Staff development

How qualitative performance evaluations give businesses a competitive edge

Carol Yeoh — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 15:13:28 +0000

How qualitative performance evaluations give businesses a competitive edge Carol Yeoh

A qualitative performance evaluation assesses the how behind employee performance, not just the what. Unlike purely quantitative performance reviews that track targets, deadlines or output, evaluations with qualitative metrics examine behaviours, attitudes and interpersonal skills – factors that often determine long-term job success.

Qualitative measures help employers understand:

how employees approach problem-solving
how they collaborate and communicate
how they demonstrate leadership potential and cultural alignment
how they build trust, empathy and resilience

This broader lens is critical at a time when global engagement is low. Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report reveals that only 21% of employees are engaged, while 60% feel emotionally detached and just 18% describe themselves as thriving.

By revealing the dimensions that numbers alone cannot capture, qualitative evaluations can provide a fuller picture of workforce performance – and give businesses stronger insights to support retention, succession planning and culture.

Why qualitative performance reviews must go beyond numbers

Traditional reviews often focus on hard data as key performance indicators (KPI) – sales achieved, projects delivered, deadlines met. While essential, these measures only show part of the picture.

Quantitative data cannot explain how results were achieved or predict how employees will perform in new situations.

Qualitative performance evaluations fill this gap by capturing behaviours, attitudes and problem-solving styles that shape long-term success.

The same Gallup report highlights that only 27% of managers globally say they feel engaged at work. Disengaged leadership creates ripple effects across culture, performance and retention, making it critical for organisations to look beyond numbers.

For hiring managers and business leaders, assessing employee performance with both qualitative and quantitative metrics leads to fairer evaluations, sharper alignment and stronger outcomes – especially in hybrid environments where performance management must adapt to dispersed teams.

Strengthen your talent strategy

The benefits of qualitative performance evaluations

1. Stronger communication and collaboration

Effective communication fosters better teamwork and creates a consistent employer brand. Employees who share ideas openly and listen actively build trust and reduce conflict – outcomes that directly impact productivity and client satisfaction.

2. Initiative that drives innovation

High-performing employees often go beyond their remit. They spot opportunities, suggest improvements and anticipate challenges before they escalate. Recognising and rewarding initiative ensures organisations remain agile and competitive.

3. Leadership behaviours at every level

Leadership is not limited to those with management titles. Team members who mentor colleagues, motivate others, give peer performance reviews and embody company culture can strengthen engagement and future leadership pipelines.

4. Empathy that retains top talent

Empathy builds morale, trust and inclusion. In markets where skills shortages are acute, employees are more likely to stay with employers that demonstrate understanding and care.

How qualitative feedback impacts business performance

In practice, integrating qualitative insights into review systems delivers measurable outcomes. Regular one-to-one conversations strengthen engagement, while continuous feedback helps reduce turnover and improve motivation. Employees who feel seen and supported are more likely to stay, grow and perform at their best.

These improvements lower hiring costs, build stronger retention and reinforce resilience – complementing strategies focused on reducing the hidden costs of hiring.

Overcoming challenges in qualitative performance evaluations

Qualitative data in evaluations provide a more complete picture of performance, but they also bring challenges. Subjectivity can undermine fairness if reviews are inconsistent.

Organisations can address this by applying clear criteria, structured processes and input from multiple reviewers.

Translating qualitative insights into action is another common difficulty. Combining behavioural observations with quantitative measures, supported by performance management tools, creates evaluations that are both balanced and practical.

This approach ensures fairness, supports continuous development and helps businesses identify and nurture top talent.

Strengthen your review process

Best practices for employers

Blend data and narrative – Combine objective data with qualitative observations to create a more balanced overview of employee performance.
Apply 360-degree feedback with structure – Encourage peer performance reviews from colleagues and subordinates, and incorporate customer satisfaction scores into performance evaluations using clear, bias-reducing frameworks.
Equip managers to succeed – Train managers in behavioural assessment, active listening, and delivering constructive feedback that supports employee growth.
Standardise systems, not responses – Keep systems consistent across teams, but leave space for personalised feedback that reflects individual impact.
Link reviews to business goals – Align assessment criteria with organisational strategy so that individual performance drives collective results.

