The Company
FNB Bank had its humble beginnings nearly 140 years ago in Mayfield, Ky. The company is steeped in tradition, providing a commitment to community banking in the western corner of the state since 1875.
But until December 2011, it seemed like the company’s performance review process was as old as the business itself.
The Challenge
“We had an old-fashioned paper process,” says Crystal Balentine, HR director and branch administrator. “We were using a generic fill-in-the-blank form for everyone, so the same performance review was given to every position in the company.
“That was very frustrating because not everyone needs the same skills to do their job.”
FNB needed to streamline its performance appraisal process and find a way for all 95 employees to access and benefit from it, ultimately leading to increased productivity across the organization.
The Solution
Balentine knew the shortcomings of the bank’s dated process. The information was scattered, the review itself was too standardized, and employees were unable to set and track meaningful goals.
After considering several different systems, she went with InsperityTM Performance Now®, a desktop performance appraisal solution.
“We liked that we could build the different competencies depending on the job role,” says Balentine. “I started to build out the reviews and realized, ‘If there’s a Web version of this, it’s exactly what we’re looking for.’”
By upgrading to the online solution, InsperityTM PerformSmart®, each of FNB’s 95 employees can log in and manage their own performance review. And when the company’s annual review period shifts into high gear, managers have the flexibility to work on appraisals from the comfort of their own homes.
“You get interrupted so many times, so it’s hard to get your thought process going,” says Balentine. “Many of the managers liked having the ability to work on it from home.”
Balentine adds that managers enjoyed the product’s SmartText feature, which automatically generates feedback in the comments section based on performance ratings.
“They also love spellcheck,” she says. “I know that’s silly, but they love that part of it.”
Even the non-management employees are warming up to PerformSmart.
I can tell you that no one likes doing performance reviews at our company,” says Balentine. “However, with the process being streamlined, they don’t complain nearly as much as they used to.”
The Value
FNB completed its first annual review for 2012. Because the company already had a successful history, deviating from business as usual was met with some reluctance.
“Nobody ever wants to be a part of change and the implementation of something new,” Balentine says. “That can be a real pain. But it was an easy transition. Our contact person was wonderful, and he did such a good job with the implementation and training that I didn’t have any issues.”
PerformSmart also helped FNB with its goal management efforts, namely assisting in the creation of SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely). This strategic take on entering goals was itself a goal of FNB’s implementation of a new performance review system.
“We have accomplished that goal and are very pleased with the results,” says Balentine. “We are now, because of PerformSmart, able to tie raises and bonuses back to true performance.
I think when you are aligning goals, performance and bonuses and all those things together, you get more productive employees.”