January 2012
Cognology Version 8.0 available now:
A New Year goes hand in hand with a brand new release from Cognology. Version 8.0 is our first release for 2012 and combines innovative new functions with a focus on engagement and participation. With capability and layout that will be familiar to Facebook and LinkedIn users, your system will be more accessible, more personalised and more appealing to users than ever before.
Don’t worry; we haven’t forgotten about HR and Senior Management. They get a new toy as well, with Cognology’s new Talent Profiling questionnaire and tools.
Check out some of the features that will rock your world:
- New employee home page with employee photos, visual progress indicators, and quick links to folder sections
- New layout for self-managed folders
- Talent Profiling Questionnaire
- Increased mobility with additional iPhone and iPad compatibility and design
We’ve also taken your feedback on board and introduced two new functions that you’ve told us you need – access to copy objectives from an employee’s previous folder, and the ability for users to revoke their own folder sign-off.
Contact us now for more information or an upgrade booklet.
Contact us now for more information or an upgrade booklet.
December 2011
Cognology's new Talent Profiling questionnaire:
People are looking at your workforce through LinkedIn right now. There are local skills shortages and employees are increasingly mobile. That's a daunting thought to be sure.
It's easy to think that everyone is in the same boat, but this doesn't mean that you can sit back and relax.
Times are changing and those who don't move with them will quickly fall behind.
At Cognology, we've been working hard to bring you new tools.
Something to give you a competitive advantage, make your life easier and make the CEO wonder what they ever did without you. Something to identify not just your high performers, but also your high potential employees (HIPOs) - before they leave and it's all too late.
This gives you a leg up on the people out there looking at your employees on LinkedIn, because it's difficult to get a HIPO to change jobs if they are already recognised for what they do and their potential is being used and nurtured.
You know who your high performing employees are, right? Why isn't it enough that you already know who these people are? What stands your HIPO's apart from your high performers?
Enough with the questions already. A high performing employee may do their job well, but not necessarily demonstrate the capacity and attitude to perform beyond their current role. Basically, they have hit the limit of their capabilities and are probably not able to contribute any more than they currently do.
In comparison, a high potential employee demonstrates the drive, ability and attitude to take on and succeed in higher level roles. Their capacity to do more and be more is what you need to make the most of.
We bet your next question is how do I uncover these hidden gems? Cognology's new Talent Profiling questionnaire can do this for you, by examining aspects of individual engagement, ambition and ability along with assessments of actual performance. The questionnaire identifies those with the potential to lead your organisation in the future, plus those with the potential to do greater things.
Contact us now to learn more about Cognology’s talent profiling questionnaire.
November 2011
Great feedback, but have I improved?
Running a 360 feedback process for the first time is a step in the right direction in helping your employees gain an understanding of their strengths, areas for development and that all important aspect of how they are perceived by their colleagues and peers. It has great value as a one-off activity, but how will your employees know if the steps they have taken to improve have had any impact?
Completing 360 feedback on an ongoing basis enables your employees to see where they have come from and where they currently stand, which is extremely valuable information for employee self-awareness and self-management.
Cognology's 360 degree feedback tool enables employees to possess this information through their individual feedback report.
The results from the previous year (or years for long-time Cognology fans) can be displayed alongside the current results, providing an instant picture of the employee's progress over time. It's an immediate, simple and powerful way to communicate employee development and growth.
Contact us now to utilise this comparative feedback function or learn more about 360 degree feedback.
October 2011
A helping hand with on-boarding:
You spend hours of your time on new employees – and that's before they even walk in the door on their first day. From writing advertisements to conducting interviews, from preparing paperwork to organising induction programs – new employees are administratively high maintenance. But, we all know it's so important to get these processes right, as those first impressions are vital for positive employee engagement.
