Coronavirus has affected every aspect of life, from who you are allowed to see to even how many people can be at work at a time. With all of this uncertainty and a very restless consumer market, it can be hard to know how to get your company safely through the other side. The government has provided some significant funds to keep employees on the payroll, but you need more than just money: you need a plan for how to keep track of your direction as a company and your employee's role in that overall picture. That is why a performance development plan has never been more critical than right now. 

What Is A Performance Development Plan?

For those unfamiliar with the concept, a performance development plan is a technique used by businesses to refocus your employees and asses how well they are completing their tasks. It is not a disciplinary move, but rather a supportive one, aimed at figuring out how best to utilise your employees efficiently. This means analysing their performance, figuring out their strong points and meeting with them to plot out their future goals and how they can improve their current problems. This means that you need to figure out exactly what areas of your business you need to focus on saving the most before you take the performance development plan to your employees.

What Resources Should I Have For A Performance Development Plan?

The number one thing you need to bring to a performance development plan in your workplace is records. Records of each employee's work, preferably in the form of statistical data but otherwise quarterly reports and any other submissions, will do fine. For coronavirus, in particular, you should then start focusing on the aspects that need to be immediately improved, such as punctuality, efficiency from home and communication skills. To do this, you might want to hire or buy some professional performance development plans which can be customised to your workforce and give you a more precise and easier way to read reports on productivity and plan out your actionable goals.

What Should I Tell My Employees?

Be honest with them! Coronavirus will no doubt be affecting them as well, and they will understand the precarious position every business is in right now. Stress to them that a performance development plan is not a punishment; it is merely a tool to help focus your energy in the right areas.