Goals vs Expectations: Key Differences and How They Drive Success Together

Navigating workplace productivity often involves decoding the delicate balance between two essential concepts: goals and expectations. While many managers and HR professionals use these terms interchangeably, failing to understand the key distinctions between them can lead to miscommunication, unmotivated teams, and underwhelming results. 

At Deel, we’ve supported global workforces in over 150 countries, and we’ve seen firsthand how clearly defining and aligning goals and expectations can fuel performance and engagement. In this article, we’ll break down the key differences and share actionable insights to help you effectively implement both in your organization.

These insights will help you empower your team with direction and purpose while fostering better alignment with your broader business objectives. The result? A thriving, focused workforce equipped to meet targets and surpass performance standards—all backed by clarity and accountability.

What are employee goals?

Employee goals are targets that outline what employees should accomplish and what their job responsibilities are. Goals are usually described using an objective statement that describes the desired outcome for the goal.

For instance, you can write a goal like “increase revenue by 10% over the next quarter” or “gain 250 new leads by the end of the month”.

Four types of goals for employees

Each type of goal serves a distinct purpose, aiming to enhance performance, foster growth, and align individual efforts with broader organizational objectives.

1. Performance goals

Performance goals are targets set for employees to achieve in their current roles. They’re usually quantifiable and related to job-specific responsibilities. For instance, achieving sales targets, completing projects within deadlines, or increasing customer satisfaction scores.

2. Development goals

Development goals focus on enhancing skills, knowledge, or capabilities that aren’t necessarily part of the current role but are beneficial for future career growth. Examples include learning a new programming language, improving leadership skills, or attending UX design workshops.

3. Goals for new hires

New hire goals help new employees acclimate to the company culture, understand their roles, and learn necessary skills. They might include completing an orientation checklist or compliance training, understanding company policies, or building colleague relationships.

4. Performance goals for managers

Managers have goals tailored to their leadership responsibilities. These can include achieving team performance metrics, fostering a positive work culture, improving employee engagement, or developing their team’s skills through coaching and mentoring.

The purpose of setting goals

Why do this at all? There are multiple reasons.

Firstly, setting goals plays a crucial role in driving team progress and ensuring that everyone is working toward the same objectives. Clear, measurable goals give employees a sense of direction and purpose, helping them understand what they need to achieve and how their efforts contribute to the company’s larger milestones.

This alignment between individual goals and organizational objectives fosters a more focused and motivated workforce.

Secondly, goals provide a roadmap for employees, offering tangible benchmarks to track their progress and stay accountable. When setting specific targets, employees are more likely to stay engaged, push themselves to meet expectations, and continuously improve. This drives better overall performance, helping teams achieve critical milestones and ensuring the company’s long-term success.

Without well-defined goals, teams risk losing focus, missing deadlines, or failing to meet business objectives.

What are employee expectations?

Employee expectations typically encompass a range of professional behaviors, performance standards, and attitudes that contribute to the overall success of an organization.

While these can vary depending on factors such as industry, role, or company culture, they always refer to the general behavior and competency profile an employee should display as opposed to the results they need to achieve (the latter is why you need goals, too).

Meeting these expectations can lead to stronger manager-employee relationships, higher job satisfaction, and better team performance.

However, it’s important to note that managers might have their own set of challenges and expectations, and finding a balance between these needs is crucial for a healthy working dynamic.

Five characteristics of expectations

Many roles share common expectations and goals, but one core way of differentiating between goals and expectations is to understand the specific elements that define an expectation.

1. They’re qualitative in nature

Goals typically rely on the SMART framework, with measurable being one of the SMART criteria. Hence, goals are quantitative in nature. In contrast, expectations tend to involve qualitative aspects, such as open communication skills, teamwork, adaptability, or leadership qualities.

These are not easily quantifiable but are crucial for success in a role and should thus be part of a robust development plan.

2. You need to link expectations to behaviors

Expectations are tied to the behaviors or actions you can observe.

For instance, an expectation of “sharing accurate information” might be linked to behaviors like expressing oneself honestly, adhering to all policies and rules, or being responsive.

3. They establish the baseline standards of performance

Expectations set the minimum level/performance requirement deemed acceptable or desirable within a specific role or context. You’ll likely set these standards based on job descriptions, company values, or industry norms.

4. They stem from your organizational culture

Expectations can be pulled from the current company culture. For example, if a company values innovation, employees might be expected to demonstrate creativity and willingness to explore new ideas.

5. They reflect an ongoing nature

Employee expectations are often continuous and ongoing rather than having a specific endpoint. This means they also evolve as roles, responsibilities, and organizational needs change. Continuous improvement and growth are often integral to meeting expectations.

Employee goals vs expectations: 8 Key differences

The points below should provide some clarity around the differences between the two:

Who sets them

• Goals: Often set by the employee in alignment with managers and business goals/KPIs.
• Expectations: Typically set by the employer, management, or company.

Scope

• Goals: Can vary widely, covering personal growth or specific skills.
• Expectations: Linked to specific job responsibilities and duties.

Duration

• Goals: Can have both short-term and long-term components.
• Expectations: Ongoing, related to job performance and behavioral norms.

