Research shows that high performance is not reserved for’superstars’:

High-performance isn’t driven or hired by talented individuals. It’s designed and cultivated by leaders in business.

A new report by employee experience platform Culture Amp suggests that organisations can create an environment for high performance if they focus on high engagement, and provide clear feedback regularly. According to the firm, sustaining high-performance was not just about recruiting and identifying “superstars” of employees.

Culture Amp, a platform for employee experience that investigates strategies to drive and sustain high performance in the workplace, found that it was wrong to assume that high performance is an inherent characteristic that only a select few employees possess.

The report, based on data collected from over half a million workers at 1,500 firms, found that it takes one out of four employees more than 18 month to achieve high-performance status.

The report argued that this supported the idea that high performance is not a character trait fixed, but a cyclical result shaped by leadership, team dynamics and the environment.

Summary of The Science of Sustainable High Performance: Workplace conditions influence performance and can be improved over time by strategic design.

Researchers found that only 2% employees were able to maintain high performance for two review cycles. This suggests that high performance is usually a peaks-and-valleys phenomenon. It could be that peak performance occurs in conjunction with projects and deadlines.

Analysis found that there was a strong correlation between employee engagement levels and performance. The organisations that scored high on engagement also had higher levels of performance. Companies in the top quarter for engagement, for example, had more high-performing employees (14%), while companies in the bottom quarter for engagement only had 10%.

Researchers found that feedback was crucial for high-performing teams, as they gave and received feedback more frequently. High-performing employees also reported a higher level of satisfaction with feedback from managers (83%), compared to their less-performing counterparts (71%).

The research found that leadership performance multiplied the impact of employee performance. Employees who report to high-performing managers were four times as likely to perform well themselves, while employees reporting to low-performing managers were three times as likely to do so.

Justin Angsuwat said that the study showed how high performance could be achieved with the right conditions – “so organizations should design their high performance in a deliberate way”.

Researchers found that one-fourth of employees did not reach their first high-performance status until 18 months into their job. Only 2% were able sustain their high performance through multiple evaluation cycles.

The report identified factors associated with high performance. These included role alignment practices, goal-setting, and a culture of feedback.

Angsuwat continued: “Our research shows that sustainable high-performance isn’t just about identifying and hiring’superstars’, but about creating conditions for all employees to do their best work. Only 2% of employees maintain high performance over multiple review cycles. HR and people leaders must design systems to accommodate natural peaks in performance.

The data indicates three areas of focus. Setting employees up for success begins with onboarding, and making sure employees understand their roles and expectations. Creating clear goals-setting frameworks aligning individual objectives with the organisational priorities. Implementing robust feedback systems including manager training. Leaders can focus on these elements to create an environment that encourages high performance, rather than relying solely on the exceptional few.

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