SAP SuccessFactors Performance and Goals Training Course

Course overview

Performance and goals processes fail when business objectives are translated into vague employee goals, managers apply ratings inconsistently, and HR teams cannot explain how configuration choices affect the employee experience. This five-day SAP SuccessFactors Performance and Goals Training Course equips HR and HRIS professionals to design, configure and support performance cycles that connect goal alignment, manager feedback, performance reviews and calibration decisions. Participants learn to move beyond basic system administration and make defensible configuration decisions that serve managers, employees and talent leaders.

The course covers SAP SuccessFactors Goal Management and Performance Management from process design through configuration and operational support. Participants work with goal plans, goal libraries, field definitions, permissions, role-based routes, performance form templates, rating scales, competencies, route maps, email notifications and calibration integration. They practise translating policy requirements into system rules, testing forms across user roles, diagnosing common workflow issues and preparing reporting-ready performance data. Particular attention is given to balancing a structured, auditable review process with a practical experience for managers and employees.

Delivery combines instructor-led demonstrations with guided configuration labs in a SAP SuccessFactors training environment. Participants use realistic scenarios to configure a goal plan and performance review cycle for a sample organisation, test it as employee, manager and HR administrator, and resolve issues found during user acceptance testing. They leave with a documented Performance and Goals configuration blueprint, including process decisions, permissions, form design, route map, test cases and launch-readiness actions that can be adapted for their own organisation.

The course is suited to HRIS practitioners, SuccessFactors administrators and HR transformation team members responsible for maintaining or improving Performance and Goals. It is also valuable for HR business partners and talent management specialists who need to specify requirements, validate configuration and govern annual performance cycles with their technology teams.

Course objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Configure Goal Management templates, goal plan fields and goal library content for defined employee populations
• Build performance form templates with competency sections, rating scales, comment fields and item weights
• Design route maps that control employee, manager, matrix manager and HR review steps
• Apply role-based permissions to protect performance data while enabling required actions and reporting access
• Translate performance policy requirements into SuccessFactors configuration decisions and acceptance criteria
• Test goal plans and performance forms across employee, manager and administrator roles using structured test scripts
• Diagnose common Performance and Goals issues involving permissions, form routing, ratings and notifications
• Produce a launch-ready Performance and Goals configuration blueprint with governance and support actions

Benefits of attending

Target competencies

Who should attend

• SAP SuccessFactors Administrators — who configure and support Goal Management and Performance Management processes
• HRIS Analysts — who translate HR policy into system requirements, test cases and configuration specifications
• Talent Management Specialists — who own goal-setting, performance review and calibration process design
• HR Transformation Project Team Members — who support SuccessFactors implementation, optimisation or release activities
• HR Business Partners — who must validate that performance workflows work for managers and employees
• Learning and Development Systems Professionals — who coordinate competency content and talent-process data across HR platforms

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should understand the purpose of annual or continuous performance management, including goal setting, manager reviews, rating scales and employee-manager workflows. Experience using SAP SuccessFactors as an employee, manager, HR user or administrator is strongly recommended, and participants should be comfortable navigating web-based enterprise applications and interpreting basic HR process requirements. Familiarity with SAP SuccessFactors Role-Based Permissions, Employee Central data and Admin Center is helpful but not essential. Programming, SAP ABAP, integration development and prior certification are not required. This is not a first exposure to HR performance management; complete beginners should first gain practical familiarity with the underlying HR process.

Training methodology

The instructor uses a working SAP SuccessFactors training tenant to demonstrate each feature before participants configure it themselves. Short design briefings connect HR policy choices to goal plan templates, performance forms, route maps and permissions. Guided labs use a realistic organisation with employees, managers and HR administrators, allowing participants to test the same process from multiple roles. Small-group reviews focus on resolving configuration trade-offs and test failures. On the final day, each participant consolidates their work into a practical configuration blueprint and application plan for a live or planned performance cycle.

Course outline

Day 1: Performance process architecture and goal management

• Performance and Goals process architecture in SAP SuccessFactors
• Goal Management terminology, templates and plan lifecycle
• Goal plan field definitions and standard versus custom fields
• Goal categories, weights and cascading goal structures
• Goal libraries and approved goal content governance
• Goal plan permissions and role-based access patterns
• Admin Center navigation and configuration change controls

Workshop: Participants configure a goal plan for a sales division and produce a field, permission and goal-library design sheet.

Day 2: Performance form configuration

• Performance form template structure and section design
• Goal sections and goal plan linkage within performance forms
• Competency sections, libraries and behavioural indicators
• Rating scales, rating labels and rating calculation rules
• Item weights, section weights and score presentation
• Comment fields, required fields and text-area controls
• Form template settings for copy, print and save behaviour

Workshop: Participants build a performance review form containing weighted goals, competencies, ratings and manager comments, then validate its scoring logic.

Day 3: Workflow, roles and communications

• Route map steps and performance review workflow sequencing
• Employee, manager, matrix manager and HR participant roles
• Modify, signature and exit options in route map steps
• Role-Based Permissions for form access and administrative actions
• Target population design and performance form launch groups
• Email notification triggers and message-template considerations
• Delegation, proxy access and escalation scenarios

Workshop: Participants create and test a multi-step route map for a review cycle, producing a role-by-step workflow matrix.

Day 4: Testing, troubleshooting and calibration readiness

• Configuration transport and change-impact assessment
• User acceptance test scripts for Performance and Goals
• Role-based testing using employee, manager and HR scenarios
• Troubleshooting missing forms, inaccessible goals and stalled routes
• Rating data quality checks and completion monitoring
• Performance Management data preparation for Calibration
• Audit evidence, issue logging and defect-prioritisation methods

Workshop: Participants execute a user acceptance test pack, log defects from seeded scenarios and produce a prioritised remediation register.

Day 5: Operational governance and cycle launch

• Annual performance-cycle launch planning and cutover activities
• Manager enablement content for goal setting and review completion
• HR support model, escalation paths and service-level ownership
• Performance process governance and configuration documentation
• Using completion and rating data to identify process risks
• Continuous Performance Management alignment considerations
• Configuration blueprint review and post-course application planning

Workshop: Participants present a launch-ready Performance and Goals configuration blueprint with governance roles, test evidence and a 90-day improvement plan.

Tools & standards covered

SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goals, SAP SuccessFactors Goal Management, SAP SuccessFactors Continuous Performance Management, SAP SuccessFactors Calibration

A typical training day

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in the East Africa Time zone, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

How you can take this course

Certification

Participants who complete the full five days receive the Skillset Development Certificate of Completion, stating the course title, course code, dates and delivery format — suitable for professional-development records and employer reimbursement.

Frequently asked questions