Describing SAP SuccessFactors Performance and Goals

Watch the video to get started on SAP SuccessFactors Performance and Goals unit.

SAP SuccessFactors Goal Management enables employees and managers to align individual goals with company business objectives. It helps organizations ensure that all employees are aligned and work on essential things that matter most.

A Goal Plan is an online worksheet where users (such as an employee and a manager) create, update, and align performance goals in one central place and track goal progress throughout the year. The goals tab interface makes it easier to toggle between performance and development goals (if implemented).

The elements of a performance goal plan:

1. People Selector that displays hierarchy and User Search.
2. Navigation menu between Performance and Development Goals.
3. Goal Plan template selector
4. Goal Count, Filtering by Status and Total Weight
5. Goal Plan Actions menu
6. Goal Card actions menu
7. Goal Categories
8. Goal Card main details (Name, Type, Due date, % Complete, Status and Weight)

Goals can be created in a number of different ways.

• You can create goals using generative AI. Write a brief description/prompt of what you want to achieve and select generate. Generative AI feature is only available with SAP AI Unit License.
• You can create goals from scratch
• You can create goals by copying from another goal plan
• You can create goals by using a goal library

• Goal Library is a list of goals that the user can select and add to their Goal Plan or the Goal Plans of their direct reports, depending on their permissions and your company's business processes. The goals are editable when you add them to a plan and provide a starting point for goal setting. Standard Goal Libraries are provided; however, you can choose to create custom libraries to meet the organization’s needs.
• Team Goals: allows managers to create, update, and assign goals for their team members, without having to include the goals in their own Goal Plan. It effectively allows the manager to manage and monitor the goals they set for their team, without having to achieve the goals directly.
• Goal Alignment: can be achieved by cascading and aligning goals. Goal alignment allows employees to feel more tied to the organization’s goals and managers to monitor and track company-wide progress. Cascading a goal allows users to cascade a personal goal from their own goal plan to another user’s goal plan, typically a manager cascading a goal to their direct reports. It is also possible the other way around, a user selects a goal from someone else's goal plan and cascades it to their own goal plan. This way goal creation and alignment can be achieved at the same time.

  Watch video to learn how cascade push is used to add goals.

  Watch the video to learn how to use Cascade Pull to add goals.

The Performance Form is an online form used to review the employee’s performance. Employees and managers use the form to provide ratings and comments on goals and competencies and/or skills. The Performance Form is organized in sections that are either informational or require actions such as ratings and comments. Additionally, it contains a route map which is the workflow the form follows from creation until completion. Performance Forms are accessible by selecting the main navigation drop-down list and then selecting the Performance tab.

The main elements of a Performance Form include the following:

• Route Map: Route maps establish the steps and roles that are involved in a performance review. The route map displays at the top of the performance form giving a clear indication of where the form is currently and which steps follow. When the form is routed to a step, the user can go to Home → Performance → Inbox to open the form.

• Rating Scale: Rating scales allow the reviewer to assign a score to the employee as a measure of performance. Goal ratings, competency ratings and overall ratings can be provided in a performance form.

• Goal Section: Goal sections display the goals created and tracked on the employee’s goal plan.

• Competency Section: Competency sections display the competencies that are associated with the employee’s role and can also display the core competencies of the organization. The writing assistant tool is available per competency to effectively help the user with providing feedback.

• Summary Section: The summary section lists the ratings of each goal and competency as well as the overall form rating.

Team Overview is a tool that enables managers to get a one-page list of their direct reports and evaluate their performance depending on the status of a performance form. From the Team Overview, managers can Ask for Feedback on their direct reports from internal or external users.