How Found uses performance management to underpin employee development
Found fuses 3D motion design with film craft and technology creating exciting content for some of the world's most well-known brands. Attracting and retaining highly talented employees is vital to their success as a business.
Found fuses 3D motion design with film craft and technology to create content for some of the world's leading brands including Google, Ralph Lauren and Stella Artois. They have established a strong reputation for quality. To maintain this it's vital they attract and retain the best talent. Their approach to performance management is crucial to achieving this.
Set up in 2008, Found are currently going through a period of expansion. As part of this process, they won Great Places to Work accreditation in 2022.
Dan Moore joined Found in 2013 as Managing Director. He was instrumental in introducing a formalised performance management process, first on paper and then moving online with Appraisd in 2019. Dan has been the guardian of this process for the last four years, but has recently hired Found’s first Head of People, who will take ownership of it in the coming months.
<fs-toc-omit>The challenge
Media production is a fast changing, competitive industry. To be successful, it is vital for Found to attract and retain talented, high-skilled employees to meet the needs of their clients who demand the best. To be appealing, Found needs to demonstrate to prospective candidates that it’s a great place to work, where employees are valued and encouraged to build fulfilling careers.
<fs-toc-omit>The solution
Dan recognised creating a formalised, progressive performance management process that put employees in control of their development was key. Working with an HR consultant, they created an approach involving regular check-ins between line managers and employees to build strong working relationships. Personal objectives are created annually with a mid-year review to assess progress and deliver relevant feedback.
Employees are involved in every stage of the process, with objectives created collaboratively. Everyone is clear on what is expected of them and what they need to do to reach the next level.
Finding the right partner
To make this approach consistent across the business and freely accessible, Dan decided to invest in an online tool. Appraisd was selected as it could be easily customised to accommodate their process. Dan particularly liked the fact he had a dedicated account manager he could speak to whenever he liked to help with implementation and subsequent amendments.
“I love that our account manager, Ros, is there whenever I need her. I want to talk to a real person, not a chatbot. She knows our business, our approach and has always found a way to make our process flow smoothly.”<div class="author">Dan Moore, Managing Director of Found </div>
This personal touch is really important to Dan and this is what made Appraisd stand out from the competition.
“I’ve used some fantastic software in the past, but have been let down by terrible service. With Appraisd you get a great product and a great service. I think that’s so important, especially for a tool that is all about people. I just want to speak to someone who knows the system and how to get the best out of it.”<div class="author">Dan Moore, Managing Director of Found </div>
<fs-toc-omit>The benefits
Through their performance management process, every employee at Found has a development pathway, giving them a clear view on how their career can progress within the business. The regular check-ins give employees a channel to express their ambitions, ask for help when they need it and receive timely, relevant feedback to help improve their performance.
Appraisd provides line managers with a tool to help them support their employees effectively, a place they can record their interactions which makes reviews much richer and easier to plan for. It also means all action points are captured, meaning these conversations lead to positive outcomes.
For Dan, the activity on Appraisd shows him which line managers and employees are most engaged and identifies who may need additional support. Employees are encouraged to share their ambitions and request training or mentoring to enhance their skills, showing Dan who may be ready for more responsibilities.
The introduction of 360 Feedback in 2022 has helped make feedback a natural part of everyday work, with everyone across the business encouraged to share their insights and support the development of others. Having adopted a hybrid approach with employees in the office Tuesday to Thursday and working remotely on Mondays and Fridays, this has become even more important.
“Last year we gained our Great Place to Work accreditation. We have been recognised as one of the top 5% creative businesses to work for in the UK, which is brilliant. We scored especially highly on employee development and I believe this is largely down to how we use Appraisd.”<div class="author">Dan Moore, Managing Director of Found </div>