The good news is we can make things easier for you. You can use Cognology for new employees and probationary reviews without having to deal with the onerous administrative tasks. Our CogBatch module is the hidden member of your HR team, performing administrative tasks for your new starters without you having to lift a finger. CogBatch can detect when a new employee is entered into the system, and:
- Create a probation or review folder for the new employee and add their manager as a contributor; and
- Email the employee and manager to advise them of the review process; and
- Send you a report to let you know what's been done.
After the probation folder is completed, CogBatch can automatically create a regular review folder for the employee, again emailing the relevant parties to advise them of the next steps. There's more time saved for you and another task off your To-Do list.
Contact us now to learn more about probation reviews and CogBatch.
September 2011
Have you got your eye on your talent?
A recent study from recruitment organisation Hays shows that retention and succession are key factors in addressing the skills shortages currently experienced by around 70% of Australian organisations.
The first step in any retention or succession plan is to identify the people who possess and display the attitudes and behaviours that are essential to your organisation's future. These are your core retention focus.
Although you may have a range of strategies and initiatives for general retention of staff, for example rewards and recognition programs, there will be a key group of employees that have the potential to lead your organisation in the future. It is these employees that will be the focus of specific and targeted retention and succession programs – but, who are they?
Cognology's Talent Management module finds these employees for you.
It pinpoints key skills and behaviours and instantly reveals your superstars and future leaders. In just a few seconds you have your retention and succession target group, and can immediately start planning for their future with your organisation. It's proactive, insightful and pretty amazing.
Contact us now to find out more about the Talent Management module.
October 2009
The Case for Online Performance Management ... Case Closed:
Ask any line manager what HR process they most dislike and you would most likely hear wails and moans about their company's performance management process. Why? Usually you would hear things like: "It's so cumbersome", "It's such a waste of time and takes too long", "It's just another paper shuffling exercise from HR", and "Nothing comes of it".
The ability to integrate a number of core human resource facets such as the company's values, the core competencies required of each position and the goals each person is working on into one central online review system is very useful indeed. It may take a bit of time initially to adjust the competency framework to suit the organisation but a lot of the work has already been done in the better systems out there.
The question almost becomes: Why on earth aren't we using something like this? Especially for the Generation Y employees who just love to do everything online these days. Your organisation does not have to be in the IT industry or even be very technologically advanced to implement and gain immediate benefit out of online goal setting and performance review software.
Read the full article in the HC Magazine: http://www.hcamag.com/news/36702/details.aspx
Contact us now for more information on how we can assist you in implementing an effective and easy to use best practice online Employee Performance Management system.
June 2009
Continuous Improvement through (RCA) Root Cause Analysis:
We have developed a new program to assist organisations in resolving business process problems before they happen and ensuring that these problems do not recur.
We transfer the skills required to your people through training workshops and coaching to develop an effective corrective and preventative action process that uncovers the real root cause of the problem, and resolving the problems through a systematic approach.
We start this program by conducting a process audit that evaluates and identifies problems in your organisation. This assessment is analysed to identify the key areas for improvement in your business.
We have designed this program for project leaders, consultants, business analysts, and Complaints/Resolutions coordinators.
Lotus Sabatin, an associate with ExperiencesPlus, developed this program and will lead the implementation. She is a skilled Business Process Improvement Specialist with more than 12 years experience in quality improvement roles involving training and process improvement.
Contact us now for more details on how we can assist you in setting up an effective Continuous Improvement process through (RCA) Root Cause Analysis.
May 2009
Talent Management Online Demonstration:
Understanding the potential and performance of your people is critical to understanding how to manage them. To retain your top people and fully utilise their capabilities you first need to know who these people are. Likewise, identifying the people not performing to their potential is the first step in building performance.
This is the ideal tool to help Managers and HR understand and improve the workforce. It provides Managers with a customised guide explaining how to manage someone based on their level of performance and potential.
