14 Tools to Measure Employee Performance

What are performance management tools?

Employee performance management tools are platforms that analyze employee output and engagement against specific key performance indicators (KPIs). These tools typically include features like goal setting, project tracking and data analysis to help managers evaluate both individual and team performance.

As remote work plans become more common, these tools are more important than ever. When managing a remote team, it’s helpful to track data like time spent on a project, idle time and time in specific documents. You can then use that information to assess performance and provide formal or informal feedback to improve outcomes.

What are the top employee performance measurement tools?

If you’re looking to track and improve employee performance, the right software can make a big difference. Below are some of the top employee performance tools to help you find the best fit for your team’s needs.

1. BambooHR

BambooHR is an all-in-one HR platform that includes performance management tools to help businesses track and support employee development.

Instead of relying on occasional reviews, BambooHR makes it easier to build performance management into your day-to-day workflows. Managers can run structured evaluations while also using tools like prebuilt and customizable review cycles, 360-degree feedback, one-on-one check-ins and goal tracking to keep employees engaged and on track.

BambooHR is a strong fit for businesses that want a more consistent, flexible approach to performance management with ongoing conversations, feedback and progress tracking. It’s also a good choice for companies that need an all-in-one HR platform, not just a standalone performance tool.

Performance management features are available starting with BambooHR’s Pro plan at $17 per employee per month. Read our detailed review of BambooHR to learn more.

2. Basecamp

Basecamp is a project management and team collaboration tool that helps businesses organize tasks, track progress and keep teams aligned.

While it’s not a traditional employee performance management platform, Basecamp gives managers visibility into day-to-day work. You can see what employees plan to work on, track task completion and monitor progress in real time without constant check-ins.

Because Basecamp is built around task management, not formal evaluations, it helps with accountability and gives you visibility into what people are working on; however, it doesn’t include structured performance reviews. If performance reviews are a priority, you’ll need to integrate a separate tool.

Basecamp keeps pricing relatively simple, with a limited free plan for small teams, per-user plans starting at about $15 per month and a flat monthly option for unlimited users.

3. ClickUp

ClickUp is a work management platform that combines project management, goal tracking and team collaboration in one place.

It’s not a traditional performance management tool, but it gives teams a clear view of how work is progressing. Managers can track tasks, timelines and workloads, while built-in features like Goals, time tracking and reporting help connect day-to-day work to broader team and company objectives. ClickUp also offers a wide range of templates, including one-on-one agendas, engagement surveys and action plans, making it easier to standardize workflows without starting from scratch.

Because ClickUp is built around managing work, not evaluating employees, it gives you visibility into what people are working on, how projects are moving and what may be slowing things down, but it doesn’t include structured performance reviews. It can work as a goal-setting app for teams that want to tie performance to output and progress, rather than relying only on periodic evaluations.

ClickUp offers a free plan, with paid plans starting at about $7 per user per month.

4. Culture Amp

Culture Amp is an employee experience platform that focuses on performance management, engagement and employee development.

It’s built to help managers understand how employees are doing and where they need support, using tools like performance reviews, engagement surveys and peer feedback. The platform includes a strong library of templates, along with development tools that help turn feedback into actionable professional growth plans.

Because Culture Amp centers on feedback and employee engagement, it gives you a clearer picture of how employees are performing and feeling over time, but it’s less focused on day-to-day task tracking. It works well for organizations that want to build a feedback-driven culture and connect performance management with employee development.

Culture Amp uses custom pricing, so you’ll need to contact the company for a quote.

5. DeskTime

DeskTime is a time-tracking and employee monitoring tool that helps businesses understand how working hours are actually spent.

It tracks time automatically across apps, websites and projects, so managers can see where time goes throughout the day. You can label activities as productive or unproductive, review time by project and spot patterns like frequent idle time or distractions. Features like document title tracking, URL and app tracking and optional screenshots add another layer of visibility, especially for remote teams.

