Assistor customer profile

Assistor raises the bar

The challenge
Establishing the Performance and Development Dialogue was an important element and the backbone in Assistor’s transition from an administrative culture to a performance culture.

The solution
A successful and well designed concept for Performance and Development Dialogue was the remedy to move towards this objective. By employing CatalystOne they were able to raise the bar even higher.

The benefits
They have experienced better preparations and improved follow-up of the Performance and Development Dialogue process, resulting in an increased ability to achieve their targets.

“The greatest advantage is increased focus on the preparations. The dialogues are of higher quality and the goal setting has improved. “

Roger Keiseraas
Director

Assistor is a shared service center in the NSB Group (Norwegian State Railways) with administrative services as their core business. After having won the competition to take over NSB’s administrative shared facilities, the deal was based on a condition of a considerably increased efficiency. This meant, in fact, a change of our organizational culture, says director Roger Keiseraas.

The Performance and Development Dialogue as the backbone

For Assistor the Performance and Development Dialoguewould prove to be an important instrument in this change.

- We developed a management system where the Performance and Development Dialogue was the supporting element. The ability to link overall objectives to individual objectives was very important. We focused on assessing objectives and giving feedback.

– Many organizations have Appraisal Dialogues, but its value is often limited. Sometimes we were contented just with the very completion of the dialogue. In Assistor, however, the management priority on the dialogue itself was important.

– We decided to not only execute onePerformance and Development Dialogue per year, but two, ensuring high quality on the dialogue.

From 2003 Assistor has, with great success completed two Performance and Development Dialogues annually. The focus has been to set and assess business objectives and personal development goals.

We compete on the same conditions as other service providers, and we need to develop and improve ourselves. The dialogues have made it possible to see business objectives and personal development goals in relation to each other, and to link reward to performance. This focus has contributed to Assistor becoming a responsive and a competitive organization.

Mr Keiseraas adds that the organization responded with some scepticism and uncertainty in the beginning related to the new process

– But we made it.

Increased ambitions with CatalystOne

When implementing the Performance and Development Dialogue process as the backbone in Assistor, it was natural to consider IT support.

– With an IT-solution from CatalystOne we realized immediately it would help us achieve our ambitions.

After implementing CatalystOne Appraisal Manager, the organization experienced benefits of improved preparations, follow-up, clear expectations, a more efficient process and better overview.

Improved preparations

– The greatest benefit is increased focus on the preparations. The level of quality and goal settings have improved.

– Earlier the manager had to lead the process. Now, it is to a larger extent placed on the employee, who makes the first move. The employee has more responsibility by assessing their own performance and proposing new objectives for the next period as a part of the preparations for the dialogue.

– When the dialogue meeting is held, both manager and especially the employee are well prepared. We see that the preparations are more targeted and structured. We often also spend less time.

Follow-up and responsibility

Another consequence for Assistor is improved follow-up.

– Earlier the signed form was put in a drawer after the dialogue meeting and was often not looked at before the next dialogue meeting. This was a clear weakness.
– With CatalystOne we see increased focus on the follow-up. We all get regular reminders. Objectives and agreed commitments get more attention from managers as well as from employees. Regular follow-up affects the result. This is an important reason that we implemented CatalystOne Appraisal Manager.

– The Performance and Development Dialoguelives all-year-round. The objectives are on your dashboard, and not in a drawer, Keiseraas points out.

– Although the process, without doubt, has been taken very seriously the last couple of years, I am inclined to say that CatalystOne has raised the standard to the extent of which the process has been received.

All in one place

Keiseraas emphasizes that the ability to see a clear relationship between individual and organizational objectives is very important.

– Since the objectives are available in one place for the organization as well as for the individual, it is easier to see the link between the personal goals and the strategy of the organization.

Solution with a potential for growth
Assistor selected CatalystOne since the solutions could be configured according to their needs.

– It was not relevant for us to start from scratch and adjust to a new system. Being able to reflect our process and our content was crucial.

Assistor has now used CatalystOne for a while and it is relevant to consider using CatalystOne also in other areas, e.g. 360 feedback and succession planning.

– We are very engaged in having an overall management- and performance system and this is what CatalystOne offers. The vendor has, at all times, been very accommodating and service minded as an organization, concludes Keiseraas.