Goal setting and performance tracking software lets employees, teams, and the company set clear goals, link them together, and track progress across the year. It replaces goals that are set once and forgotten with living objectives everyone can see. Because only two in ten employees say their performance is managed in a way that motivates them, visible, aligned goals are one of the strongest fixes.
Key takeaways
- Goal setting software lets individuals, teams, and the company set and align goals, then track progress.
- According to Gallup, only two in ten employees strongly agree their performance is managed in a motivating way.
- Alignment matters: individual goals should ladder up to team and company objectives.
- Goals set once and never revisited quietly die, so tracking and check-ins keep them alive.
- Goal data is most useful inside the HRIS, next to reviews, tenure, and the rest of your people data.
What is goal setting and performance tracking software?
Goal setting and performance tracking software helps everyone in an organisation set clear goals and follow their progress. Employees set individual goals, managers align them to team objectives, and leaders link those to company priorities. As a result, goals become a shared, visible system rather than notes in a review form that no one revisits.
The tracking half is what makes goals real. Setting a goal is easy; keeping it alive is the hard part. Good software shows progress, prompts updates, and surfaces goals during check-ins. This is a natural part of performance management software, where goals connect to reviews and feedback. So the tool turns goals from a once-a-year ritual into an ongoing part of how work gets done. Choosing the right performance management software ties goals to reviews and 360 feedback.
Why does goal alignment matter?
Goal alignment matters because it connects daily work to strategy. When individual goals ladder up to team and company objectives, everyone can see how their work contributes. As a result, people focus on what matters most, and effort is not wasted on goals that pull in different directions. So alignment turns scattered activity into coordinated progress.
The engagement effect is significant. According to Gallup, only two in ten employees strongly agree that their performance is managed in a way that motivates them. Clear, aligned goals are one of the strongest ways to close that gap, because people are more motivated when they understand how their work matters. So goal alignment is not just an organising tool; it is an engagement tool.
Alignment also makes reviews fairer. When goals are clear and tracked, a performance review rests on real objectives rather than vague impressions. So the review summarises progress against agreed goals, which feels fair and useful. This is why goal setting and reviews work best together, inside one system.
How does performance tracking keep goals alive?
Performance tracking keeps goals alive by making progress visible and prompting regular updates. Instead of setting a goal in January and forgetting it, employees and managers see the goal, update its status, and discuss it in check-ins. So the goal stays present in day-to-day work rather than disappearing until review time.
Check-ins are the mechanism that matters most. When managers and employees meet regularly and review goals together, progress stays on track and blockers surface early. This is where goal tracking meets a continuous performance management approach, because frequent conversations are what keep goals moving. So the software should make check-ins easy, not add another heavy process.
Visibility drives accountability without micromanagement. When goals and progress are transparent, people hold themselves accountable, and managers can support rather than chase. So tracking is less about monitoring and more about keeping goals front of mind. That shift is what separates living goals from forgotten ones.
How do you set good goals in performance software?
You set good goals by making them specific, measurable, and aligned. A vague goal like “improve communication” cannot be tracked, so it dies. A specific goal with a clear measure and deadline can. So the software should encourage clarity, and prompt you to connect each goal to a team or company objective.
The alignment step is where the software earns its keep. When you set a goal, the tool should let you link it upward, so its contribution to bigger objectives is visible. This cascading structure, whether you call it goals or OKRs, keeps the whole organisation pointed the same way. As a result, everyone can trace their work to what the business is trying to achieve.
Balance matters too. Too many goals dilute focus, so a good practice is a small number of meaningful goals per person. The software helps by keeping goals visible and limiting clutter. So the tool supports good goal-setting discipline, rather than encouraging a long list nobody can act on. This clarity also feeds your HR reporting and insights, so you can see goal progress across teams.
Should goal setting be part of your HRIS?