Turning evaluations into competitive advantage

In a market where retention, engagement and culture determine success, employers that integrate qualitative performance evaluations into their review systems gain a clear edge.

By assessing not only quantitative targets but also intangible factors like communication, leadership, and adaptability, organisations can more accurately measure performance and identify what makes someone a valuable team member.

When employees are evaluated against both business goals and their own expectations in a safe and understanding environment, it drives stronger employee satisfaction and long-term growth.

Qualitative insights help companies move beyond surface-level metrics, turning performance reviews into strategic tools for workforce development, culture building, and sustainable success.

Looking to enhance your performance management approach? Contact us to explore how leading employers across APAC are modernising evaluations to retain and develop top talent.

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Carol Yeoh

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The value of mentorship and sponsorship, and what it can do for your company

Simone Wu — Mon, 01 May 2023 05:11:11 +0000

The value of mentorship and sponsorship, and what it can do for your company Simone Wu

We often romanticise successful people as lone visionaries who, through sheer determination, hard work and a spark of genius, navigated the cut-throat world of business to come out on top.

The truth is that few people have achieved success in a vacuum; at some point, professors, colleagues, advisers and managers make a sizeable impact on a person’s psyche and shape the way we see the world and carry out our work. These diverse outside influences are extremely valuable in helping steer your employees’ career trajectories to greater heights, all while giving your organisation a branding boost to attract future talent.

Similarly, mentorship and sponsorship are two proven ways of helping your hires achieve the breakthroughs they need to further their skills and career within your organisation.

Sponsorship: what’s it all about?

Sponsors are active advocates who create opportunities for employees that they would otherwise be inaccessible. These people will help them navigate their career advancement differently.

Instead of simply advising and supporting them, they will prime them for promotion within their organisation, make key introductions and delegate “stretch assignments” — challenging tests designed to expand their skill sets — to help them grow strategically. They might also nominate them for important projects and contracts.

A sponsor’s ability to provide visibility and nurture talent alongside them means they are valuable allies in an employee’s quest for career advancement. Those who have a sponsor are paid 11.6% more than those who do not, according to findings from PayScale Inc. And since remuneration is one of the biggest drivers for retention, sponsors can help you keep your best staff.

However, an organisation can benefit immensely from a successful sponsorship program as well. Identifying all high-potential staff who are suited to be leaders can help improve retention and organisational productivity, which in turn boosts profits — not to mention a company’s employer branding and attractiveness to prospective hires.

Sponsorships are also key to alleviating the gender-equality crisis faced by many professions today, where women are more likely to be overlooked for career advancement than men. The financial consequence of this bias — whether conscious or not — can be significant.

According to a report entitled The Pipeline’s Women Count 2020, companies with no women on their executive committees have a net profit margin of 1.5%, whereas those with more than 33% of women at this level reached an impressive 15.2% net profit margin.²

Companies that use sponsorships to propel women into leadership positions have also resulted in even greater gender diversity at senior levels. In the FTSE 350, companies led by women have on average male/female ratio of 2:1 on their executive committees, as opposed to an average of 4:1 for companies led by men.

A more diversified and gender-equal workplace has been proven to be a major part of employer branding and is an attractive quality that today’s in-demand talent will take into consideration.

How does mentorship differ from sponsorship?

A mentor is a more experienced or knowledgeable person in a profession or specific area who provides guidance and lends support to a less experienced person.

Mentorships are useful for those who want to advance their career goals by tapping into someone who has more lived perspective in a particular field and can help them focus on the changes that they need to make to progress.

The benefits of mentoring are vast — so much so that according to the Association for Talent Management, 71% of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs. The advantages for both parties are clear.

Mentors in the workplace can shorten the learning curve of new employees and make the onboarding process a much more positive one, while also saving time on formal training and supervision. In addition, these experienced mentors often gain a fresh perspective on their work, reinforce their knowledge and find greater satisfaction in their job.

Benefits for mentees

Being mentored is one of the most valuable and effective development opportunities you can offer employees. Having the guidance, encouragement and support of a trusted and experienced mentor can provide a mentee with a broad range of personal and professional benefits, which ultimately lead to improved performance in the workplace.

