Reviews need to be carried out in order to allow a Consultant to perform at their best. 

Exit interviews have shown that Consultants leave a company if they feel they lack direction, are under-appreciated or don't feel they have succeeded. Properly used Performance Management tools and processes can effectively make these concerns disappear. If you outline expectations, measure performance and then evaluate and review you are giving Consultants the input required to keep them on course – and on board. 

The most obvious review is to see where each Consultant is in terms of their stated agreed objectives This is a weekly review which should look at: 

· how near to their target a consultant is, 
· where they have over/under-performed, 
· how they can improve on weak areas, and 
· how they can amend their workload to achieve their monthly target.

This is a one on one process, and should result in an amended Objectives document, that should reflect the current situation rather than the original one – objectives and their achievement should always be a work in progress.

An in-depth monthly evaluation should look at a Consultants overall performance and final figures for the month. Keep to the Objectives and ask – Did you exceed expectations? If not, why not? Could you have approached problems differently? Did you follow the guidelines and allocate time to tasks as we agreed? 

Having shortfalls is not the end of the world – but not addressing why they occurred is foolish – and makes a nonsense of setting Targets and Objectives. If you don't work out why objectives did or didn't work then why bother setting any at all? Performance management is not a paper exercise, it's an ongoing communication process between Manager/s and Consultants which requires dialogue, commitment and regular updates.

Using positive feedback as well as looking at problem areas is key here. Praise is vital to make Consultants feel appreciated as well as the more tangible rewards in terms of commission and bonus payments.

At the end of this evaluation an agreed plan of action for the coming month should be produced, which takes into account strengths and weaknesses highlighted over the past month and new Targets and Objectives for the coming month should also be agreed, documented and signed. 

By following these methods you can see how a well rounded approach, based upon giving Consultants the tools and guidance necessary to succeed, can bring benefits to your company. It is about empowering your staff to allow them to become winners. By providing clear frameworks you can actually liberate your consultants by banishing doubt. It also demonstrates a commitment to supporting your staff.

'This is what success looks like, this is how to achieve it'

Making time to assess, review and evaluate progress is of vital importance. It measures success not just for the Consultant but for you as a Manager. If you are leading by example and supporting your Consultants activities then the results will speak for themselves. These methods can enhance the performance of workers at all levels in an organisation. 

Summary
There is no point setting objectives if you don't check that they are being followed
Feedback via reviews and evaluations are essential for a Consultant to achieve their objectives
Managers need to provide clear, firm guidelines for staff to follow – and review them regularly
Two-way communication is the key to effective management

What are you measuring?

Good performance management processes help enhance the sales within your organization. The use of a quantitative process, i.e. using measurements, to develop your Consultants skills, in all areas of their working day provides a solid foundation for their success and the success of the entire firm. What should you be measuring? How often should you collect the figures and just what figures should you collect? 

Measure your Consultants effective use of time

Are your Consultants using their time effectively? What should they be doing to increase their sales and fulfill their objectives?

Making calls, chasing promises and using selling time effectively all contribute to achieving activity targets and objectives. Consultants need to see just how much work they are actually doing in order to see whether they are gaining a valuable return or not.

Data becomes far more meaningful when it can be manipulated to generate reports, showing just how drops in one performance area can affect their overall performance. For example, less calls than required could mean a drop in interviews made, which in turn means less job offers. Getting to the cause of unsatisfactory end results is easy if you have a clear over view of what's going on. To decide just what you are going to measure in terms of activity look at what your consultant does in an average day. 

  • They make calls – How many? Who to? How many generated an interview or new candidate?
  • They make matches – How many new vacancies have been matched to candidates? How many applicants are contacted? How many interviews and been arranged?
  • They close – How many vacancies have been filled? How many floats (possibilities) were put forward? How many temps have been booked? 

This is not an exhaustive list but it illustrates the need to break down all areas where a measurement can, and should, be made. 

This process should be transparent and seen as a useful tool with which to assess individual performance and to identify success – which needs to be praised and recognised. Consultants can see how increasing one activity area benefits both themselves and the company. By getting your staff to appraise their own figures you are conferring a sense of ownership over their performance. Encourage this. At the end of every day look at the figures with them, identify what needs to happen tomorrow to reach their objectives and offer support where necessary. Don't point fingers – give positive feedback and advice. 

What if they try to beat the system?

Adding false figures would actually cause them a problem, as the end results would show huge discrepancies. Untruthful reported rises in speculative calls may look good on paper, but if all of these alleged calls are not filling or finding vacancies then these would make those calls inefficient.

Summary
Identify which activities need recording and how
Decide who collects the data and how
Demonstrate how these measurements benefit the Consultant, not just the company
Use daily meetings to make these measurements meaningful