Performance management with TMA takes Isala to a higher level.

Isala offers top clinical and basic care. To continuously improve the quality of care, the cycle of evaluation, functioning, and assessment, as the start of performance management, has been used. It starts as soon as someone is hired.

“The first assessment follows at the end of the probationary period, and the second at the end of the introductory period. The employee then enters an annual cycle of results management. This starts with a planning meeting in which the manager and the employee talk about their personal goals that contribute to the bigger picture. There is then a progress meeting halfway through the year to see how things are going, and at the end of the year, there is an assessment in which we see whether the goals have been achieved and what is on the program for next year. There is no monetary reward associated with this. This system of results management will be further expanded in the coming years to include performance management (https://www.tma-methode.nl/en/talent-assessment).

Future

How do you ensure that individual objectives and those of a team remain aligned with the organization's strategy?
“Isala's strategy focuses on added value for the patient. We have translated this into an HR strategy that enables managers to involve their employees in the hospital ambitions. The professionals are given the space to do what they are good at, but the focus is on results. Result agreements are therefore part of the performance cycle. Traditionally, an assessment interview looks at the past. At Isala, this conversation is much more focused on the future.”

TMA Introduction

How do you keep department objectives aligned, or how do you ensure that departments all implement the strategy in the same way?
“We explain to managers and employees that Isala wants to 'get to the top' with them and that requires top performance from employees. Our Board of Directors conveys that it wants to facilitate these top performances. And again, the most important thing is that you give people the space to do what they are good at. Our entire HR strategy is based on this. If you let people achieve their goals in their own way – within the existing frameworks – then you have to focus on outcomes. Ultimately, we all work together to achieve the results we want.”

TMA Analysis

How do you create insight into an employee's talents or strengths?

“We work with a motivation analysis. Any team can use this. This gives you insight into where your talents lie and what gives you energy. Everyone in healthcare works with passion. But some people like this more than others. If you understand this, you can ultimately perform better as a team.”

“For example, we receive a lot of questions about elder policy. Does Isala have that? Our HR policy does not have a specific paragraph about this group, nor does it apply to young people or people with disabilities. We try to provide as much customization as possible. And that means that people will have to take charge of their own careers. Some people are 70 years old and still work for us one or two days a week and some 30-year-olds are in danger of going under because the balance between work and private life is not good for them. You can't tar those people with the same brush.

Isala chooses to deploy staff in such a way that we look beyond tomorrow. There are departments where you already know that work will be lost in the foreseeable future due to robotization or digitalization. The best thing would be if we could start training or retraining now. If you start this six weeks in advance you will be too late. Together with those employees, we will look at where the changes are in their primary process. And to what extent can we anticipate this now? This way they can think about what they want and what else they could do.”

Annie van Ommen HR-manager bij Isala

Healthcare is changing

Another development is that E-health is becoming increasingly developed…
"That's right. For example, patients are guided via the iPad or with special watches, etc. This allows you to observe and guide patients remotely. This requires different competencies from employees ”
How difficult is it to anticipate this with your strategic personnel planning?

“We don't have a big overarching plan for that. We start with the manager and his primary process and then include this in the future perspective. Managers know very well whether there are positions in their field that change due to these types of developments. Whenever possible, we use HR analytics for this. We are starting small, but we want to move towards outlining future analyses. For example, it now provides us with great advice about putting together optimal teams. We integrate that information into the performance management system. Based on this, you can show an employee in very concrete terms how his work will change. And you talk to him about that. Do you want to do another training? Do you want to retrain? Or would you rather look for another job?”

How have you organized training and development at Isala?
“A training budget is available, which is distributed based on submitted training plans. Isala also invests in employee mobility. If organizational changes lead to changes in positions or even to the elimination of positions, a budget is available for various mobility options. We also have a management development program in which education and training are provided at a central level in the field of lean leadership and other often strategic topics. But at least as much goes into professional knowledge.”

About Isala

Isala is a top clinical hospital with branches in Zwolle, Kampen, Heerde and from January 1, 2017 in Meppel, where almost 7,000 people work. The organization has replaced the traditional annual appraisal model with a personnel annual plan cycle in which the employee is responsible. Annie van Ommen, HR manager at Isala: “It is purely about results and what employees need to achieve this result.”