When you mention the words ‘performance review’ to employees, they roll their eyes, sigh and give each other that knowing sideways glance. The irony is that when you mention the same topic to managers, they break out in a cold sweat with visions of reams of paperwork and uncomfortable conversations on the horizon.
So what is it that makes everyone so uncomfortable?
Why employees hate the performance review process
Employees often feel like they have no control over the situation. They see it as a time where managers get to comment negatively on areas of performance that may actually be subjective in nature.
If an employee disagrees with what’s being discussed in their review, it may have a negative effect on their relationship with their boss, and possibly even their career path. Even today, in some organisations performance reviews are more ‘one way speaking lanes’ than ‘two way conversation zones’. Attempts to redress this balance may see employees being labelled as ‘difficult’ and ‘unable to handle criticism well’.
In this kind of environment, it’s challenging to create meaningful work relationships that place significance on the goals of the organisation AND the individual. Employees often feel invisible and insignificant, and certainly not in control of their own destinies.
Why managers hate the performance review process
Managers often dread employee performance reviews as they assume each discussion will turn into a battle with the manager trying to convince the employee that their ratings are accurate. Employees often think they perform better than they actually do, so it’s not uncommon for these conversations to degenerate into bun fights!
In addition, there’s also the ‘busy-ness’ factor. Most managers are generally busy with tasks and goals of their own. Reviewing a whole year’s worth of performance is time consuming and can increase workloads significantly during the performance review period, especially when large teams are involved.
In organisations where performance review systems are still paper-based, it’s understandable why managers fear the mountain of paperwork that looms before them at review time.
How can you overcome the negativity around performance reviews?
- Set clear expectations. As part of your induction process, explain to all new employees exactly how your performance review process works so there are no surprises down the line.
- Ensure there are no surprises at an annual review. It’s impossible to address performance issues effectively that are a year old. Consider a quarterly or 6-monthly performance cycle, rather than an annual one.
- Provide regular feedback during the year. Create a culture where performance discussions are a regular part of the work day and informal review meetings are held at frequent intervals. Introduce performance related language into your organisation’s language so employees and managers become more used to communicating without criticism or blame.
- Adapt your approach to reviews. Consider introducing a 360 Degree process where employees get to review their own performance and then compare it with the views of multiple people they encounter at work, not just their line manager. Online 360 review systems reduce the admin load even further because information is stored, collated and sorted online which makes it much easier to access and use.
Download our Free White Paper "Why Use 360 Degree Feedback", which looks at the benefits of organisations gain from implementing 360 review processes.
It may be just what you need to reverse the negative thinking about performance reviews in your organisation.
