Lattice Frequently Asked Questions

Performance reviews and one-on-ones both rely on constructive criticism and feedback, but there are differences in the tone and focus of these conversations. One-on-ones are typically informal, weekly or biweekly conversations that focus on continuous performance feedback and short-term goals. Performance reviews are more structured, formal, and in-depth, and are usually held quarterly, biannually, or annually. They focus on long-term objectives and ongoing performance development.

A performance improvement plan is designed to help employees improve by providing clear goals, support, and time to demonstrate progress. Progressive discipline, on the other hand, addresses repeated policy violations, misconduct, or failure to meet expectations through increasingly serious corrective actions. A PIP focuses on development and improvement; progressive discipline focuses on accountability.

Areas of improvement focus on closing current performance gaps, while areas of development prepare employees for future growth or expanded responsibilities.

Retirement is a voluntary departure typically associated with long-term service or age-based benefit eligibility. It may qualify you for additional benefits or recognition.

Skip-level meetings and one-on-ones involve a different scope, purpose, and include different participants. One-on-ones are owned by employees, and involve a manager meeting with their direct report to discuss day-to-day workflows, goals, and challenges. Skip-level meetings are run less often, and involve a senior leader and employee.

Discrimination involves unfair treatment based on protected characteristics. Harassment includes unwelcome behavior (verbal or physical) that creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive work environment.

Exempt employees don’t qualify for overtime pay. Nonexempt employees do — and must track all hours worked.

Goal-setting software helps employees, teams, and organizations create, track, and update goals. Goal setting typically exists within a broader performance management process — but it could be separate depending on how your organization structures performance.

Performance management software uses these goals alongside feedback and growth opportunities to assess employee performance and progression.

OKRs and SMART goals are both outcome-focused goal-setting methodologies. Organizations often use both as part of their goal-setting framework.

OKRs focus on broader company goals and keep the organization aligned on a mutual target — such as ‘delighting customers with a world-class customer support experience.’

SMART goals (which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) focus on individual goals for a person or team. The corresponding SMART goal for the example above for a customer support team could be “Resolve 80% of support tickets this quarter within 24 hours of receiving them.”

Want to get started setting OKRs and SMART goals? Grab our free templates below:

• Quarterly OKRs template
• SMART goals template

Reactive AI coaching happens when a manager asks an AI agent a question, and the tool responds with guidance informed by what it knows about the manager, their team, and company policies. A manager might ask, “How do I address conflict on my team?” or “How can I prepare for my employee’s next one-on-one?”

Proactive AI coaching doesn’t require a prompt, and that distinction matters because it makes it easier for managers to catch problems earlier. A proactive AI coach identifies a potential issue — such as missed one-on-ones or a dip in engagement — and alerts the manager with suggested next steps. By surfacing concerns in the moment, proactive AI coaching helps managers notice and address issues before they escalate.

The biggest mistake is treating GROW like a checklist instead of a conversation. Managers can often rush through the stages or jump straight to offering solutions before the employee has fully explored the problem and found the best path forward for themselves. For example, starting the conversation with “Here's what I would do,” can unintentionally shut down creative problem solving and reduce employee ownership. The best coaching conversations stay flexible and use questions to guide discovery, rather than prescribe answers.

Lattice provides comprehensive support during the implementation process, including guidance on customizing the platform to fit your organization's specific requirements, ensuring a smooth transition and effective utilization of the platform.

Lattice provides comprehensive support during the implementation process, including guidance on customizing the platform to fit your organization's specific requirements, ensuring a smooth transition and effective utilization of the software.

Lattice supports growing HR functions by helping save time on administrative tasks for both employees and admins. Implementing Lattice will provide structure to your people programs that will support you as your team grows.

This depends on the role and location but may include travel expenses, temporary housing, and visa sponsorship. Be sure to align relocation support with business needs and budget.

With dozens of native integrations and Service Partners, Lattice connects with all of your favorite tools to ensure smooth and streamlined workflows.

When creating an effective employee engagement program, choosing the right employee engagement platform is just one part of the puzzle. HR leaders also need to incorporate tools like effective performance management reviews, learning and development opportunities, and employee feedback.

