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Upcoming End-of-year Performance Evaluations Become Easy With New Software From CCHKNOWLEDGEPOINT

PETALUMA, CALIF., (October 10, 2002) - Annual end-of-year performance evaluations are just around the corner - and for many managers, it's a season of dread. Confronted with the blank page of a performance review, managers frequently struggle to come up with the right words to describe employee performance, wasting hours of valuable time in the process. CCHKnowledgePoint's Performance Now, the leading choice for writing performance reviews since 1994, is now better than ever with today's launch of version 4.0.

Adding substantial new features, Performance Now 4.0 provides the best solution available for dealing with the "blank page syndrome." As the manager rates employee performance on a high/low scale, Performance Now's exclusive Intelli-Text technology automatically generates meaningful supporting text. The user edits the text as needed, then runs it through Performance Now's Language Checker to spot legally sensitive or inappropriate words. Instead of struggling with what to write, managers are able to focus on conducting productive performance discussions with employees.

Once this year's performance review cycle is complete, managers can continue using Performance Now 4.0 to improve employee performance year round. "To affect an organization's bottom line, performance management needs to become a continuous process, not a once-a-year event," stresses Ian Alexander, president of CCHKnowledgePoint.

Goals for the next review cycle can be set with Performance Now's goal setting feature, which also helps managers monitor goals and measure final results. The Employee Log function makes the next review even easier by allowing managers to document employee performance throughout the year, then simply cut and paste examples from the Log into the performance review. The result is a comprehensive, well-documented appraisal that provides employees with the kind of meaningful feedback that not only improves performance, but can also boost retention rates.

"Despite the slowing economy, retention remains a critical issue for the small business sector," Alexander states. "Research shows that one of the top reasons employees leave companies is a lack of feedback from their managers. Establishing a solid, year-round performance management process can help small businesses keep the kind of skilled workers that can be so difficult to attract and retain."

New Features Added to Performance Now 4.0

The newest version of Performance Now goes even further to support the performance appraisal and employee development processes. New and enhanced features include:
· New competencies: 13 additional competencies have been added to Performance Now 4.0, including management-level competencies such as Achievement Focus, Change Management, Strategic Thinking, and Visionary Leadership. These additions bring the total to 45 pre-loaded competencies.

• Coaching ideas library: A new library with more than 2,000 competency-linked coaching ideas contains suggestions to improve weak performance - and to challenge high achievers and keep them motivated.

• Organizational goal linking: Create goal categories that link back to your top-level organizational objectives. This helps identify individual employee goals that align with departmental and overall company strategy.

• · More flexible form design: Customize your performance management review form, assign weights to goals and competencies, customize explanatory text or instructions for performance competencies and sections of the review, even change rating breakpoints. This ensures the performance review form matches your company's performance management approach and needs.

Availability, Pricing and Operating Requirements

Performance Now 4.0 is available now and offered at the suggested retail price of $179. This program runs on a Pentium-based computer with a minimum of 32MB RAM and 65 MB hard disk capacity, and requires Windows 98/ME/2000/NT.

About CCHKnowledgePoint

The CCHKnowledgePoint brand leverages KnowledgePoint's innovative technology and CCH's authoritative human resources content to provide integrated solutions that meet HR professionals and frontline managers' essential needs. CCH INCORPORATED, a provider of employment law information and software, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wolters Kluwer North America, which acquired KnowledgePoint in 2000. For more information about CCHKnowledgePoint products and services, please visit www.cchknowledgepoint.com or call 1-800-339-0104.