How to write performance objectives for employees

Setting clear, actionable performance objectives for your employees is one of the most effective ways to drive success in the workplace. These objectives not only help employees focus their efforts but also ensure alignment with broader company goals.

But how do you write and set performance objectives that are both meaningful and motivating? It’s all about striking the right balance between clarity, achievability, and impact. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process step by step.

Why writing effective objectives matters

Well-written employee objectives are the foundation of productive, motivated, and focused employees.

Here’s why they’re essential:

• They eliminate confusion about what’s expected

• Clear objectives give employees a sense of purpose

• They make tracking progress and evaluating performance straightforward

• Objectives ensure individual efforts contribute to team and company goals

If objectives are vague or unrealistic, employees can become disengaged or unsure about how to succeed.

For an in-depth guide to why performance objectives matter, see our article, The importance of performance objectives in the workplace.

Steps to writing effective performance objectives

Step 1: Start with the role and responsibilities

Before setting work objectives, it’s important to understand your employee’s role and key responsibilities.

Ask yourself:

• What are the most important aspects of their job?

• Where can they make the biggest impact?

This step ensures the performance objectives are relevant and tied to their day-to-day tasks.

Step 2: Align with company goals

Performance objectives should connect with broader business goals. For example, if your company’s goal is to “improve customer satisfaction,” the customer service team’s objectives might include reducing response times or increasing resolution rates.

Linking objectives to company priorities ensures everyone is working toward a common vision.

Step 3: Use the SMART Framework

The SMART criteria is a tried-and-true method for crafting effective objectives:

• Specific: Clearly define what needs to be achieved

• Measurable: Include metrics to track progress

• Achievable: Set realistic, attainable goals

• Relevant: Ensure the objective aligns with the role and company goals

• Time-bound: Establish a deadline or timeframe

Step 4: Break objectives into milestones

Large objectives can feel overwhelming. Breaking them into smaller milestones makes them more manageable and allows for regular progress checks.

For instance, if your objective is:

• Launch a new product by Q3

Your milestones would be:

• Complete market research by end of Q1

• Finalise product design by end of Q2

• Begin marketing campaign by early Q3

Step 5: Collaborate with your employee

Involve employees in the objective-setting process.

This collaboration:

• Increases buy-in and commitment

• Ensures the objectives are realistic from the employee’s perspective

• Fosters a sense of ownership over their performance

Step 6: Incorporate professional development

Great performance objectives don’t just focus on immediate tasks—they also support employee growth.

 For example:

• Complete a leadership training program by the end of the year

• Gain proficiency in advanced Excel within three months

Investing in professional development benefits both your employee and your business.

Step 7: Review and adjust regularly

Objectives shouldn’t be set and forgotten. Regularly review progress in one-on-one meetings and adjust as needed to reflect changing priorities or challenges.

How to easily set and track performance objectives

In today’s workplace, technology can make the process of setting, managing and tracking work objectives significantly more efficient. Performance management software, gives you the tools to simplify the entire process ensuring clarity and consistency across teams.

For example, BrightHR’s performance management feature allows you to:

• Store all objectives in one place for centralised tracking making it easy for your employees and managers to monitor progress.

• Set reminders for reviews, updates and deadlines, ensuring everyone stays on track.

• Align your company goals with individual objectives, for total business alignment.

• Gather data on performance metrics to hold effective performance appraisals.

Setting performance objectives examples by role

The best way to learn how to write and set objectives for performance is to look at examples. Here are a few based on a couple different employee roles:

Customer service representative

• Reduce average response time for customer inquiries to under 24 hours within three months

• Increase customer satisfaction scores by 10% over the next six months by improving resolution processes

Sales executive

• Close £50,000 in new sales within the next quarter

• Secure five new client accounts by the end of the year through targeted outreach

For more examples, see our examples of employee performance objectives and explore a variety of work objectives designed to boost engagement and efficiency.

How objectives link to goals

Performance objectives don’t exist in a vacuum—they’re part of a bigger picture. While objectives focus on specific, short-term actions, performance goals represent broader, long-term outcomes.

For example, if your goal is:

• Expand the company’s market presence

Your objective could be:

• Increase brand awareness by 25% over the next six months through targeted social media campaigns

To learn more on how objectives work side by side with your company goals, see our article, Performance goals vs. performance objectives.

Get help with your performance objectives from BrightHR

Writing effective performance objectives is both an art and a science. When done right, they provide employees with the clarity and motivation they need to succeed while ensuring that their efforts align with your company’s goals.

Remember: the best objectives are specific, measurable, and collaborative. They inspire employees to reach their full potential and drive meaningful progress for your business.

Ready to start crafting impactful objectives for your team? Use this guide as a roadmap and create clear achievable objectives for your employees with the help of our performance management software.