback from peers to improve their work. 21-50 He is very clear about the concept of client-provider among the different areas and fulfills the commitments assumed with his colleagues. 51-90 d) Exceeds expectations. 91-100

15. Conflicts at work (20%)

It is a constant generator of labor conflicts in the area or entity. 0-30 Does not create conflicts at work, but does not prevent them. 31-50 With his work he avoids the generation of labor conflicts. 51-100

16. Analysis capacity (20%)

Always ask to make a decision. 0-30 Performs your analyzes without including all the variables of the processes in the area. 31-80 Knows the processes of the area very well and reaches the appropriate conclusions. 81-100

III. Knowledge 15%

17. Current situation (20%)

You are not interested in training to improve your job. 0-20Take the training indicated. 21-70 Is interested in suggesting training and puts into practice what has been learned. 71-100

18. Learning from the last evaluation period vs. personal potential (30%)

Since the last evaluation, he has not advanced his knowledge. 0-20Since the last evaluation has had a small advance. 21-70 Since his last evaluation he has shown a great advance in terms of his 71-100

19. Search for knowledge (50%)

He never knows how to answer an external client about the services in the area. 0-20 Occasionally asks to answer the question of an external customer. 21-70 Always knows or investigates the information external customers need on any matter. 71-100

Results 25%

20. With external clients, at work (20%)

External clients often complain about their work. 0-20 Occasionally complaints are received from external clients about their work. 21-60 Almost never receive complaints about their work. 61-90 Its results are higher than expected. External clients are satisfied with their work. 91 -100

21. In projects (20%)

Poorly meets goals. 0-30Meets only the objectives assigned to it. 31-70In the team he contributes more than what is requested with good results for the benefit of the area. 71-100

22. Work under pressure (20%)

It makes mistakes, crashes, or inhibits itself under pressure. 0-30 Does not do work properly when assigned specific tasks with accuracy and time pressure. 31-80 When you are tasked with a task with exact dates and times, you usually do it satisfactorily. 81-100 Efficiency to solve problems (20%) Faced with the problem, it is very difficult to find a solution. 0-30 You have trouble solving a problem and sometimes the solution is not the first time.

31-80

When a problem arises, it is solved promptly and well. 81-100

24. Meters (20%)

You have the meters only when required. 0-30 Your meters are overdue and inaccurate. 31-60 Keeps your meters up to date and posted. 61-90Uses your meters as a continuous improvement tool. 91-100

The selection of the same, as well as their ordering and grouping will be a decision to be made by those persons responsible for the design of the document, for which it is recommended to take into account the criteria set forth above.

With the approaches and concepts presented here, it has not been intended to provide recipes, but rather criteria and general lines of work that can help the good judgment of the people who design and apply performance evaluations, in a way that helps them make strategic decisions. well-founded that favor the development of the activities of the company they represent and, at the same time, can systematically and systematically evaluate the management of their work area, allowing them to implement, as a preventive measure, the necessary measures for the continuous improvement of their activity.

CONCLUSIONS.

A correct design and an appropriate application of the performance evaluation in the commercial activity will contribute positively to:

Guarantee satisfied external and internal clients, derived from the quality of services and at all levels of the organization. Have useful and timely information for all staff. Decrease in the number of complaints and claims. Use of resources and time.Best-trained and trained commercials. Personal and professional growth of the commercials and the rest of the area team. Decrease in staff turnover. Decrease in errors and reworking of jobs. Better work environment for the entire team in the area. Improvement in the quality of services. Reduction of quality costs and mainly of non-quality costs.

With the practical, systematic and systemic application of the precepts discussed here, and their continuous improvement based on the experience obtained, it will be possible to achieve:

a significant consolidation of our position in the market, increase in market share, increase in sales volumes, better interaction with internal and external clients, greater dependence on our services, a truly productive and driving work area cycles of reactivation of the economy by optimizing the financial resources provided to it, using them in profitable activities for society as a whole.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

Take into account the precepts, analyzes, evaluations and suggestions presented here in the design and implementation of performance evaluation in the commercial area. Carry out systematic statistical evaluations that allow measuring the impact on the specific objectives for which the performance evaluation, so that its content can be improved based on the experience gained.

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*: July 2009, version 1.0; September 2013, version 2.0; October 2018 version 3.0

**: Civil engineer. Hydraulic engineer. Doctor of Science. Associate Professor. Principal researcher. Master in Structural Calculation of Engineering Works. Diploma in Business Management, Marketing and Negotiations. Master in Integrated Project Management. European approval in Project Management. Diploma in Business and Communication Strategies. Diploma in Risk Management, Quality and Environmental Management. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]