What is the SMART goals framework?

The SMART goals framework is a methodology used to set clear, attainable, and meaningful goals. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

SMART is an acronym created by George T. Doran to help write meaningful objectives at the corporate, departmental, and individual levels.

What does each component of SMART goals stand for?

Specific

Doran defined specific as “target[ing] a specific area for improvement.” Goals should be clear and specific, answering the questions of who, what, where, when, and why. This helps to focus efforts and clearly define what must be accomplished.

In other words, avoid vague objectives like “boost sales” that are difficult to isolate and strategize for. Instead, formulate specific goals like “increase sales of Product X by 5% next quarter through social media marketing.” We will use this same example to highlight other aspects of SMART goals.

Measurable

Doran described measurable as “quantify[ing] or at least suggest[ing] an indicator of progress.” Goals need criteria to measure progress. This could be quantitative or qualitative metrics that help track progress and determine when the goal has been achieved.

In the example above, “boosting sales” is technically measurable but vague. Would an increase in sales of 1% or 0.1% over the next year satisfy management?

Giving real target numbers, like “increasing sales of Product X by 5%,” makes it much easier to strategize for and measure success.

Achievable

To be successful, goals should be realistic and attainable. They should stretch abilities but remain possible. This involves assessing the resources and constraints.

Attainable goals are vital if you want to see actual results. Consider that the above example asked for sales to be doubled rather than increased by 5%. Whoever set that goal might be unaware of what is realistically possible given the available resources, asking for a miracle.

The employees tasked with that objective will not feel motivated to pursue an impossible goal they won’t be able to achieve.

Relevant

Goals must matter, align with broader business objectives, and be worthwhile. Doing so, ensures that the time and effort spent aligns with the company strategy.

Time-bound

Goals should have a deadline or time frame. This creates a sense of urgency and helps prioritize tasks.

Objectives should have a time frame whenever possible. Asking employees to “increase sales by 5%” is too vague. Is that a good goal if it takes employees five years to achieve?

Specifying a deadline like “increase sales by 5% next quarter” provides a time frame to achieve that objective successfully. Having a clear timeline also allows employees and management to measure their progress and track their performance so they can adjust their strategy as needed.

Complementary resources:

1. 60+ SMART Goals Examples for Work Covering Various Roles
2. 15 SMART Leadership Goals Examples to Inspire and Motivate Growth

What is an example of a SMART goal for work evaluation?

Here’s an example of a SMART goal for evaluating an employee’s performance:

SMART goal: “By the end of Q4, increase client satisfaction scores by 15% by implementing weekly follow-up calls and addressing client feedback within 24 hours. We will use monthly satisfaction surveys and feedback logs to track progress.”

1. Specific: The goal is focused on improving client satisfaction
2. Measurable: The target is a 15% increase in client satisfaction scores
3. Achievable: The actions (follow-up calls and timely feedback) are feasible within the employee’s role
4. Relevant: The goal aligns with the company’s objective to improve customer service
5. Time-bound: The goal is set to be achieved by the end of Q4

What are the benefits of setting SMART goals in your organization?

Adopting the SMART goals framework offers numerous advantages for both employees and organizations. Below are ten key benefits demonstrating why SMART goals are essential for fostering clarity, productivity, and growth.

Role clarity and focus

The specificity and assignability of SMART goals provide employees with a clear understanding of their responsibilities and what is expected of them. This reduces ambiguity and ensures that each team member knows their role in achieving the broader organizational objectives.

Tip: Ensure that a detailed breakdown of responsibilities and timelines accompanies each goal. Regularly review and adjust goals to reflect any changes in roles or priorities.

Enhanced employee productivity

The measurable and time-bound nature of SMART goals makes it easier to track progress and maintain accountability. Employees can independently monitor their advancement, which keeps them focused and on course.

Tip: Implement a structured progress-check system, such as weekly or monthly reviews, to assess goal completion and provide support where necessary. Use performance-tracking software to automate goal monitoring and offer real-time feedback.

Fostering a high-performance culture

SMART goals that are realistic and achievable foster a high-performance culture by aligning individual objectives with organizational expectations. When employees clearly understand their goals and are equipped to achieve them, it drives both personal and team success.

Tip: Align SMART goals with overall business strategies and objectives to ensure every employee understands how their performance contributes to the company’s success. Recognize and reward those who consistently achieve or exceed their goals.

Increased employee motivation

Employees often thrive when working toward clear and realistic objectives, which boosts their engagement and motivation. Achievable goals reduce feelings of stagnation, encouraging employees to push their limits and grow within their roles.

Tip: Set incremental milestones within larger goals to provide frequent motivation boosts as employees accomplish smaller, manageable tasks. Incorporate goal-setting discussions into one-on-one meetings to ensure ongoing alignment and enthusiasm.

Structured employee development

SMART goals provide a clear framework for professional development by offering measurable sub-tasks and timelines that help employees track their growth. Successes and challenges within SMART goals highlight areas of strength and opportunities for further improvement.

Tip: Use goal progress data to inform individual development plans and create tailored training programs to address specific skill gaps. Regularly revisit goals to align them with evolving employee career paths and organizational needs.

Complementary resource: Check out these employee development plan examples and see how they relate to SMART goals.

Promoting a culture of continuous learning and professional growth

SMART goals contribute to a culture of continuous learning by offering measurable insights into employee capabilities and performance. This data can be leveraged to make informed decisions regarding training needs and future development opportunities.

Tip: Use performance data from SMART goals to identify high-potential employees and provide them with tailored development opportunities. Implement a structured feedback loop to encourage reflection and learning after the completion of each goal.