Because DeskTime is built around tracking time and activity, it gives you a detailed view of how work gets done, but it doesn’t include structured performance reviews or development tools. It works well for small teams or business owners who want straightforward, data-backed insight into daily productivity without adding a full performance management system.

DeskTime offers a free plan, with paid plans starting at about $6 per user per month.

6. iDoneThis

iDoneThis is a lightweight team check-in tool that helps companies track progress through daily updates.

Instead of relying on dashboards or time tracking, iDoneThis prompts employees at the end of each workday to share what they worked on, completed tasks and more. Those updates are compiled into a daily digest and shared with the team, giving managers and co-workers a quick snapshot of what’s getting done without adding another meeting to the calendar.

Because iDoneThis is built around daily check-ins, it makes progress visible and keeps teams aligned, but it doesn’t include detailed performance tracking or formal reviews. It works well for teams that want a simple way to stay connected and accountable without introducing a more complex system.

iDoneThis offers a free trial, though you’ll need to contact the company for current pricing details.

7. Humanforce HR (formerly intelliHR)

Humanforce HR (formerly intelliHR) is a cloud-based people management module within the Humanforce suite that combines performance management, employee engagement and HR analytics.

It gives managers and HR teams a better sense of how employees are doing over time, using tools like performance reviews, ongoing feedback, engagement surveys and goal tracking. You can also pull reports across teams to see patterns in performance, turnover and employee sentiment.

Because Humanforce HR is built around ongoing feedback and people data, it helps you understand how employees are performing and where support is needed, but it’s less focused on day-to-day task tracking. It works well for organizations that want deeper insight into performance trends, performance improvement plans and employee engagement, rather than just tracking output.

Pricing is customized, so you’ll need to contact the company for a quote.

8. Lattice

Lattice is a performance management platform that helps organizations run reviews, track employee performance goals and support employee development.

Teams can set up review cycles on their own schedule (whether that’s annual, quarterly or tied to specific projects) and bring in feedback from multiple sources, including co-workers and managers. Lattice also connects performance reviews to goals and OKRs, so managers can evaluate employees on their actual work and progress. It also supports ongoing feedback, status updates and recognition, giving managers more context between reviews.

Lattice is built around continuous feedback and goal tracking, so you get a sense of how people are progressing over time. It’s not really meant for tracking day-to-day tasks. Teams tend to use it when they want something more structured than annual reviews — a way to connect performance to goals and development without starting from scratch each cycle. Lattice also includes AI-driven insights and recommendations to help teams identify trends and improve performance.

Pricing starts at about $11 per user per month, with additional modules available.

9. monday.com

monday.com is a work management platform teams can use to organize tasks, track progress and keep projects moving.

Managers can assign work, set priorities and see how tasks are moving throughout the day, with simple status updates like “working on it,” “done” or “stuck.” You can quickly spot delays or stalled tasks, which means fewer check-ins. Teams can also customize workflows and status labels to match how they actually work.

Because monday.com is built around managing work, you can see what’s moving and what’s getting stuck, but it doesn’t include structured performance reviews. It’s a good fit for teams that want to track output and accountability as part of their daily workflow, not just during formal evaluations.

Pricing starts at about $9 per user per month, with a limited free plan available.

10. Paycor

Paycor is an HR and payroll platform — often included among the best online payroll services — that also includes performance management tools.

In addition to payroll, recruiting and onboarding, Paycor lets managers track employee performance using data from reviews, one-on-one meetings, goals and other feedback sources, all in one place. Managers can use customizable templates to guide performance conversations and pull reports that surface trends across individuals and teams.

Because Paycor combines HR, employee recruitment, payroll and performance tools, it works well for businesses that want to manage employee data and performance in a single system, but it may be more than you need if you’re only looking for a standalone performance platform. (You can read our full review of Paycor for a closer look at its features.) Pricing is customized, so you’ll need to contact the company for a quote.

11. Peoplebox.ai

Peoplebox.ai is a performance management platform that connects goal tracking with employee feedback and development.

