Performance metrics are great tools for assessing your business from end to end. Working in supply chain has taught me a thing or two on how to calculate and extract meaningful key performance indicators for the business.

However, I find them falling short in measuring the success of employees in companies. The reason is that humans are not as simple as business objectives. Humans are complicated with different personalities, values, and capabilities.

We are different, complicated and awesome.

Companies require their employees to be top performers in every aspect of contribution to the organization.

These metrics might tell the truth about the employee’s performance; but only from a quantitative perspective, which is not compatible with our nature as human beings.

We are introverts, extroverts, communicators, analysts, learners, and achievers. Not all of us take the same time to contribute; We need support, nourishment, and confluence of skills.

Even when we learn; there are people who learn by doing and then there are those who commit mistakes and still end up learning… with experience. There are also people who look at others and learn from them; And there are people who plan, take their time, and then do.

So how can we evaluate the three styles equally, at the same time, on the same objectives? and expect the same results.

If companies want to look at quality with quantity, some reform must be done to the current Evaluation model adopted by most of the industry.

For Starters, it is vital to Personalize objectives required from each employee; Tailor it to meet expectations and objectives of both employees and employers. We all prefer a tailored suit or a dress than on the shelf ready-made one.

These objectives must be compatible with the skills and yes… the personality of the employee.

Set the Expectations to match personality and skills!

Managers should not ask an analyst to go and pitch a sales meeting unless she/he challenges the employee to do so as she/he sees a potential in him to pitch sales meetings. Transparency and motivation is a must for the success of this objective.

Instead, ask him to identify patterns in the company’s previous performance; so, it can better understand the right moves for the future.

At the same time, if you have a communicator, outgoing, powerful speaker; you cannot expect him to excel in bookkeeping.

I am not saying that performance metrics are not good for evaluations. I am saying that by their own, they are not enough! A personality assessment/preferences should be integrated with the performance metrics.

We cannot conclude personalities and skills of people in resumes & screening interviews only; they do not give enough indications on areas to capitalize on for each talent. Interviews are good for matching skills with job descriptions and sometimes adaptability of talent to company culture.

A renovation model is required!

Football, there we have eleven players, each one of them has his/her own skill and personality in the field. The coach leverages each player to his full potential.

We also find there are replacements mid-game; coaches replace a junior player with a senior player in the same position because, at that moment in the game, they need a leader to guide in the field. Both players have the same position but different personality and skill set.

Objectives and evaluations criteria for employees should not be standardized; They should be tailored based on both personalities and skills. Managers should also look for skills they think they could shine and nourish them. But in this case, I think it would be safe to call them leaders or mentors.

As simple as that, a model like the above could be quite expensive and time-consuming; but I think it will assure the quality of outcome; higher return on investment… and not being put in a box!