For mentees, some key benefits of business mentoring include:

Exposure to new ideas and ways of thinking
Advice on developing strengths and overcoming weaknesses
Guidance on professional development and advancement
Increased visibility and recognition within the company
The opportunity to develop new skills and knowledge

Benefits for mentors

Mentoring is more than the transfer of advice, knowledge and insights. The relationship offers reciprocal benefits for mentors willing to invest their time in developing another professional. As well as the personal satisfaction of sharing their skills and experience with a willing learner, being involved in mentoring also provides some tangible benefits that can reward mentors professionally.

Some key benefits for mentors include:
Recognition as a subject matter expert and leader
Exposure to fresh perspectives, ideas and approaches
Extension of their professional development record
Opportunity to reflect on their own goals and practices
Development of their personal leadership and coaching styles

The impact of mentorship on an organisation’s workplace culture

So why is mentorship important, and what’s in it for the companies that invest in such programs?

An effective mentoring program has far-reaching benefits; the positive ripple effects include a more efficient and motivated workforce, increased job satisfaction and retention, and ultimately, a better workplace culture and employer branding. These four benefits help to position your company competitively among the market’s top talent looking for their next move.

1. Talent attraction

Learning opportunities are attractive incentives for these talents. Research has shown that opportunities for development have become the second most important factor in workplace happiness, after the nature of the work itself.

Prioritising employees to help them meet their career goals sends a clear message that you value the importance of a learning culture, and genuinely want to assist in giving them the edge in their career advancement, making it much more appealing for potential candidates to want to work for your company.

2. Retention

The returns of investing in mentorship also include employee retention. Aside from the cost of filling a vacant role, the cost that attrition has on morale, team dynamics and corporate culture can be substantial – and can influence how both current staff and potential future employees perceive the organisation.

According to a study by Californian tech company Sun Microsystems, retention rates were significantly higher for mentees (72%) as well as for mentors (69%) than for employees who did not participate (49%).

3. Engagement

Harvard Business Review has found that as many as 71% of millennials are either not engaged or actively disengaged at work. Mentorship programs are especially useful for helping your employees feel passionate about their jobs and want to put discretionary effort into their work.

In fact, 78.8% of these professionals said that they felt more engaged with their organisation after taking part in a mentorship program.With higher engagement comes a greater sense of fulfilment, and this eventually maps back to retention. Moreover, engaged workers are more productive and can be 21% more profitable.

4. Workplace culture

A good mentor can be the bridge between an individual and organisation, while also being a platform for a firm to demonstrate its commitment to helping employees develop skills to advance their careers.

A business’s supportive culture, focused on learning and professional development, is one of the key considerations that prospective staff take into account when choosing their next endeavour. It is also an important aspect of the overall employee experience.

A positive workplace culture boosts motivation and morale for the company, and drives productivity and efficiency even further. It can also help with both staff retention and recruitment efforts, as it proves that your business has something more to offer workers than just a paycheck.

One of the most impressive things about effective mentoring and sponsorship programs is how far the positive ripple effects reach. By effectively engaging, developing, and retaining employees, they help position your company competitively in the industry.

That boost in a firm’s image can make all the difference between attracting mere candidates and stellar talent who will contribute significantly to business success, as well as pushing your organisation further up the profitability ladder.

Start a hiring conversation with Michael Page to find out how you, too, can reap the many benefits of a leading global recruitment agency.

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Michael Page

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How to build a learning culture in your business

Naren Sankar — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 04:31:34 +0000

How to build a learning culture in your business Naren Sankar

A company with a strong learning culture can be thought of as the opposite of a company content to rest on its laurels.

A solid learning culture in an organisation is one where everything from the structure to the processes to the culture are all geared towards allowing but also encouraging employees at all levels to continue their education in skills, knowledge, and top performance. This culture allows for insights and facts to inform growth across the entirely of a company.

Try these tips to develop a learning culture in the workplace, and reap the benefits of a workforce that is constantly improving and growing.

Implement formal training

On-the-job training is commonplace throughout organisations, but can often be informal and relaxed. For some employees, this can create an atmosphere where the training isn’t taken as seriously as it should be, and those skills may not be implemented as a result.

