Best performance management software – UK specific
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Written by:
Joe Hodges
Getting performance management right is a crucial part of running any company. But when HR isn't really your specialism, it can be very hard to know how to begin.
There are so many different software tools out there, each with their own ideas on how reviews should be run. So which do you choose?
In this guide, we'll walk you through the best performance management software on the market, look at their pros and cons, and help you choose the right one for you and your team.
Comparing the best performance management software for UK companies
- Small businesses and startups
- A high-impact review process for first-timers
- £4 per user, per month – includes the full Charlie at no extra cost
- Medium-sized companies (100+ team members)
- Setting company objectives and tracking key results
- £6 per user, per month (core HR package + performance management add-on)
- Larger companies with offices abroad (150-200 team members)
- Online staff training
- Price on request
- Big corporate companies (200+ team members)
- Aligning internal skills and competencies with company goals
- Price on request
⚠️ Disclaimer: we wrote a guide about performance management software and included our own
First, let me quickly introduce myself – I’m Joe, and I work as a Product Manager for CharlieHR. Ever heard of Charlie? Maybe not. We’re an HR software company that specialises in building a product fit for small businesses and startups in the UK.
In my role, I combine product planning and user research. Speaking to individuals like yourself helps me understand what features they’d like to use – performance reviews, for example (yes, we do have them too!), but also spend my days researching our top competitors.
I just wanted to make you aware before you read on. Carry on to find the insights I gathered over the last few months on the best performance management software in the UK.
Top 4 performance management software for UK businesses
Best for high-impact reviews that won't swamp you with admin
Charlie is the perfect system for small companies and startups just getting started with performance management.
We've designed a review process that focuses on what makes a real difference on your team's development, but cuts out all the manual admin that can make running reviews a drain on your time and energy.
Instead, Charlie guides your managers through the review process to make sure every team member gets all the support they need to grow.
Performance management software with Charlie
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Save time with faff-free review setup: it's quick to set up and easy to launch
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Get your team's progression off the back burner: we've designed a simple review process for small companies
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Stay in the loop (without micromanaging): get a clear overview of progress
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Never chase up again: automatic reminders make sure that reviews get completed
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Get the full picture on your team's progression: unlock a fairer, more complete understanding of individual performance with 360° feedback
Choose Charlie if:
Don’t choose Charlie if:
Chris Wallis, CEO and co-founder @ Intruder
"I'm blown away by how useful Charlie's Reviews has been. It's enabled some really high-quality conversations within our team that I know just wouldn't have happened otherwise"
Pricing
- £4 per user, per month
- Includes all of Charlie features – time off tracking, perks & benefits, onboarding, etc – at no extra cost
- No hidden fees, no expensive add-ons
Give your team the high-impact reviews they need (without drowning in admin)
Start your 7-day trial
✅ Free for 7 days
✅ No credit card needed
✅ Cancel any time
Best for setting goals and OKRs
SageHR is an HR system for medium-to-large companies covering their core HR needs, plus (for an added fee) performance management, time off management, shifts and timesheets, expenses and recruitment.
Performance management with Sage
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Goal management: Set specific OKRs for each team and track their progress
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Automated meetings: Book 1-1s through the platform
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360 feedback: get a holistic view of everyone’s performance through the eyes of their peers
Choose SageHR if:
Don’t choose SageHR if:
Nikhil, Human Resources Consultant, G2 review
“SageHR’s features such as timesheets,core HR, performance, shift scheduling, and leave management solve all our problems in a single window.”
Pricing
- Core HR + performance management: £6 per employee per month
- If you add shift scheduling and timesheets: £10 per employee per month
- If you add expenses: £11 per employee per month
- If you add recruitment and ATS: £11 per employee + £160 per month
Best for training
Ciphr’s software covers a range of HR needs such as absence management and reporting.
Compared to other Human Resources tools, Ciphr has a stronger focus on training, allowing large, multinational companies to integrate their performance review processes with learning tools. This way, every team, no matter where in the world they’re based, can get consistent training opportunities.
Performance management with Ciphr
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Configurable workflows: automate probation and performance appraisals
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Reports: measure and report on employee performance
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Learning Management System: available as a standalone tool
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Bespoke learning solutions: Ciphr’s team can help you build learning content in line with your brand
Choose Ciphr if:
Don’t choose Ciphr if:
NH C, G2 review
“I like its automated processes that improve efficiency, as well as its easy navigation that doesn’t compromise its professional-looking layout.”
Pricing
Only available on quote.
Best for large enterprises
Workday is a complex HRMS platform targeted to companies with more than 500 employees.
On top of performance management, it brings together financial, people and operational data — so you can keep everything under control and make the right decisions.
Employee leave management with Workday
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Career development tools: including performance reviews and opportunity graphs
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Skill analysis: get an overview of what skills your team excels at and what it lacks, so you can inform your hiring decisions
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Goal tracking and 1-1s: set employee goals and schedule meeting directly from the platform
Choose Workday if:
Don’t choose Workday if:
Ashwin, G2 review
“Workday is the best tool for employee engagement and management. I like the fact that we can set goals for our teams and track their performance.”
Pricing
Only available on quote.
Employee performance management software FAQs
Performance management software identifies a series of tech tools that companies use to promote and measure their team’s productivity.
These systems are built to facilitate performance review processes by automating repetitive tasks and making it easier to track performance against set goals.
Learn more about what performance management is in our guide.
Some of the benefits of using performance management software include:
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Saving time on repetitive HR processes
- Finding freedom from email chains and messy docs - all performance information is stored in your performance management platform
- Removing the need to chase people to complete reviews - the system does that for you
- Getting an overview of individual and team performance, all in one place
- Creating a culture of continuous performance management by making employee’ growth and feedback second nature for your business
Performance management tools can have an array of different features depending on the needs of their customers.
Company size is a key factor when it comes to choosing the right performance management software, as small companies will have strikingly different needs from big multinationals.
Essential features for companies up to 150 employees:
- Performance review builder and templates
- Automated performance review cycles
- 360-degree feedback
Features to add when you have 150-300 employees:
- 1-1 scheduler
- Performance reports
- Goal setting platform
Features to add when you have over 300 employees:
- Learning/Training platform
- Skill-gap analysis tool
- Internal recruiting functionalities
Performance management software is an effective approach to guide your team members toward desired outcomes and foster their growth and development.
However, if you’re not ready to invest straight away, there are a myriad of performance management tools and methods you can use:
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Regular
one-on-ones where team member and manager can discuss day-to-day tasks as well as any challenging they’re encountering with their work. It’s a great way to create meaningful and lasting work relationships.
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Real-time feedback that provides team members with immediate feedback without waiting for a meeting or for a catch up. It’s essential to address issues on the go so they don’t build up and become bad habits.
- Performance development plans (PDPs) to create complete career pathways for your team members. We use them at Charlie as well, and in fact, you can even have a look at our performance development plan template to get you started.
- Learning and development budgets can help support your team’s efforts towards acquiring new skills. Allocating a sum of money towards will eventually reward you in the long run.
- 360- degree feedback where you can involve team members working with the individual you’re managing to get a well-rounded view of their performance. In fact, this is also a feature we offer in our own performance review feature at Charlie, so perhaps have a look when signing up for your free trial.
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✅ Cancel any time
