Hello {{first_name}}
May was a month of building, learning, and meaningful conversations at SpurtX!.
From launching smarter workflows across the platform to joining product leaders at World Product Day Lagos, we've been thinking a lot about what helps teams perform at their best.
In this issue, we're exploring why traditional performance reviews often fall short, sharing a major product update, and highlighting moments from the wider product ecosystem.
Yearly Performance Reviews, Yay or Nay?
During the growth stage of a business, performance reviews become one of the most important tools managers have. Most organisations put real effort into their yearly reviews, from form preparation, feedback collection and structured meetings, all in pursuit of accurate insights. Yet most employees still walk out of those conversations feeling confused, discouraged, or unsure what any of it means for them going forward.
The core problem with yearly or six-monthly reviews is that they ask managers to evaluate months of work in a single sitting. Rather than data, human memory is dependent on, and most of the time, recency bias kicks in. The employee who had a strong February but a quiet May gets shortchanged, and by the time feedback is delivered, it's often too late to do anything useful with it.
This disconnect is worth paying attention to because it usually isn't the review that's broken. It's everything that didn't happen in the months leading up to it
So what does a healthier approach look like?
Strong teams build feedback into how they operate day to day. Goals are discussed regularly, not just at the start of the year. Progress is tracked monthly, and achievements are documented in real time. With this, challenges get surfaced early enough to do something about them, and employees have ongoing opportunities to share their own perspective — not just respond to someone else's.
The difference is evident by the time a formal review happens, as there are very few surprises. The conversation then isn't a reconstruction but a structured look at things both parties already know, with space to talk about what comes next.
Where the right tools make a difference
Performance conversations get sharper when managers have access to real data, consistent feedback, and a picture of how an employee has been doing over time, not just in the last two weeks before the review.
Spur! is built for exactly that. Appraisals, feedback collection, and performance trends are structured to make reviews more grounded and much less stressful for everyone involved.
With Spur!, you gain a clearer view of your team's performance through monthly peer and self-appraisals, helping you track progress and identify development opportunities over time. Anonymous surveys also give employees a safe space to share honest feedback, providing valuable insights into engagement, challenges, and workplace sentiment.
Spur! further highlights top performers through leaderboard rankings based on appraisal scores, making it easier to recognise excellence while identifying areas where additional support may be needed.
But performance management isn't only about identifying gaps. It's also about reinforcing what is working.
Employees who hear from management only during review season tend to feel disconnected from their progress. Recognition can't just be a once-a-year event. It has to happen closer to the work itself.
Spark! helps teams do that, acknowledging contributions as they happen, so that by the time appraisal season arrives, good work hasn't just been done. It's been seen, named, and remembered.
That changes the entire tone of the review.
World Product Day Lagos
On the 21st of this month, we had the pleasure of attending the Lagos edition of World Product Day 2026, hosted by our partner, Innovate Africa.
With the theme “Product Under Pressure,” the event brought together a carefully selected mix of product professionals, founders, engineers, and ecosystem enablers working to build scalable, user-driven solutions for Africa.
Highlights from the event:
A Product Ecosystem Job Fair that created space for top tech companies to meet and recruit talent across various roles.
A Hackathon Finale that featured live pitches from the top five teams that developed prototypes for real-world challenges.
A series of interactive workshops and roundtables that offered practical sessions on building in emerging markets.
Fireside chats with seasoned product leaders that provided unfiltered insights on building and scaling from people actively solving tough problems.
We’re proud to have been part of this powerful gathering of thinkers and doers. Shoutout to Innovate Africa for creating such a high-impact platform!
Product Update: Smarter Prompts Across SpurtX!
We know that managing an employee lifecycle from hiring, onboarding, project assignment, performance reviews, and rewards involves a lot of moving parts. This makes it easy for things to fall through the cracks, as there’s simply a lot to track.
That's why we've introduced automated prompts across SpurtX! — timely, contextual nudges that guide you to the right next step without you having to remember what it is.
Here's how it works:
After hiring someone → you're prompted to assign them to a project
After adding someone to a project → you're reminded to assign milestones
When milestones are completed → you're prompted to recognise and reward your team
During ongoing projects → you're nudged to run performance appraisals
These prompts are designed to connect the dots across hiring, project execution, performance, and invoicing, so your workflow feels joined-up rather than fragmented.
It's a small change that makes a meaningful difference to how your day runs.
If you’re detail-oriented, analytical, and great at financial modelling and management, this could be a great opportunity for you.
The ideal candidate should be familiar with financial modelling, reporting, compliance regulations across African markets, and overall financial operations. Strong attention to detail, accuracy, and the ability to work with data-driven insights are essential for this role.
Check full details and apply here
We’re Hiring a Human Resource Business Development Partner!*
We’re looking for someone on a contract role to solve HR business problems and provide sustainable solutions.
See more of the job description and apply here
As we head into June, we're continuing to focus on making team management simpler, more connected, and more effective for growing businesses.
Thanks for being part of the SpurtX! community. We're excited to keep building alongside you. We'll be back next month with more insights, updates, and practical ideas for building stronger teams.
Until then,
Shani
Share your Feedback
We hope you enjoyed this edition.
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The future is bright, and SpurtX! is evolving to meet your needs.
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