It’s vital to put training at the forefront of your culture by creating a formal process for upskilling, no matter the employee level.

Reward learning

As much as most managers understand the value for learning, there’s also the very common problem that nobody has spare time when faced with business deadlines, priorities and problems needing immediate attention. It’s therefore easy for learning to fall by the wayside.

Creating a formal system for rewarding learning will encourage employees to bump training up their list of priorities, and to show learning is just as valuable as meeting targets. This could work as a new business or team responsibility with the offer or some form of reward such as additional work-from-home days or an early finish on Fridays.

Create time for learning

To truly show your commitment to creating a learning culture in the workplace, it’s essential to carve out time for employees that’s dedicated purely for learning.

An example could be dropping an employee’s projects one day of the month to allow for learning time, or setting aside a company-wide time slot to watch and discuss a presentation or similar.

Lead by example

Set the standard as a manager by bettering yourself through learning. Whether it’s through courses, conferences, or even simply sitting down with employees with different skill sets of your own, showing others in your team you are committed to learning shows you value their development, you lead by example and you follow through.

When others see you taking the time and genuinely enjoying the process, they may be more inspired to commit to learning themselves.

Ensure new skills are applied

To both highlight the importance of learning and then ensuring those new skills aren’t wasted or forgotten, find ways to test, utilise and review what your employees have learned.

You might consider incorporating their new skills into their tasks, or create a brief test or interview to double-check that new knowledge has become ingrained.

Hire the right people

Another fantastic way to create a learning culture is by planning ahead and hiring those who show a real interest in improving their skills and knowledge. They can help take ownership of your initiatives and may have some new approaches, since knowledge and further development comes naturally to them.

Incorporate questions into your interview process that will allow those with curious minds to shine, and include a penchant for learning as a bonus factor when making your hiring decisions. Eventually, this should lead to a workplace filled with staff who always seek learning opportunities, strengthening your business and its culture as a result.

Looking for a recruitment partner that understands your needs as you grow? Get in touch with us, and we can share more on the value Michael Page brings to your organisation.

Michael Page

6 tips on managing remote teams more effectively

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 04:25:30 +0000

6 tips on managing remote teams more effectively Anonymous (not verified)

Having looked after teams in Asia over the last eight years, I am the first to admit that managing people remotely is hard work. Why? Because remote teams are isolated from the day-to-day communication that the rest of us take for granted.

While everyone might be clear about a project at the start of the week, by Friday the work may have been clarified, discussed, refined and massaged into something very different. Without access to these conversations, it’s no surprise that your remote team members can be five steps behind everyone else! We assume they’re on the same page, but in reality they’ve been left out and robbed of the opportunity to add value.

Throughout my career, I have found that the secret to effectively managing teams remotely is simple: When in doubt, communicate! Here are six ideas that I’ve implemented to stay better connected to my team overseas:

Create a daily summary

At the end of each day, a member of my team will compile discussion points around key projects. If we talked about processes, issues, concerns, or made any decisions during the course of the day – it’s documented, filed, and sent out to the remote team members. That way, nothing gets lost in translation.

I’ve been doing this with my teams for the last 12 weeks now and the results have been very positive – the remote members of my team feel more included and informed; and I can close doors faster with fewer errors than before.

Give them clear goals, tasks and deadlines

We all know role ambiguity kills engagement. The last thing I want is for the remote members of my team to feel like they’re isolated from the rest of the team, and are waiting around for work. It’s critical to let them know exactly what I want them to achieve over the coming month/quarter, so that they can feel empowered, independent and in control.

During regular catch-ups we’ll verbally agree on tasks, KPIs, short and long-term milestones; document them; and then refer back to this on an on-going basis. Checking in regularly to see how they’re going is critical, particularly for those that are shy/uncomfortable about bringing up issues. Of all the engagement strategies I’ve implemented, I’ve found this to be the most effective so far.

Recognise their efforts publically

Remote teams often don’t get the verbal “Good job!” that people offer in passing here. I make an effort to regularly recognise their contribution publically, such as in a team meeting or team email. This helps them to feel like their efforts are acknowledged and valued – and that they’re part of the team.