For most mid-sized companies, goal setting belongs inside the HRIS. Goals connect to people, roles, and reviews, which already live in the HRIS. So a built-in goals module links objectives to the right employees and feeds review cycles directly. When goals sit in a separate tool, they drift away from the rest of performance and become another silo.
A standalone OKR tool can suit organisations with a deep, company-wide OKR culture and dedicated resources. However, for most mid-sized teams, goals integrated with reviews and check-ins are simpler and more likely to be used. This keeps performance unified, which is a core reason teams choose a full HRIS for mid-sized companies rather than a separate goals app.
The honest trade-off is specialisation versus integration. A dedicated OKR platform may offer more elaborate goal features. For most mid-market teams, though, goals connected to reviews and people data deliver more value than standalone sophistication, because they are actually used.
Why is Worknice a strong choice for goal setting and tracking?
Worknice is an Australian next-gen HRIS with goal setting and tracking built into performance management. Employees and managers set goals, align them to team and company objectives, and track progress through check-ins, all against live people data. Reviewers rate it 4.9 out of 5 on G2 and 5 out of 5 on Capterra.
Ease of use drives the result. On G2, Worknice holds 4.9 out of 5, where reviewers note how quickly teams adopt it. On Capterra it rates 5 out of 5, with 99% of reviewers recommending it. Because goals only work when people keep them updated, that ease of use is exactly what keeps goals alive rather than forgotten.
A fair caveat: Worknice focuses on practical goal setting and tracking connected to reviews, rather than a heavyweight standalone OKR system. So if you run a deep, enterprise-wide OKR practice with dedicated tooling, a specialist platform may fit better. For most mid-sized teams, though, integrated goals are the higher-adoption path. You can explore them in a free demonstration.
Frequently asked questions
What is goal setting and performance tracking software?
Goal setting and performance tracking software helps individuals, teams, and the company set clear goals, align them, and follow progress across the year. Employees set goals, managers link them to team objectives, and leaders connect those to company priorities. As a result, goals become a shared, visible system rather than notes in a review form that no one revisits.
Why is goal alignment important?
Alignment connects daily work to strategy. When individual goals ladder up to team and company objectives, everyone sees how their work contributes, so effort focuses on what matters most. It also boosts engagement, since people are more motivated when they understand how their work matters. And it makes reviews fairer, because they rest on clear, agreed goals.
How do you keep goals from being forgotten?
By tracking progress and revisiting goals in regular check-ins. A goal set once and never reviewed quietly dies. Good software keeps goals visible, prompts updates, and surfaces them during one-on-ones. Frequent conversations are the real mechanism, so the tool should make check-ins easy. Visibility also drives accountability, keeping goals present in everyday work rather than only at review time.
What makes a good performance goal?
A good goal is specific, measurable, and aligned. Vague goals like “improve communication” cannot be tracked, so they die. A specific goal with a clear measure and deadline can. It should also link to a team or company objective, so its contribution is visible. Keeping a small number of meaningful goals per person maintains focus rather than diluting it.
Should goal setting be part of the HRIS?
For most mid-sized companies, yes. Goals connect to people, roles, and reviews that already live in the HRIS, so a built-in module links objectives to the right employees and feeds review cycles. A standalone OKR tool suits organisations with a deep OKR culture, but for most teams, goals integrated with reviews and check-ins are simpler and more used.
About the author
Graham Martin is a co-founder of Worknice, an Australian next-gen HRIS. Since 2021 he has worked with hundreds of Australian HR leaders and people teams. He helps mid-sized organisations set aligned goals and keep them alive across the year.
Sources
- Gallup. “How Fast Feedback Fuels Performance.” https://www.gallup.com/workplace/357764/fast-feedback-fuels-performance.aspx
- Gallup. “Give Performance Reviews That Actually Inspire Employees.” https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/219863/give-performance-reviews-actually-inspire-employees.aspx
- G2. “Worknice Reviews.” https://www.g2.com/products/worknice/reviews
- Capterra Australia. “Worknice Cost & Reviews.” https://www.capterra.com.au/software/208362/worknice