The new Talent Management Module consists of three components:
- The Talent Map lets you visualise the performance and potential of your team, division and organisation. The graphical tool can be used by managers and HR. It plots each person onto a chart according to their level of performance and their potential. Results can be color coded allowing divisions or teams to be compared.
- The Talent List provides a table view of the Talent Map. Each person is listed and color coded according to their level of performance and potential. You can drill down and get more detail on each person's classification. Managers can click on each person to get a customised guide explaining how to manage someone based on their level of performance and potential. The Talent List can also be saved in Excel format making it easy to further slice and dice, email and share this information with key decision makers.
- The Talent Classifications are new guide that explains to managers how to manage people for optimum performance based on their individual talent profile. Managers can display the customised guide simply by clicking on a person in the Talent List.
Contact us nowto receive access to our online Talent Management demonstration, including a more detailed fact sheet.
November 2008
Talent Management: A new Module in Cognology's latest Release:
Version 7.0, the latest release from Cognology, includes exciting new features that will improve the quality of employee performance management in your organisation. Enhancements have also been included to make reviews quicker and easier for managers, employees and HR.
The new Talent Management Module consists of three components:
- The Talent Map lets you visualise the performance and potential of your team, division and organisation. The graphical tool can be used by managers and HR. It plots each person onto a chart according to their level of performance and their potential. Results can be color coded allowing divisions or teams to be compared.
- The Talent List provides a table view of the Talent Map. Each person is listed and color coded according to their level of performance and potential. You can drill down and get more detail on each person's classification. Managers can click on each person to get a customised guide explaining how to manage someone based on their level of performance and potential. The Talent List can also be saved in Excel format making it easy to further slice and dice, email and share this information with key decision makers.
- The Talent Classifications are new guide that explains to managers how to manage people for optimum performance based on their individual talent profile. Managers can display the customised guide simply by clicking on a person in the Talent List.
This version will be shipping the first week of December 2008.
Contact us now to receive more information on all the exciting new features of Cognology's latest release.
October 2008
Strategies in Workforce Planning - Using Talent Acquisition and Performance Management to meet Tomorrow's Business Needs:
Aberdeen offers these insights from a recently released report into Workforce Planning Strategies:
The future is never easy to predict, but organisations increasingly realize that they must do a better job of anticipating what lies ahead, in order to improve their ability to recruit and retain the talent they anticipate they will need.
Preparing today's workforce to meet tomorrow's needs requires that an organisation have a clear picture of the skills and capabilities in the organisation currently; what gaps exist at present in terms of needed skills; and how that picture will be impacted by changes that lies ahead.
Learn how Best in Class organisations use workforce planning as a key recruiting, retention, and training tool. This report provides a roadmap for organisations that desire to implement an effective workforce planning program, and a system to effectively manage that program.
Contact us now to receive copy of the Aberdeen report 'Strategies in Workforce Planning, August 08' by return email.
July 2008
Productivity - A Search for Hidden Value in Organisations:
Proudfoot Consulting offers these insights from their 2007 report into Productivity:
- The top three barriers to increased productivity are: inappropriately qualified workforce, internal communication problems, and external communication problems.
- The top three actions required to increase productivity are: investment in workforce training, management skills development, and better use of information technology.
Learn what makes one organisation perform better and more efficient than another and how to uncover the hidden value in your organisation.
Contact us now to receive copy of Proudfoot Consulting's 2007 report into Productivity by return email.
June 2008
How Best-in-Class companies manage Employee Performance to supplement their Talent pipeline:
Aberdeen offers these insights from a recently released report into Employee Performance Management:
Employee performance management (EPM) goes beyond annual employee performance appraisals. Done right, EPM can help organisations align employee goals and development activities to business priorities, create a more motivated workforce, and improve retention of high potential employees.
Learn how Best in Class organisations articulate what the employee goals are, how their goals fit into the organisation's objectives, how success will be measured, and how managers and employees are involved in the process to establish mutually-agreed objectives and dual accountabilities.