I don’t always wait for something “big” to happen to recognise them. It could be as simple as telling them they have written a good email, or thanking them for completing a task proactively.

Recently one of my team members in Asia presented some information on a conference call. I sent them an email telling them they did a great job on the call citing a specific example: “I like the way you handled question x on the call.” I then followed that up in our next team meeting giving them a few minutes on the call to talk about their presentation and how they felt it went.

When it comes to managing people remotely, out of sight doesn’t need to mean out of mind. By making the effort to (over)communicate and include them as part of the team, we both win.

Get them involved in team building/celebrations

Celebrating together and creating shared memories is one of the best ways I’ve found to bring my remote and local teams together. Here’s an example: My team completed a major global project last year, and I was given budget to take them to lunch as a congratulations.

Instead, we bought a cake in Sydney and organised a team meeting via teleconference. While on the line to Singapore, they received a knock at the door, and were surprised with a cake of their own (which I had organised through the office manager).

We all enjoyed in the cake celebration as a team, and it’s a memory that the team in Singapore still recount to this day. We do the same for holidays – whether it’s exchanging Christmas cards, chocolates for Valentine’s Day, lanterns for Diwali or envelopes for Chinese New Year – if it happens here, we make sure it happens for the remote members of my team. For a small cost, these things go a long way to making people feel included.

Schedule meetings within their time zone

Another simple consideration: if you are managing people outside of your country, make meetings in a convenient time within their time zone. Unless a major crisis has erupted, I also avoid missing or changing meetings with Asia. They’re not here to understand why a meeting can’t happen, so it’s important to honour the commitment to demonstrate that I value their time and prioritise our catch ups.

Slow down meeting agendas

Phone conversations are tough, even if language issues aren’t a factor. For people on the receiving end it’s often difficult to hear, hard to interject, and impossible to interpret social queues. It’s critical to avoid rushing through the agenda. Remote teams need a chance to weigh in and respond, as we can’t see perplexed looks or confusion. They need to feel they’ve had a chance to listen and participate. Here’s how I structure each discussion point:

“Does anyone in Asia have any questions?”

“Does anyone in Australia have any questions?”

“Asia team – before we move on from this topic, do you have anything more to add?”

This gives my remote team ample opportunity to have things repeated, clarified or explained. Meetings are minuted and distributed, then followed up with a personal phone call to ensure everything was understood, and to give them a chance to clarify things privately. It also means that as a manager all major announcements and changes are captured, should I need to refer to them down the track.

When it comes to managing people remotely, out of sight doesn’t need to mean out of mind. By making the effort to (over)communicate and include them as part of the team, we both win – the business leverages their talents, and they feel like an engaged and valued member of the team.

Marcus Sandmann

Summary

More and more employees are working remotely, and sometimes entire teams are separated from their manager, which can lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection.

The most important things to do is maintain regular, consistent communication with remote workers and teams, and to have clear parameters in place to ensure no communication is misinterpreted.

Staff development

How qualitative performance evaluations give businesses a competitive edge

Why qualitative performance reviews must go beyond numbers

The benefits of qualitative performance evaluations

1. Stronger communication and collaboration

2. Initiative that drives innovation

3. Leadership behaviours at every level

4. Empathy that retains top talent

How qualitative feedback impacts business performance

Overcoming challenges in qualitative performance evaluations

Best practices for employers

Turning evaluations into competitive advantage

I need to hire

Popular articles

Advertise Your Role With Us

The value of mentorship and sponsorship, and what it can do for your company

Sponsorship: what’s it all about?

How does mentorship differ from sponsorship?

Benefits for mentees

Benefits for mentors

The impact of mentorship on an organisation’s workplace culture

1. Talent attraction

2. Retention

3. Engagement

4. Workplace culture

I need to hire

Popular articles

Advertise Your Role With Us

How to build a learning culture in your business

Implement formal training

Reward learning

Create time for learning

Lead by example

Ensure new skills are applied

Hire the right people

Popular articles

6 tips on managing remote teams more effectively

Create a daily summary

Give them clear goals, tasks and deadlines

Recognise their efforts publically

Get them involved in team building/celebrations

Schedule meetings within their time zone

Slow down meeting agendas

Summary