Better onboarding experiences

Applying SMART goals to onboarding processes provides new hires with clear, attainable objectives that ease their transition into the company. This framework ensures that new employees understand their role and have realistic targets to work toward.

Tip: Set specific onboarding milestones with clear timelines, such as completing training sessions or mastering specific job functions. Regularly check in with new hires to provide feedback on their progress and adjust goals as they become more integrated into the team.

Complementary guide: How to Set Effective New Employee Goals (+ Template and Examples)

Optimized feedback and performance reviews

The measurable outcomes of SMART goals enable more objective and meaningful employee performance reviews. By tying feedback to specific metrics, managers can provide clearer, more actionable suggestions for improvement.

Tip: Incorporate goal outcomes into formal performance reviews using quantitative data to assess employee performance. Offer constructive feedback based on goal completion and set new SMART goals to address identified areas for improvement.

By adopting the SMART goals framework, organizations can cultivate a focused, high-performing workforce that is engaged, motivated, and aligned with the company’s vision. Regularly setting, tracking, and reviewing SMART goals ensures continuous development, promotes clarity, and enables meaningful feedback that supports both individual and organizational success.

How can SMART goals be used to measure employee performance?

SMART goals provide a concrete way to evaluate employee performance. By setting specific and measurable goals, managers can objectively assess whether employees have met their targets. This helps provide constructive feedback and identify areas for improvement. Performance reviews become more transparent and fair when based on clearly defined criteria.

How do SMART goals support employee development?

SMART goals support employee development by providing clear targets for growth and improvement. By setting specific and measurable objectives, employees can focus on developing particular skills or achieving certain milestones. This structured approach helps in tracking progress and identifying areas where individuals need additional training or support.

How do you ensure that SMART goals are achievable?

To ensure SMART goals are achievable, it is important to consider the resources, time, and constraints. This involves setting realistic targets that challenge but do not overwhelm the team.
Engaging employees in the goal-setting process can provide valuable insights into what is feasible. Additionally, regular check-ins and adjustments can also help in maintaining the achievability of goals.

How can SMART goals be reviewed and adjusted over time?

Regular reviews are essential for the effectiveness of SMART goals. This involves setting periodic check-ins to assess progress and identify any obstacles. If goals are not being met, it may be necessary to adjust them to reflect changing circumstances or new information. This iterative process ensures that goals remain relevant and achievable.

Are SMART goals outdated?

SMART goals are not outdated, but, like any framework, they need to evolve and adapt to modern work environments.

While SMART goals are highly effective for setting clear, measurable objectives, they can sometimes be too rigid for dynamic or innovative workplaces that require more flexibility and creativity.

In fast-paced environments, additional frameworks, such as OKRs (objectives and key results) or AGILE goal-setting approaches, may be more suitable for balancing long-term vision with short-term agility. However, when combined with periodic reviews and flexibility, SMART goals remain a valuable tool for setting clear, actionable, and measurable objectives.

Learn more about other goal setting frameworks: 7 Effective Goal-Setting Frameworks Analyzed (+Tips for Selecting the Right One)

What are some tips for setting effective SMART goals?

In addition to the guidelines set forth by the SMART acronym, here are nine additional tips to ensure you are setting effective SMART goals.

Use simple language

In addition to specificity, simplicity is important. Try to keep objectives short with simple, straightforward language. The easier your SMART goals are to understand, the better your employees' chances of remembering and achieving them.

Break goals into sub-tasks

Keeping complex goals specific and straightforward can be a challenge.

It is often better to turn a single, overarching objective into a series of more digestible sub-goals. These bite-sized objectives will be more specific and assignable than an expansive objective.

Define success metrics

You can further clarify the measurable aspect of SMART goals by defining success metrics. In some cases, objectives are easily quantifiable and measurable, such as increasing conversions by 5%. However, other goals can be more subjective, like improving interdepartmental communications. In such cases, it is essential to define the success metrics, such as fewer missed deadlines.

Consider training opportunities

Developing SMART goals may make training deficiencies or opportunities apparent.

Tip #1: Be open-minded about what training is needed to help employees meet SMART goals or which aspects of the objective create new training opportunities to strengthen the company.
Tip #2: Consider running a training needs assessment survey to collect employee insights.

Enlist coaches, buddies, and mentors

While the point of SMART goals is to create more achievable, successful objectives, sometimes a little help is beneficial, especially for new employees. Mentorship programs can be of use in such cases. A coworker with more experience involving SMART goals and OKRs can be instrumental in getting junior employees up to speed.

Set a schedule

The last aspect of SMART goals is a realistic time frame. While giving a deadline is one way to accomplish this, sometimes your people need a more detailed schedule.

Tip: Setting a schedule with target dates for different milestones can help the assigned parties stay on track to achieve the overall objective.

Track progress

Tracking progress with SMART goals is easy, thanks to the measurable and time-related elements.

Tip: Break down sub-tasks or milestones to allow easy progress calculation.

Adjust goals based on feedback

While SMART goals give an organization a structured framework for setting effective objectives, they need not be inflexible or limiting.

Tip: Encourage employee input about any of the five elements of the acronym and adjust them as needed. You can discuss these during one-on-one meetings.

Effective teams set SMART goals with Deel Engage

Deel Engage’s talent management suite can streamline SMART goals setting and tracking by:

• Customizing the platform to fit the structure of your goal-setting framework
• Defining parent goals and sub-goals so that every individual, manager, and department stays accountable
• Assigning timeframes to each goal
• Using employee goals to add more context to 1:1 meetings and performance reviews
• Managing all employees’ goals from a centralized location

Additionally, Deel HR, our truly global HRIS solution, is always included for free.

Book a demo today to see how our solutions will help you build a high-performance workforce.