In this episode of HR in Action, Aaron Robbins sits down with Amanda Zeidman, founder of A to Z Human Resource Consulting, for an in-depth conversation on performance management as both a reflection of culture—and a lever to shape it.

Drawing on 25 years of HR experience across high-growth tech organizations, including nearly a decade at Meta, Amanda shares what it’s like to scale performance systems in rapidly evolving environments. From supporting massive organizational growth to redesigning performance programs, she offers a behind-the-scenes look at how companies rethink ratings, goal cycles, and calibration to better align with business strategy and culture.

A central theme of the discussion is balance. Amanda explores the tension between continuous feedback and milestone-based reviews, and why stepping back periodically to examine trends and themes is just as important as frequent check-ins. The conversation also dives into the importance of clear expectations, stretch goals, manager calibration, and how performance systems can unintentionally become “games” if not thoughtfully designed.

Aaron and Amanda also tackle the often-debated link between compensation and performance. They discuss formulaic pay systems, market-based compensation, bias mitigation, and the motivational impact of tightly coupling ratings with salary decisions.

This episode is especially valuable for HR leaders, executives, and people managers who are rethinking how performance programs influence culture, engagement, fairness, and long-term growth.

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