Lattice Frequently Asked Questions

Getting honest answers requires a multi-pronged approach.

Don’t tie 360 review outcomes directly to pay or promotions, Bilderback advised. Make it clear that these reviews are for growth and improving the work environment. Explain upfront why you’re doing them, how often they’ll happen, and who will see the results. Emphasize that feedback will be used to shape concrete actions such as targeted training, and be sure to follow through. If employees don’t see visible changes based on what they’ve shared, they’ll quickly lose trust in the process and be less candid next time.

And, while online surveys are useful, Bilderback noted face-to-face conversations remain critical for encouraging honest answers and thoughtfulness around growth and career development. “You’re able to see the facial expressions and the body language of the individual that you’re having a conversation with, and you can know whether or not they’re actually engaged,” she added.

Include stakeholders who represent managers and employees in the software evaluation process. Gathering their feedback on features and platform usability helps your team ensure the platform meets their needs and surfaces potential adoption challenges early.

Include stakeholders who represent managers and employees in the software evaluation process. Gathering their feedback on features and platform usability helps your team ensure the platform meets their needs and surfaces potential adoption challenges early.

Feedback should always be centered on specific behaviors and outcomes rather than personal traits. Providing specific examples keeps feedback actionable, and frameworks like Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI)™ ensure it’s balanced and forward-looking. Encourage discussion and focus on growth, rather than blame.

Giving feedback on how an employee needs to improve can feel tricky, but it’s also a powerful opportunity to help them grow. Frame any feedback as a collaborative opportunity for growth, rather than criticism. Focus on specific examples of behavior, provide actionable guidance for how to improve, and encourage a two-way dialogue so your team feels heard and supported.

When there’s nothing urgent to say, one-on-ones can be a great opportunity for diving in on deeper discussions that support long-term employee engagement, such as career goals and development opportunities, employee wellbeing, and employee sentiment.

To avoid writing biased reviews, managers should always focus on evidence-based, specific examples, plus avoid coded or biased phrases. Lattice AI can help managers write better reviews by checking for bias and offering suggestions for objective language.

The value of people management software can be measured by tracking both hard quantitative metrics, such as turnover, admin time, and goal completion rates, and qualitative metrics like employee engagement scores, manager effectiveness ratings and employee feedback.

Before implementing your people management solution, start by setting a baseline on your key metrics, and tracking these for 6 to 12 months. Improvements in those metrics, such as time saved on admin, higher engagement scores and improved retention, will indicate the ROI of your software.

Choosing a solution like Lattice that centralizes feedback, goals, and development, you can track the impact in both efficiency and outcomes to demonstrate ROI.

HR tech like Lattice helps track progress toward goals discussed within one-on-one meetings. Managers should ask employees for feedback on the structure, cadence, and content of one-on-ones, to ensure they’re truly helpful. When the data show improvements in employee engagement and goal progress, that’s a good sign your one-on-ones are adding value.

To calculate the ROI of HR software, divide the software’s net benefits by its total cost and multiply by 100. Examples of some common benefits include improved efficiency, fewer compliance errors, higher productivity, and stronger employee engagement. When it comes to calculating costs, you’ll want to go beyond your monthly subscription fee to include additional implementation, licensing, training, and ongoing support costs. Comparing these costs against your measurable outcomes can help your business understand the software’s overall business impact.

You can also use Lattice’s ROI estimator to understand how Lattice’s talent tools can help your organization.

Talk to your employees! Use a combination of monthly, quarterly, annual, or pulse surveys at a cadence that makes sense for your team using tools like Lattice Engagement. As you appraise their responses, also keep an eye on:

• Adoption Rate: How many employees actively use your engagement tools
• Efficacy: The average response time and completion rate of surveys and pulse checks
• Time and Attendance: Frequency of unexpected time off
• Regrettable Attrition: Departures of your top performers due to preventable reasons

If possible, video calls are best for remote one-on-ones, as they help managers pick up on nonverbal cues and maintain a personal connection. Sharing an agenda before the meeting can also help managers and employees know what to expect.

Start by setting clear, measurable goals and reviewing these during regular check-ins. Assess progress toward these goals by observing day-to-day metric changes, collecting peer feedback, and checking whether employees are demonstrating the new skills they’ve been working on. HR tools like Lattice can also help by combining performance data with continuous feedback to make growth more visible over time.