Teams can run performance reviews using customizable templates and pull in input from OKRs, one-on-one meetings and ongoing feedback, so reviews reflect the work people are actually doing. It also connects with tools teams already use, so performance conversations stay tied to day-to-day work instead of living in a separate system.

Because Peoplebox.ai is centered on goals and alignment, it helps you see how individual performance connects to team and company objectives, but it’s less focused on task management. It works well for organizations that want to tie performance reviews directly to OKRs and ongoing check-ins. One standout feature is anonymous employee feedback, which gives employees a way to share concerns or suggestions more openly.

Pricing starts at about $8 per employee per month, with additional add-ons available.

12. PerformYard

PerformYard is a performance management platform designed to help teams run structured, consistent review processes.

Managers can set up performance reviews in different formats, including 360 reviews, project-based reviews and rating scales. They can also keep feedback moving with ongoing check-ins and goal tracking. Employees can see feedback and updates in one place, which makes it easier to keep track of conversations and follow up on them.

Because PerformYard is focused on formal performance processes, it works well for organizations that want to standardize reviews and feedback across teams, but it’s not really geared toward day-to-day task tracking.

Pricing ranges from about $5 to $10 per employee per month; you can also add on features like engagement surveys and AI tools.

13. Trakstar

Trakstar is a performance management platform that focuses on reviews, feedback and goal tracking in one place. Managers can run performance evaluations using customizable templates, including 360 feedback and self-assessments, depending on how formal (or flexible) they want the process to be.

Teams can also set goals and track progress over time, while pulse surveys and regular check-ins give managers a read on engagement. Instead of pulling information from multiple systems, everything lives in one platform, which makes it easier to keep performance conversations organized.

Pricing is customized, so you’ll need to contact the company for a quote.

14. Trello

Trello is a project management tool that organizes work into visual boards, lists and cards, making it easy to see what’s in progress and what’s coming next. Teams can create task cards, assign them to employees and move them through different stages, which helps managers keep track of progress without constant check-ins.

While Trello isn’t a traditional performance management tool, it shows you how work is actually moving and where tasks start to stall. You can see who’s working on what, what’s getting done and what’s sitting untouched, which gives managers a better sense of day-to-day productivity. Because it’s built around task management, not formal evaluations, Trello tends to work best for small teams that want a simple, visual way to stay organized without adding another layer of process.

Trello offers a free plan, with paid plans starting at about $5 per user per month for additional features like advanced automation and views.

What are the benefits of using employee performance tools?

Tracking employee performance can improve manager and employee relations by increasing business transparency and ensuring teams stay on the same page. Here’s how companies can benefit from implementing employee performance management tools.

Identify strengths and areas for improvement.

Employee performance tools make it easier to see where people are doing well and where they may need support. Instead of relying on occasional reviews or gut instinct, managers can look at real data — whether that’s goals, feedback or day-to-day output — and spot patterns over time.

From there, it’s easier to step in with the right kind of support, whether that means adjusting workloads, offering coaching or providing additional employee training.

“Organizations can evaluate employee competencies [and] skill gaps and provide coaching or development materials on time when they have real-time visibility into performance data,” explained Shivareddy Devarapalli, a Workday HCM architect.

At a broader level, this visibility helps leaders distribute work more effectively across the team. You can lean into individual strengths, avoid overloading certain team members and get a clearer sense of where there may be gaps, including when it’s time to hire employees.

Understand (and increase) your return on investment (ROI).

Employee performance management tools help you connect productivity to revenue, giving you a clearer picture of what each role — and each employee — is contributing relative to compensation.

Instead of guessing, you can look at actual performance data to see what’s driving results and where adjustments may be needed. That can inform everything from staffing decisions to how you structure compensation, especially as roles evolve.

“Higher-quality performance management software enables higher-quality performance management decisions. And better performance equals higher revenue,” noted Alyssa Leo, principal at Leo+Co Enterprises. “HR investments are worth the dollars when they enable better business outcomes.”

Reduce your administrative burden.