Contact us now to receive copy of the Aberdeen report 'Employee Performance Management May 08' by return email.
July 2008
Productivity - A Search for Hidden Value in Organisations:
Proudfoot Consulting offers these insights from their 2007 report into Productivity:
- The top three barriers to increased productivity are: inappropriately qualified workforce, internal communication problems, and external communication problems.
- The top three actions required to increase productivity are: investment in workforce training, management skills development, and better use of information technology.
Learn what makes one organisation perform better and more efficient than another and how to uncover the hidden value in your organisation.
Contact us now to receive copy of Proudfoot Consulting's 2007 report into Productivity by return email.
June 2008
How Best-in-Class companies manage Employee Performance to supplement their Talent pipeline:
Aberdeen offers these insights from a recently released report into Employee Performance Management:
Employee performance management (EPM) goes beyond annual employee performance appraisals. Done right, EPM can help organisations align employee goals and development activities to business priorities, create a more motivated workforce, and improve retention of high potential employees.
Learn how Best in Class organisations articulate what the employee goals are, how their goals fit into the organisation's objectives, how success will be measured, and how managers and employees are involved in the process to establish mutually-agreed objectives and dual accountabilities.
Contact us now to receive copy of the Aberdeen report 'Employee Performance Management May 08' by return email.
April 2008
What's New? - Cognology releases a new Version:
Learn how managers and employees can upload and share files, collaborate electronically during performance reviews and, create career plans.
Import data from external data sources into reviews and effectively handle probationary, graduate, and other reviews without the need for costly re-configuration.
Turn on the automatic workflow to handle more of the manual workload; unlimited flexibility allows scheduling of automatic emails and tracks manager or employee role changes.
Contact us now to receive a fact sheet on 'What's New? - Cognology releases a new Version' by return email.
March 2008
A Business Case Framework for Automating the Employee Performance Management Process:
The business case for a technology solution to the employee performance management process requires far more than just calculating the ROI of the initiative.
The business case needs to provide the full context of the situation; starting with the business requirements to address specific business problems and issues, the strategy and plan to address the business problems, leading to the estimated investment required for a solution that will effectively address the business problems and issues, finishing off with the estimated business benefits.
Contact us now to receive 'A Business Case Framework for Automating the Employee Performance Management Process' by return email.
July 2007
Enhancing Operational Performance with Employee Performance Management:
Employee performance management (EPM) has long been a mainstay of most organisations, yet remains fraught with imprecision and dissatisfaction. Rather than serve as an opportunity for providing direction, growth, and alignment, EPM is most often viewed as a necessary evil.
The need to focus on EPM remains more important than ever. While companies struggle to adapt to ever-changing market requirements, the labour pool is shrinking, and the pressure to perform more and more profitably is increasing.
Overwhelmingly, the majority of respondents to the Aberdeen Group's Employee Performance Management Benchmark Report June 2007, indicated that improving overall company performance was the single most important factor driving organisations to focus on EPM.
The report is a roadmap for companies who desire to increase user satisfaction and utilization through Best in Class use of employee performance management. Download your report now.
June 2007
What's New? - The latest News in Cognology Enterprise:
Cognology Enterprise now offers improved features to improve the alignment of employees with Corporate goals through the use of Strategic themes and an Objective library. Learn how managers and employees can upload and share files, and collaborate electronically during performance reviews.
Integrate with the systems that you rely on and simplify user access through the new Universal Login feature.
Effectively handle probationary, graduate, and other reviews without the need for costly re-configuration.
Turn on the automatic workflow to handle more of the workload; unlimited flexibility allows for the automatic scheduling of emails to be sent.
Download your summary of What's New - The Latest News in Cognology Enterprise now
Sept 2005
The Talent Team at SellAgence collaborated with Hennie Human from ExperiencesPlus to implement a new performance management system, using the web-based employee performance management software from Cognology.
Read the full article ...