Tools that centralize feedback, goals, performance data, and engagement insights make coaching more consistent and informed. AI-powered platforms, like Lattice, can also surface real-time insights and suggest coaching prompts, helping managers have more targeted and impactful growth conversations with their direct reports.

Dedicated goal-tracking software keeps SMART goals visible and connected to the work happening around them. Lattice OKRs & Goals, for example, integrates goal-tracking directly into performance reviews, one-on-ones, and feedback cycles. With it, the ability to monitor progress lives inside the workflows that managers and employees use daily.

Routine status updates, specific project check-ins, and things like PTO approvals are usually better handled using HR tech, emails, or chat. Urgent or sensitive issues usually need a faster or more formal channel. If you’re unsure, flag the issue in your one-on-one agenda and ask your manager for advice. This keeps things transparent while also using the right channels or workflows.

For a successful HR audit, focus on data and metrics that show how your people systems perform, like workforce, engagement and sentiment, performance and manager effectiveness, talent acquisition, compensation, technology and process adoption, and compliance and risk indicator data.

Harassment includes unwelcome conduct, whether verbal, physical, or visual, that creates an intimidating or offensive work environment. This includes derogatory remarks, unwelcome advances, or inappropriate jokes. [Company Name] aims to provide an inclusive, respectful workplace, and harassment is strictly prohibited.

Onboarding surveys help HR teams assess the effectiveness of their onboarding programs, measure new hire satisfaction, and identify areas for improvement in training, communication, and role alignment​​.

Lattice pulse surveys support a variety of question types, including multiple-choice, Likert scales, and open-ended questions. These can be customized to focus on specific topics like employee well-being, engagement, or workplace changes​​.

Lattice supports pulse surveys, eNPS, onboarding, offboarding, and exit surveys. HR teams can also create custom surveys to address specific needs, such as retention analysis or post-event feedback​​.

The timing may vary by organization. HR teams should consider their fiscal year, benefits cycles, performance reviews, and compensation planning when determining the right launch window. Think about what makes sense for your organization, Anderson said, including employee expectations around change.

Generally speaking, the start of a new calendar or fiscal year is the best time. Young recommends exploring potential vendors in Q3, starting the transition in Q4, and launching for employees in Q1.

If you miss that window, launching it at the beginning of another quarter also works, Young said, “so that you’re starting that reporting really fresh and accounting lines up.”

There’s no hard-and-fast rule about when it’s the right time to upgrade your goal-setting approach. That said, here are some signs that it could be time to trade in your spreadsheet:

• Goals regularly get missed or misaligned.
• Updating your goal-tracking spreadsheet becomes a time sink.
• You’re struggling to track goal progress across teams or departments.
• Performance review cycles break down because goals are unclear or hard to track.
• Teams are working in silos because the shared spreadsheet is confusing or frustrating.
• Organizational goals shift faster than the spreadsheet can track.

Your mileage may vary, but it’s usually a good time to switch when compensation cycles start taking too long — that’s a sign that your organization’s size is outrunning internal HR processes.

Other signs include an increase in pay errors, difficulty keeping pay spreadsheets synced with other stakeholders, or a need for stronger data security, reporting, or more efficient talent management.

Common signs it's time to invest in HR software include time-consuming administrative tasks, difficulty managing employee data, and growing compliance requirements. Rapid headcount growth, hiring in new states or countries, and a need for better workforce insights often drive organizations to adopt a more scalable solution.

Common signs it's time to invest in HR software include time-consuming administrative tasks, difficulty managing employee data, and growing compliance requirements. Rapid headcount growth, hiring in new states or countries, and a need for better workforce insights often drive organizations to adopt a more scalable solution.

The GROW Model is perfect for situations with more than one "right" answer or when you want an employee to build problem-solving skills instead of simply following instructions. For example, if an employee is struggling to prioritize competing projects, asking coaching questions can help them develop a plan they'll be more likely to own and execute. Direct feedback is still the better choice when addressing behavioral or compliance issues that require immediate correction.

A PIP may be worth extending if the employee has made meaningful progress against performance expectations but needs additional time to fully meet them. On the other hand, if there's been little improvement or the employee is nowhere near the goals, it may be appropriate to close the PIP and proceed with the next steps outlined in your organization's policies.