The Situation

This client is a fast-moving global travel technology company operating across multiple markets and functions. Like a lot of high-growth organizations, they'd built their people processes on the fly — and when it came to performance management, the cracks were starting to show. Two key internal stakeholders who had owned the setup and execution of their performance program had left the organization, leaving a team with limited platform experience holding the responsibility for a cycle that was already on the calendar.

The clock was ticking. Performance cycles were set to launch in early 2025. They needed help immediately.

The Challenge

This wasn't a design-from-scratch engagement — it was a rescue with a tight deadline. The team needed to configure a complex performance management system in Culture Amp, covering self-reviews, peer feedback, manager reviews, calibrations, and promotions across two distinct employee populations (Product and Engineering, and all other functions). They needed training built and delivered for managers and individual contributors who had little familiarity with the platform. And they needed someone who could stay close to the work daily as cycles went live, monitoring participation and troubleshooting in real time.

All of that, in weeks.

The Approach

CultureC came in as an embedded operational partner — not just advising, but doing. We audited their existing processes, identified where things could be simplified without losing effectiveness, and built out two distinct performance cycles in Culture Amp tailored to each employee population. A pilot program was run first to test the system and surface any adjustments before the full launch.

Training was co-designed and delivered for each group — managers, individual contributors, and the PM admin team — with recorded sessions and supporting resources created for ongoing reference. A communication strategy was developed to guide employees through each phase of the cycle.

During live cycles, CultureC monitored daily participation, joined troubleshooting calls as issues arose, and helped the internal team build the confidence and capability to own the program independently going forward. The calibration process was designed with a train-the-trainer approach so the company's leaders could run future sessions themselves.

The Outcome

The company launched their performance management program on schedule. Cycles ran across both employee populations, calibrations were completed, and managers had the tools and training to lead the process with confidence. The internal team finished the engagement equipped to own and evolve the program independently.

What started as a high-stakes rescue became the foundation for a sustainable performance management culture.

The Bigger Picture

Performance management often fails not because the tools are wrong, but because organizations don't have the internal capacity to make them work. This company's story is a reminder that the right external partner — one willing to get genuinely embedded in the work — can close that gap and leave an organization stronger than when they arrived.