Alternatives to EPD
Performance reviews are not always sufficient - or don't fit into the structure of some companies and organizations. Maybe the company is evolving and tasks are constantly changing, or maybe you have a weekly conversation with your line manager instead. There are many different starting points, which is why you may be looking for an alternative to how communication and employee development collaboration between employee and manager should be. You may also need a supplement to the way you conduct performance reviews. Here are some suggestions on how you can organize or supplement this.
Group performance review
GRUS is based on workplace strategies, goals and their importance for the development of specific groups in the company. It can be a strategy or a result for one of the company's departments that you want to develop.
GRUS can also be used as a tool in the preparation of the annual performance review. This is done by discussing the group's relevant work tasks, goals and competence development together, thereby helping to create a framework or discuss topics that the upcoming SDD may include. It is important that the discussions the group goes through are relevant to everyone. Therefore, the group composition and agenda should be prepared by the manager. It can be a good idea to send out an electronic form before the GRUS to collect necessary data for the meeting. This could be how the collaboration is going, new changes, professional challenges, or daily tasks.

Just like the performance review, it's important to follow up on the GRUS conversation. How do you follow up on the discussions that were part of the interview? Have any agreements been made? Have any processes been initiated? Is there a deadline? Is feedback given verbally or electronically?
Once the GRUS is complete, the manager can consider whether some of the discussions should be included in the upcoming performance review. This may be more relevant for some employees than others, so consider clarifying this in the call or in the preparation for the performance review.

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1:1 conversation
A more modern replacement for the appraisal interview is the so-called "One to One conversation". The frequency and variety of these conversations can vary depending on your needs, but they should be conducted at maximum one-month intervals and last a minimum of 20 minutes.
The interview is based on the employee and their development, well-being, needs and challenges - privately, socially and professionally. It is a clear advantage to prepare the interview with a form or model that the manager can send to the employee. This way, both parties are clear on the agenda and the topics that will form the focal point of the conversation.
From a manager's point of view, 1:1 conversations are a great opportunity to get closer to their employees and their everyday lives. By engaging with employees more often, managers can better anticipate potential conflicts, misunderstandings, challenges or untapped potential. An annual appraisal might not catch the challenges an employee is facing in time.
In addition, the annual performance review may not be sufficient for some employees. If this is the case, there is a long gap between appraisals where the manager again has the opportunity to engage in a dialog with their employee. A rational thought would be that an employee who hasn't had an adequate performance review would engage with their manager, but this isn't always the case. Therefore, 1:1 can often be an advantage, even if it is more resource and time consuming. On the other hand, hiring new employees is often much more resource-intensive.
One of the challenges of holding many 1:1 conversations is having to remember and keep track of all the discussions you have as a manager and employee. Therefore, it's a clear advantage to have an HR system in which you can make notes. These can be notes that can only be seen by the manager or by the employee. This way, managers and employees are in a better position to comply with the agreements and needs that have been discussed.
PULS and performance management
Performance, development and salary appraisals, performance management etc. can be seen as a supplement to appraisals such as performance appraisals. The main difference is that performance is at the center, and the conversation is based on how to develop and adjust tasks so that the employee performs their task to the best of their ability. This is often also included in an SDD, but the important thing here is that constructive feedback is given and the tasks the employee performs are quantified or measured.

There are several models available, but here we briefly present a simple 4 step model that you can use:
- Planning - In this step, you align expectations and set performance goals for the employee to work towards. You can use the SMART model in this step
- Observation - Throughout the process, observe the employee's workflow and provide feedback on how work processes can be improved.
- Development - Based on the feedback, initiatives are initiated to help develop the employee's performance. This can be through benchmarking, for example, which helps identify areas for development.
- Rating - Performance assessment of the tasks and the employee. Are the tasks aligned or do they need to be corrected? Should employee performance be rewarded? What should the new goals be?