Klout is the Future of Performance Management

Hate them or love them Klout is here to stay. While we may all question Klout’s scoring algorithms, we can probably all agree on the value of the outcome; identifying people with the ability to persuade via social media.

So why not develop and reward employees based on a corporate driven type Klout score! Recent studies show most employers are oblivious to an employees impact within their company and outside the company as it relates to intangibles outside their normal job description. Many employees are devout advocates for their companies on many fronts: identifying great hires, mentoring employees, referring customers and much more. So why not reward these individuals?

Klout currently measures an individuals influence in the social network by their True Reach + Amplification + Network Impact. A corporate Klout model will likely continue to use these three areas but through the following possible corporate lenses:

1. Impact in their job

How well are they getting things done, independently and by influencing how things get done within and outside the company.

2. Impact on Sales

Are they referring customers, building positive goodwill, marketing products and services, attracting possible partners and suppliers.

3. Impact on internal social network (employees)

Are they helping to mentor employees, training others, retaining and convincing others to stay with the company, what are other employees saying about them.

4. Impact on Hiring

Are they referring good leads to recruiting, are they talking up the company positively outside the company, are they involved positively in professional forums, associations.

Great companies thrive by providing clear guidance and desired outcomes, so it's no less important when it comes to providing information to employees on how they can help the company beyond their day-to-day job. Companies who do so and properly reward their employees will thrive. Incompetent companies who want the results but do not do the proper care and feeding will fail as they already do. There are no magic bullets but measuring employee value more quantifiably and rewarding those employees for their true worth will go a long way in ensuring a company's future success.

Corporate Klout may not appear tomorrow but it's not far off. So love or hate Klout and their counterparts they have given us an opportunity to look beyond traditional employee value. The future looks bright for those that go beyond their day-to-day job. What do you think about Kloutifying performance management?

For more on this author visit:

Linked in - http://ca.linkedin.com/in/francoisguay

Blog - http://attackdefenddisrupt.wordpress.com/

Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/GuayFrancois

Comment by Sandra McCartt on November 9, 2011 at 2:38pm: I did a little unplanned survey last night I was in Pier One buying candles. When i checked out there were two college age kids working in the store. One of them asked me if i wanted my email address entered to receive store notices. I said something like, "oh God no, between twitter, facebook and linkedin i spent an hour a day opting out of emails. Both of them agreeded and said it had gotten to be a big distraction. I asked what they thought about Klout. Both of them rolled their eyes and one said. "That is so dumb even the geeks think it's dumb."

So if the geek kids think it's dumb what are adults with business experience doing trying to be serious about it?

I am with Gen Z. It's dumb. That is all.

Comment by Nate Fischer on November 9, 2011 at 3:30pm: I'll tell you why Sandra because we in the recruiting industry try to be on the forefront of the next big thing. Whether it is to say that we have "been there" and "been there in the beginning" OR, if some of us TRULY look to see whether in the end it will REALLY get us candidates.

I need tools that will help me place people and put "butts in seats" as my boss used to say. Klout doesn't do that, and I don't think it EVER will.

In the meantime might I offer you my free subway sandwich???

Comment by Francois Guay on November 9, 2011 at 4:12pm: Forget about Klout for a minute and focus on how we can identify someone's total contribution at a company. This is the unseen value. As recruiters we should all pay special attention to how this can measured in the future. It may not be totally accurate but is another thing we can look at.

Comment by Nate Fischer on November 9, 2011 at 4:17pm: Isn't that what references are for. Never mind the invaluable tool they are at networking to get additional business. But you will never have some "number" or easily usable website to determine someone's true contribution to an organization. I wouldn't want any other way to find out, to be totally honest.

Comment by Sandra McCartt on November 9, 2011 at 6:20pm: Francois you are an interesting bird. Everytime you advance one of these deals and people beat it down as BS you then rewind and say forget it. Opps that didn't go over so big so how about measuring unseen value.

If it's unseen value then it can't and won't be measured. Managers and co workers know from working with someone if they bring value and will promote or recommend that person. Unless of course they are the guy who didn't do squat but he did bring doughnuts or subway sandwiches for the team a couple of times a week. Or maybe he came by on Sat. and watered the plants in front of the building and pruned the roses. Forget about Klout is what most of us have already done. Measuring unseen value is right up there with saying, "I can make myself disappear, i just don't want to."

Comment by Valentino Martinez on November 9, 2011 at 9:25pm: The cartoon video Tim Spagnola shared on Klout was entertaining as in comedy, but Sandra's assessment on it is worth repeating here...

@Sandra,

HA! Thanks for the dose of common sense.

"Klout is an STD. Socially transmitted disease. Fortunately not lethal and easily curable with a dose of common sense." per Sandra McCartt.

WORTH REPEATING..."Klout is an STD. Socially transmitted disease. Fortunately not lethal and easily curable with a dose of common sense." per Sandra McCartt.

.

Comment by Sandra McCartt on November 9, 2011 at 10:10pm: Now here is what is funny. I have emailed asking for my Klout account to be cancelled. That seems to be like getting glue off the end of one's finger. So my quip that Tino quoted above has been retweeted so many times that my Klout score has gone up 10 points in a week. Is it not an indication that something is rotten in Denmark that i have more Klout for saying that Klout is dumb, narcissistic and an STD than i did before. Hell of an influence aren't I! I can't even get off the damn thing and the more i bitch the higher my score goes. If i ever get my account cancelled i may bring new meaning to the word Klout.

Comment by Nate Fischer on November 9, 2011 at 10:28pm: Supposedly you can just cancel on the site, I hit mine not sure how long it takes however. Because I have, I can't log back in to tell you where

Comment by Cora Mae Lengeman on November 10, 2011 at 6:56am: I don't even know what a "Klout" score is or how one would find it. Obviously not important to me.

Comment by Jeremy Haskell on November 10, 2011 at 9:41am: Social Media tools exist in order to get you to buy something. Remember that, kids. It's all a big marketing ploy, and has nothing to do with actual performance.