Employee evaluations

[prolesunited]

Poll question: Employee evaluations

That time of year again. I just got done evaluating my staff and just finished my review with my supervisor. <-- Can't complain. I wrote my own review and he just signed off on it. Needless to say, I'm an invaluable, highly competent employee. ;-)

The exercise just got me thinking about what others think about employee evaluations.

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Stupid waste of time

and humiliating for employees.

[meegbear]

2. Agreed ...

dump 'em.

[liberalhistorian]

3. It's nothing but a stupid waste of time,

I've worked my ass off for companies where the person in charge of evaluations had her little pets and gave them great evalutions, even though they sucked and were just coasting, and the rest of us were stuck with the mediocre evalutaions, especially if she didn't like us.

It has nothing to do with performance, and everything to do with popularity contests and office politics. Especially with the nitpicking bosses who'll take one mistake you made and make a mountain out of it all fucking year long.

[roguevalley]

4. where I come from, they were used as humiliation tools

and pay offs. So many of our supervisors were psychos
that they became tools for termination.

[Deja Q]

18. Speak for yourself (no offense!)

As with technology, reviews themselves are tools.

Tools can be improperly used.

You're in an unfortunate position.

I'm lucky to have an even-minded supervisor.

The problem isn't as much evaluations as promotions. Despite the budget, people are stll getting promoted in my department even though one or two of them are either too new or didn't really deserve it. I originally thought "With the budget, shouldn't we all stay where we're at?" But now "If they're giving out promotions all over the place, why not me? I'm a hard worker, I'm a smart worker too. I can come up with creative solutions. I have a positive, can-do and will-do attitude. I am willing to take a chance. I am willing to put security above "ease of use". I could go on for ages, though without specifics you're not going to believe me anyway.)

[NewGuy]

5. I have seen a system that worked well.

It was in England among government workers. The requirement was that the performance review be hand written in the supv. hand writing and signed by the supervisor. Then if the employee got promoted based on the report, he went into a 90 day probationary period. If he didn't pan out he was returned along with the performance report stamped non-concur. It really helped to keep people honest.

[BiggJawn]

10. But what happened to good people who got "torpedoed"?

Good people who just managed to get on their boss' "wrong side"?

Seems to me there was more incentive for your supervisor to fuck you on paper than blow smoke up your ass....

Because if an employee "got the sack" based on his eval, there was no "90 day probationary period", was there?

[lpbk2713]

6. It could be alright if you were rated by

someone who knows the concept of "objectivity". Otherwise (and probably in most of the cases) it's just a silly-ass popularity contest. Something on the level of junior high school.

[ZenLefty]

7. They're only worthwile if they're honest

I don't like the corporate 'survey-style' reviews where managers and employees rate categories on scales of 1 to n. But something where a manager tells you honestly where you stand, where you do good, and what you need to work on is no bad thing.

[sangh0]

8. I agree

Like many things, evaluations can be good or bad (or both) depending on how they are implemented.

[Snow]

9. It's a CYA tool,

so that if you need to fire someone down the line, you've got the paper tool. For reinforcing/rewarding good performance, it's worthless.

[BiggJawn]

11. Worthless waste of time. Just makes busywork ...

...for top-heavy HR departments.
What a racket! Instead of RIFing your "redundant" HR drones, come up with a new policy requiring lots of data for them to shuffle.

The problem with Employee Reviews are that they are NEVER objective. If you're a "likable" guy like me, you get some skating space. If you work for a sociopath, like my GF does, you could invent fire, cure AIDS and be the midwife for the Second Coming and it wouldn't be good enough for them.

About as useful a "business tool" as "Who stole my Cheez?"

[prolesunited]

12. I don't think they stole it

I think they moved it. ;-)

[BiggJawn]

14. Naw, they STOLE it, alright....

They just want you to think that they MOVED it...:evilgrin:

They stole it, and gave it to their rich buddies who really don't need anymore, but when you've spent your whole life acquiring Cheez, whatchu gonna do?

[prolesunited]

17. Oh, you

and your conspiracy theories! :tinfoilhat:

j/k

[pmbryant]

13. Worse than worthless

I voted for 'other', as there was no option for 'worse than worthless'. ;-)

My view and personal experience is that this whole system is just a way for managers to reward those they like (i.e., those who curry favor) and punish those they dislike (who are often the best performers who the manager feels threatened by in some fashion). Actual performance has little-to-no-correlation with the results of the evaluation.

EDIT: I am saddened, yet not surprised, to see that my viewpoint is pretty much typical of the responses here.

--Peter

[Nikia]

15. I want a written evaluation

I have worked for my company for two and a half years. I have not gotten a written evaluation. This past year, production people got written evaluations, but I didn't. Instead, I didn't get a raise and my boss tell me that I wasn't doing as well as he had hoped when he hired me and not professional enough (to provide a good summary). If he did mention a constructive details, I did not retain them because I was so upset during the conservation. Although I don't have the negative evauluation in my personel file or any other persormance related note that could be used against me. I came out of that evaluation meeting hurt, confused, and no idea of how I could do better. If I had the benefit of something written, I would be able to read it again after I settled down. Perhaps, I would have taken something away from it that was somewhat positive. Instead, I was left with vague negative generalizations that my mind probably even made more negative.

[prolesunited]

19. I would suggest asking for a meeting with your boss

With a clearer frame of mind and some set goals, you could get the feedback you need without a written evaluation.

Ask him some questions about what he considers to be your strengths and weaknesses. Ask what you are doing well and where you need to improve. Have him help you set some goals. Take LOTS of notes.

You may have not gotten a raise this time, but why let it happen again. Your boss will likely appreciate the fact that you're taking initiative to improve your performance. You'll have guidelines to follow and at your next review, if it isn't positive, you can pull out your notes and let him know the steps you've taken on his recommendations.

[ProfessorGAC]

16. I Voted Other

If properly structured to measure normal job activities and specific metrics on objectives and goals, they are useful tool in meeting corporate needs.

However, they are too often put together in an overly quantitative way, and are not implemented well. The employee development is almost always an afterthought, and seldom are the metrics truly measurable.

The b-school classes in this field are almost laughable. (I say almost because no matter how bad, one cannot laugh at the fact that people's lives are involved.) The one at this company has recently been revised and is the best i've ever seen. This is the third form since i've been here and it's a gigantic improvement over either of the earlier two.

I think a well run company could live without them, and just do direct goal measurements (like the Harvard Business Review JRA system), but if used correctly they can enhance an employee's long term value to the company. That's good for both sides.

All that being said, when i used to have to either do, or overlook 33 reviews every year, it was a major pain in the rear.
The Professor

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

20. What's an evaluation?

Seriously. I haven't had an evaluation for two years, and I've had to practicaly wring their necks (metaphorically, of course,) to get one.
Not to mention a raise, which I haven't had in two years, either.
And management keeps getting bonus checks every three months...

[Paranoid_Portlander]

21. Employee evaluations are a source of great joy...

...to certain sadistic employers (no one on this thread, of course). Detailed advice on how to fight back against workplace bullies and their favorite tool of humiliation, the employee evaluation, can be found at www.kickbully.com As a side note, my webtv unit won't let me see about half of this thread at this time, but later on I might be able to read the replies.