A new report from Reflective reveals unfair performance reviews is prompting 85% of employees to consider quitting. This is because the way we now work is completely different from the time performance reviews were created.
As Liz Ryan, a Fortune 500 HR SVP, writes on Forbes, “Performance reviews are artifacts left over from the Industrial Revolution.” Ryan further emphasizes this argument by pointing out the way we work today.
She adds, “Knowledge Work is more complex and nuanced than that. Knowledge Worker jobs don’t boil down to a number of widgets polished per hour or per quarter.” And the research from Reflective confirms this exact view, and employees are looking for alternative review methods.
So how does today’s workforce want to be evaluated? In the press release for the report, Rachel Ernst, vice president of employee success at Reflektive, says “Employees crave accurate, growth-oriented feedback – and they don’t want to wait until an annual job review to get it.”
If your workers are not making widgets you have to reassess how you evaluate their performance. A once or twice-yearly review is no longer an accurate metric.
Ernst goes on to say, “When employees receive regular attention, recognition, and guidance on how to improve from their managers, they tend to be more engaged and productive.”
The Importance of Accuracy and Frequency
The takeaway from this survey is employees want accurate and frequent reviews. More than two thirds or 68% say bias is responsible for impacting a performance review. By providing accurate, transparent and unbiased performance reviews, everyone can see how decisions are made.
Ernst says, “Creating a culture of feedback that implements a modernized performance review structure based on data helps to eliminate these costly problems.”
Considering most of today’s workforce has grown with digital technology it makes perfect sense; they want to see the data.
Survey Results
The data for the report comes from a survey of 1,000 full-time workers. And if there is one thing which speaks loud and clear from the result is, employees want a fair shake.
According to the report, bias is a big problem. The respondents say reviews which don’t reflect their actual performance accurately is responsible for not getting a promotion. And one third say inaccuracy is something they are least likely to tolerate in a review.
By giving performance feedback on a regular basis, it is much easier to stay accurate. In the survey, 92% say they prefer getting feedback more than once a year. As to the frequency, 42% say they want formal feedback conversations with their manager at least weekly and 72% at least monthly.
When it comes to what they like about reviews, 64% of employees say it gives them helpful feedback, good face time with managers (45%), and makes what the need to get promoted clear (41%). But not everyone is this positive.
The Consequences of an Unfair Performance Review
If an employee feels their review is inaccurate or biased, they can get angry and take some vengeful actions.
Of those who plan to quit, 51% say they are going to do so in a blaze of glory. This includes exposing company secrets (12%) and bad-mouthing coworkers, boss or company (18%). But 78% say they will create an “I Quit” video and post it on social media.
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