Keeping up with performance reviews, check-ins and ongoing documentation can be time-consuming, especially when day-to-day operations take priority.

Performance management tools help streamline that process by organizing reviews, reminders and feedback in one place, so managers don’t have to track everything manually or chase down updates. “Better software that is helping leaders check in in real time reduces the administrative burden both on people leaders as well as HR teams,” Leo explained.

Farin Lesch, director of HR at HR Transformed, agreed, noting that these tools also help keep evaluations on track and more visible to employees. “Many companies that don’t utilize software find that they are behind on performance reviews and leave employees disappointed or unaware of their performance,” Lesch noted.

Empower employees through clarity and accountability.

One of the biggest benefits of performance management tools is that they make expectations clearer for both employees and managers.

For Brittany L. Truszkowski, chief operating officer at Grand Canyon Law Group, a structured, template-based system helped bring that clarity into day-to-day work.

“People really know what’s expected of them, and managers no longer shirk their responsibility to have the hard conversations,” Truszkowski explained. “Our turnover went down and our team engagement went up — because expectations were clear, and so was movement.”

That said, there’s a difference between visibility and over-monitoring. While some level of user activity monitoring can help employees stay focused, too much can start to feel intrusive. If people feel like they’re being watched too closely, it can backfire.

Instead, look for tools that keep performance tracking in the background and focus on shared goals and ongoing conversations. The goal is to create clarity and accountability without making employees feel micromanaged.

Best practices for fair, goal-driven performance management

When used thoughtfully, performance management tools can help you support employees, make more informed decisions and keep your team aligned with your overall business goals. A few best practices can help ensure your system stays fair, consistent and useful over time.

Implement transparent, data-driven processes.

Clear processes make a big difference when it comes to fairness. Instead of relying on subjective evaluations, use tools that standardize how performance is measured and give employees visibility into how they’re being assessed.

Devarapalli recommends building a structured process with clearly defined goals and competencies that are applied consistently across the organization. “The talent development team should be in charge of an organized procedure with well-defined goals and competencies that are applied uniformly throughout the company,” Devarapalli said.

Once those goals are in place, visibility into progress matters just as much. Look for tools that support ongoing, two-way feedback between managers and employees, along with permission settings that control who can see what.

Choose tools that fit your organization’s needs.

When choosing a performance management tool, it helps to start with how your team actually works. Lesch recommends thinking about your audience first — whether they prefer a straightforward, easy-to-use system or something more robust with additional features.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Some teams want a simple tool they’ll use consistently, while others need more customization and deeper reporting. Either way, a few core capabilities tend to matter most:

• Goal and competency setting and tracking
• Clear feedback loops
• Analytics and reporting dashboards
• Customization options for different roles and workflows
• An intuitive interface
• Easy integration with your existing systems

Train managers to conduct unbiased reviews.

Performance management tools are only as effective as the people using them. A few best practices can help keep evaluations fair and consistent:

• Train your managers: Leo emphasized that training plays a key role in keeping evaluations fair and consistent. “The training needs to explain how to use the tool, but more importantly, what a strong performance evaluation looks like,” Leo explained. “The more robust and specific definitions and expectations are, the less room there is for inequality.”
• Calibrate success: Beyond individual training, it’s just as important to make sure managers are aligned on what success looks like. In larger organizations, that often means calibrating how performance is evaluated across teams. “We hold quarterly manager huddles to review evaluations as a group — so one person’s ‘exceeds expectations’ isn’t another person’s ‘meets,'” Truszkowski said. “We also developed KPIs connected to the company’s objectives, so performance conversations were based on impact, not emotion.”
• Create a fair, unbiased culture: Training shouldn’t be a one-time effort tied to a specific tool rollout. Lesch stressed the importance of building these skills early, especially as employees move into leadership roles. “Learning how to be fair and unbiased is a learned behavior,” Lesch said. “If a business puts time into staff to teach them how to pour more into their teams, they will see their staff engaged in meeting company goals.”

Danielle Fallon-O’Leary contributed to this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.