Quantifiability

• Goals: Often quantifiable, following frameworks like SMART.
• Expectations: Linked to behaviors and performance, generally not quantifiable.

Who sets them

• Goals: Set collaboratively between employee and manager.
• Expectations: Predominantly set by managers or the organization.

Flexibility

• Goals: Can be adjusted or revised based on changing project requirements.
• Expectations: Often remain more consistent and stable over time.

Evaluation

• Goals: Evaluated based on business performance and outcomes.
• Expectations: Linked to ongoing performance assessments and behavioral reviews.

Purpose

• Goals: Intended to guide the employee’s efforts toward achieving specific objectives.
• Expectations: Expected to be consistently met as part of fulfilling the job role.

Benefits of clearly distinguishing goals vs expectations

Distinguishing between goals and expectations offers several benefits in the workplace:

1. Clearer communication and reduced conflicts

Straightforward distinctions between goals and expectations facilitate better communication between employees and managers. This minimizes misunderstandings, reduces conflicts arising from unclear directives, and builds trust within your work environment.

2. Higher motivation

Clarity about individual goals and performance expectations gives employees a clear direction, motivating them to work towards specific targets and achievements. Conversely, they won’t have a clear sense of purpose when they don’t know exactly what’s expected of them.

3. Improved wellbeing

Lack of clarity regarding goals and expectations can lead to confusion and frustration. Clear distinctions promote mental wellbeing by reducing stress, anxiety, and uncertainty. Employees feel more secure and confident when they understand what’s expected of them.

4. Increased accountability

Employees can take ownership of a smart goal when they clearly understand the expectations. This fosters a sense of accountability and responsibility for their work.

5. Better productivity and performance

When employees understand their goals and broader expectations, they can effectively align their efforts. This alignment often leads to improved productivity and better performance outcomes.

Tip: Improve your employee performance in every part of the organization by making use of 360-degree feedback.

6. Better alignment with organizational objectives

When employees comprehend their personal goals and corporate expectations, they can align their efforts more effectively with the company’s objectives.

7. More growth and development opportunities

Clear distinctions encourage continuous improvement. Employees can stay focused on developing skills relevant to their goals and meeting or exceeding expectations, fostering personal and professional growth.

Why both goals and expectations are critical for team success

Ensuring team alignment

Combining clear, measurable goals with well-communicated expectations is paramount for team alignment.

Goals provide direction by outlining what needs to be achieved, while expectations set the behavioral and performance standards needed to get there. When both are clearly defined and communicated, your team knows not only what’s expected of them but also how to meet those expectations.

This makes sure that everyone is on the same page, working toward common objectives and contributing to the broader business goals. If you’re looking to refine how you set goals, see our guide to setting effective goals for more tips.

Ensuring role clarity is also critical in alignment, as it helps employees understand their specific responsibilities and how their efforts contribute to these broader goals. Read more about the importance of role clarity in driving team success.

Boosting employee motivation and performance

Clarity in both goals and expectations fuels employee motivation. When individuals understand the specific targets they are working toward, along with the behaviors required to succeed, they are more likely to stay engaged and push their limits. Recognizing and rewarding individuals for exceeding expectations is a powerful way to keep motivation high and encourage continued excellence.

Clear goals give people something concrete to achieve. At the same time, well-communicated expectations hold them accountable for maintaining the necessary standards in their work and behavior. This powerful combination drives better performance, keeps employees on track, and fosters a sense of ownership in their roles. Focus on communicating expectations effectively to keep your team motivated and aligned.

Preventing miscommunication and underperformance

Failing to communicate both goals and expectations can lead to confusion, missed deadlines, and underperformance. Without clear goals, individuals may not know what they’re aiming for. Without defined expectations, they may not understand how to achieve those goals effectively.

This lack of clarity can result in unmet performance standards, frustration, and a misaligned team. Setting both ensures everyone has the information they need to succeed, reducing the risk of miscommunication and inefficiencies. For new talent, you can also explore goal-setting strategies for new team members to help them hit the ground running.

Setting clear goals and regularly tracking progress with key performance indicators (KPIs) can help prevent misunderstandings and ensure everyone is aligned on what success looks like.

Ensure goal and expectation clarity with Deel Engage

Achieving clarity in both goals and expectations is key to driving your teams toward success. With Deel Engage, you have the tools to seamlessly manage goal setting, performance, and development for your entire workforce—whether you’re working with employees, freelancers, contractors, or other partner types. The platform allows you to align individual and team goals with your organization’s broader objectives while ensuring clear expectations that drive accountability and boost productivity.

This performance management module offers real-time insights and feedback to help you track and evaluate progress across all levels of your team. Plus, inbuilt career development tools support your people in growing their skills, taking on new challenges, and progressing in their roles. For training, our training solutions provide the resources your teams need to keep learning and developing, ensuring they’re always prepared to meet evolving demands.

With Deel Engage, you can create a high-performance culture that balances clear goals with well-communicated expectations, helping your workforce excel no matter where they’re based or their contract types.

And don’t forget, Deel HR, our truly global HRIS solution, is always included for free. Book a demo to see how Deel Engage can transform your goal-setting and performance management processes.