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Performance Management

Performance management without the bureaucracy

Small companies don't need a 40-page competency framework — they need a lightweight, honest way to set expectations, give feedback, and address underperformance before it spreads. We build exactly that.

The problem

Avoiding the conversation costs the most

The single most expensive thing a small company does with performance is nothing — letting an underperformer coast because the conversation is uncomfortable. It demoralizes your best people, who notice, and it makes the eventual termination riskier because there's no record. A simple, consistent performance rhythm prevents both.

What we build

Everything performance management requires, run by someone who's done it before.

Review cadence

A lightweight review rhythm — quarterly or semi-annual — sized for a small company, not a copy of an enterprise process nobody will follow.

Goal-setting

Clear, written expectations so employees know what good looks like and managers have something concrete to manage against.

Manager coaching

We coach your managers to give direct, useful feedback continuously instead of saving it all for an annual review nobody enjoys.

Performance improvement plans

When someone's underperforming, we write PIPs that genuinely aim to improve performance and — if it comes to it — create the documentation that makes a termination defensible.

Compensation alignment

We connect performance to comp decisions with a defensible framework, so raises and promotions aren't arbitrary or inconsistent.

Calibration

As you grow past one manager, we help calibrate ratings across managers so 'meets expectations' means the same thing everywhere.

Common questions

Performance Management FAQ

Does a 20-person company really need performance reviews?

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It needs a performance rhythm — not necessarily formal annual reviews. At 20 people the goal is clear expectations, regular feedback, and a way to address underperformance early. We build something lightweight you'll actually use, not enterprise bureaucracy you'll abandon.

What makes a performance improvement plan actually work?

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A real PIP is built to improve performance, not to paper a file before a firing. It needs specific, measurable expectations, a realistic timeframe, defined support, and honest check-ins. Done right it either turns the employee around or creates the documentation that makes a later termination defensible.

How much does performance management support cost?

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Performance management is included in our Growth retainer ($3,500/month) and above, covering review design, manager coaching, and PIP support. We can also build a performance system as a one-time project.

Can you help tie performance to pay?

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Yes. We build a defensible link between performance and compensation — paired with our comp benchmarking — so raises and promotions are consistent and explainable rather than ad hoc.
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