Performance Management is Broken – We’re Building Seam to Fix It

In 2024, the ROI of performance management processes cannot be overstated. They can either fuel organizational success or hinder it. Having worked across a number of startups, I've seen the spectrum of approaches to performance reviews, from political and opaque to refreshingly transparent. My time at Seam has been a standout experience where the approach couldn’t be more different, and in the best possible way. Let's dive deeper into this transformative journey.

Before Seam, my experience with performance management mirrored that of many startups: the annual review process was standard practice. However, it often felt oddly disconnected from the reality of my role, which was largely numbers-driven. Despite this, the evaluation process leaned heavily towards qualitative assessments, in turn leaving me feeling out of sync.

Discussing promotions or raises felt like navigating a political minefield. It seemed that success was contingent not just on performance, but on networking prowess and playing "the game." This culture of ambiguity and favoritism left much to be desired.

Enter Seam: the future of performance management

Using Seam, the culture surrounding performance reviews can be transformed with a breath of fresh air. Access to performance data is not just encouraged but embraced. Transparency is the cornerstone of our approach, in turn empowering employees to track progress continuously.

While spearheading GTM at Seam, transparency is crucial. With access to metrics like outreach and revenue, I can gauge my performance in real-time. What sets us apart is that transparency isn't limited to certain roles – even our engineering team benefits from visibility into their performance metrics – fostering a culture of healthy competition and continuous improvement.

How to take action equipped with quantitative data

At Seam, performance reviews aren't a once-a-year ordeal but an ongoing opportunity for self reflection and growth. I've found these reviews invaluable for identifying areas for improvement. For instance, analyzing my weekly and monthly quarterly output and performance revealed a need for consistency in my outreach, prompting me to refine my schedule for better results.

Using Seam's meeting analysis tool, my manager and I identified inefficiencies in our one-on-one meetings, leading us to streamline our sessions for maximum productivity. This commitment to efficiency and improvement epitomizes the culture at Seam.

On a final note, what initially drew me to Seam was its commitment to transparency. Our collective emphasis on data-driven performance not only transformed how we evaluate performance, but also how we work and grow as a team. In an ecosystem where opaque processes are too common, Seam stands out as a beacon of transparency and empowerment.