Employee Performance & Development Plan

Maintaining an employee performance and development plan benefits the company as well as the employees by defining achievable goals for employees to meet as they move up the career ladder. As employees complete the performance steps and move forward, company objectives are attained. A useful plan includes input from both members of management and subordinates.

Employee performance and development plans typically include performance goals. This aspect of the plan narrowly defines where the job position is headed and what the ultimate goal should be to get there. For example, one performance goal of an assistant manager can be to attain skills in marketing so that once the worker becomes a manager, he will know how to promote the business.

Employee performance and development plans should include measurable duties for each position. Using the assistant manager position, a measurable duty for learning marketing might be to take a marketing class and provide proof the class was passed. Measurable duties with regard to employee performance and development should break the larger goal into smaller duties to be completed within a specified time frame.

Employee performance and development plans should be designed during a team effort that includes the employer and employees. The employees' input is important so they feel a sense of ownership as they follow the plan steps and duties. The employer's input is important because it focuses the development and performance on the end goal of achieving company objectives.

Each plan should include specific criteria to be met for the employee to move to the next level in her career. The employee and manager should meet at regular intervals to go over the performance plan and record which specific steps and duties have been completed. An annual or biannual evaluation can be filled out by the employee and members of management to check progress and redefine short- and long-term steps to be taken to achieve the goals.