Start by equipping managers with coaching tools and frameworks to ask effective questions, give actionable feedback, and guide development conversations. Reinforce this training with ongoing support, real-world practice, and AI-powered tools that provide ongoing insights into employee growth and coaching guidance in the flow of work.

Provide structured agendas, documentation standards, and examples of strong reviews. Shadowing experienced managers and using tools that highlight patterns in performance data helps new managers see the connection between ongoing one-to-ones and formal evaluations. The goal is to make one-to-ones a central input for evidence-based, fair, and developmental performance appraisals.

To make a vague goal SMART, simply follow the framework. Start by determining what you want to accomplish, such as “become a better leader” or “improve my communication skills.” Then, work through each of the five criteria — make that goal specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. By the end, you will have turned that vague aim into a clear, actionable plan.

Employees should receive written feedback at least 24 to 48 hours in advance. This gives them time to process the information, gather examples, and prepare questions. Advance notice supports productive conversations and reduces surprises for employees, reinforcing a fair and transparent review process.

Please give at least 30 days’ notice for foreseeable events (like planned surgery or parental leave). Emergencies will be handled flexibly.

Lattice's Compensation Benchmarking, powered by Mercer, is updated quarterly to help organizations make data-driven compensation decisions.

Traditional chatbots answer questions by sourcing information from the employee handbook or benefits documents. AI agents go a step further. Instead of simply explaining how to request time off, for example, an AI agent could start a request on the employee’s behalf, pulling from HR systems, such as HRIS and HCM platforms to get it done.

All results are kept in confidential medical files and are only accessible to designated personnel on a need-to-know basis.

Regular resignation happens voluntarily. Constructive dismissal happens when an employee resigns because the employer has made working conditions intolerable or has breached the terms of their contract.

Like GROW, OSCAR (Outcome, Situation, Choices, Actions, and Review) guides employees from goal-setting to action, but it places greater emphasis on measurable outcomes and ends with a dedicated review stage. CLEAR (Contract, Listen, Explore, Action, and Review), by contrast, focuses first on establishing the coaching relationship before exploring goals and actions. Because it’s simple and flexible, GROW is a great framework to start with before experimenting with other approaches.

Manual work can be overwhelming — we get it. With AI embedded in the platform, Lattice allows HR teams work smarter through automated processes, proactive oversight, and resources that empower employees so you can focus your time where you need to.

When you join Lattice, you'll be paired with a dedicated Onboarding Manager to help get everything set up and rolled out to your teams – just the way you want it. From then on, you'll have access to our award-winning support team to answer any questions you may have.

Your health and treatment information is private. HR and EAP teams are trained to handle sensitive information confidentially, and your details will never be shared without your permission.

Constructive feedback is part of growth, but if feedback is inappropriate or harmful, HR will intervene. Feedback should always be respectful and based on behavior and impact.

HR reporting tracks foundational data like headcount, hiring, and turnover. People analytics builds on that foundation by adding deeper insights into employee behavior, productivity, engagement, wellbeing, and even customer feedback. This broader view gives business leaders a more holistic understanding of their workforce.

Unlike generic AI tools or standalone HRIS tools, Lattice AI is designed specifically for human resources and people management tasks, making responses relevant to your workplace. It’s trained securely on your own company policies and performance data. This means it can provide accurate, context-aware answers, surface personalized insights, and take actions like adding one-on-one talking points or sending feedback.

The Code of Conduct sets broad expectations for behavior, while this policy specifically addresses the prevention and handling of fraud and corruption.

Lattice supports parallel referral programs in partnership with Consultants, Venture Capital Firms, Private Equity Firms, and Technology/SaaS Allies.This program is designed specifically for Fractional HR People Leaders. Qualifying FHRs participate in a multi-week training program and a knowledge assessment to earn certification and become eligible to support Lattice-using companies with approved services.

Aim to share your results within two to four weeks. The longer you wait, the more the connection between the survey and the response will erode in employees' minds. It can also look like you’re avoiding releasing the results. If your analysis is taking longer than expected, send a brief interim message: "We're working through the results and will share findings by [date]." That keeps your audiences informed and lets them know that the process is moving.