Performance review for yourself - ugh!

jebba · Dec 2, 2010

Every year we go through a performance review with our immediate supervisor. This year, our boss has requested that we fill out the review form for ourselves before meeting with the supervisor. I hate this! The last time I did this, I was 22, working at a job I hated. I was mortified to discover I had marked myself higher than my boss had marked me. Ugh.
 
So I whipped off my review in about 10 minutes and handed it to my supervisor. We have to rate ourselves on a scale of 1-4. My boss walked back into my office a couple of minutes later and said, "I'm not going to even begin to have a discussion with you about this. You need to do this over." I sighed, and he said, "Don't put anything lower than a 2.7, and put in at least 3 things that are a 4."
 
It's funny, because I sense he hates this as much as I do. I feel like I could randomly assign numbers to each category.
 
Do you have to do this with your job? I wonder if I'd get in trouble for writing pi on every line.

GaReb770 · Dec 2, 2010

We have not had any raises in three years and thus no performance reviews in three years. Prior to that sometimes the supervisor fills them out theirselves and others time the employees fill them out prior to meeting with the supervisor to see if they are both seeing eye to eye.
 
I've become somewhat cynical about performance reviews over the years and in light of the economy as to who goes and who stays. I've seen people with excellent reviews be shown the door after 10 or so while at the same time employees that put forth the least effort seem to be able to keep their job. 
 
My idea of a performance review is quite simple. It should contain one question and one question only. Is the employee doing their job? Yes or No. Everything else is fluff.

jcumming · Dec 2, 2010

As a Principal I got the short version every second year and the long version after 5 years. I always had a boss I liked and respected, one I'd trust with my life and the other I'd trust with my car.
 
I never found it very stressful because any area where I was being a rebel (and there were a few) were well known and discussed before the review.
 
I must have done OK because they never fired me and have called me back 4 times since I retired.

ym · Dec 2, 2010

I haven't had a performance review in a couple of years, but when I did have them in the 10 years prior, we had to fill them out first also. I hated that, mostly because my supervisors would just take what I wrote so they could fill out my review since the employees' version was never seen past their immediate supervisor. <img alt="dontknow.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/dontknow.gif"> But there were all these numbers with which they had to comply - percentages and such so that the bell-shaped curve was always nice and neat. So even if you have a stellar employee who does everything or most things in an above average or excellent manner, you still had to mark them down on something. To my way of thinking, the ratings should be comparative within a population, not for each person.
 
Way before that, the managers were responsible for filling them out and having a session with each employee. As a manager, I liked the process because I could tell my employees what I thought they did really well, tailor their jobs and tasks to their talents and use their weaknesses for training opportunities. In most cases, we would figure out what the weaknesses were together so that their goals for the next year and their training opportunities were things they wanted to do. Every one was happy.

Mrtambalynman · Dec 2, 2010

I haven't had one in a few years and the ones I had seemed to have no bearing on my employment.

wherestheportojohn · Dec 2, 2010

Those of us who are Elders have *PDP review requirements every three years. *professional development plans
 
Writing (fucking) personal/professional growth goals which reflect the district's goals, blah blah yadda, self-reviews, circle jerks, ick ick ick.
 
As for me.....100% PURE BULLSHIT is what I write after 35+ years.
 
<img alt="cool.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/cool.gif" style="width:16px;height:16px;">
 
and the administration creams jeans over my reports <img alt="rolleyes.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/rolleyes.gif" style="width:16px;height:16px;">

dg1 · Dec 2, 2010

<img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif" style="width:16px;height:16px;">
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I hate 'em and thats what I do too.
 
 
 
Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by wherestheportojohn <a href="/forum/thread/71449/performance-review-for-yourself-ugh#post_1966555"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-bottom:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-right:0px solid;"></a> Those of us who are Elders have *PDP review requirements every three years. *professional development plans
 
Writing (fucking) personal/professional growth goals which reflect the district's goals, blah blah yadda, self-reviews, circle jerks, ick ick ick.
 
As for me.....100% PURE BULLSHIT is what I write after 35+ years.
 
<img alt="cool.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/cool.gif" style="width:16px;height:16px;">
 
and the administration creams jeans over my reports <img alt="rolleyes.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/rolleyes.gif" style="width:16px;height:16px;">
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jebba · Dec 2, 2010

We don't even get raises this year. We haven't had raises in 4 years.
 
I think I'm going to make every number have a decimal point just to f with 'em.

rlemert · Dec 2, 2010

Ideally there should never be a surprise to either party in a performance review. A manager should be providing continuous feedback to his/her employees throughout the year so that the employee knows what he or she does well, what he or she needs to improve, and how that improvement should be accomplished.
 
 We do annual 360-reviews here, where we do a self-appraisal, and our managers solicit feedback from our coworkers, any of our direct reports, our customers, and other managers. Once the managers have compiled their reports and discussed them with us they go into the black hole of HR's records, where they might be seen by another human being when we're being considered for a promotion. Top management insists that we go through the process, though, because it ensures that we will have at least one review each year. Otherwise, people would be too likely to forget about it in their daily routines.
 
 Personally, I've never had any problems with the narrative section of my self-appraisals. I know what I do well, I know what I'm weak in, and I'm honest enough to admit it. Where I have a problem is with rating myself relative to my peers since I don't have the "big picture" perspective that my boss has - especially since my "peers" are located in several different cities. Fortunately we don't do this. We do have different criteria we have to rate ourselves in, but we just have to say whether we're learning that skill, becoming proficient, fully proficient, or clueless.

altoids · Dec 2, 2010

We do an SRDP every year. <img alt="cry.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/cry.gif"> (Staff Review and Development Plan)
 
So not only do I have to do a self-appraisal for my section, I also have to come up with goals of how I'm going to be even more awesome in the year to come. 
 
And whoever designed the Word template that we have to use should be shot.

rnrlowe · Dec 2, 2010

We do PDPs every year. We have mid-year reviews to see if we are meeting our targets. At the end of the year we again have to verify that we've met or exceeded our targets then release the PDP to our manager. He then goes to a round table with all the other managers and divies up the pot of money for raises. I've received a raise every year I've been with Siemens. This year the company scored the highest profits in the history of Siemens - in this economy. Anyway a few years ago HR review everyones pay and determined I was "under paid" for the work I did as compaired to those that did the same kind of work outside the company. That year I received a 15% pay raise - and a bonus equal to half a months pay. I ate steak.

hazelrah · Dec 2, 2010

I recommend treating as if you were writing your resume for your job. Obviously don't lie, but put a positive spin on everything. Let your management sort our what is relevant or not. Don't hang your self. And do not f' with them. You want them to be in a good mood when they do your review, don't you ? Even if there are no raises right now, company policies usually change from quarter to quarter. Allegedly economic indicators are up, possible foreshadowing of a rebound of sorts. Although I not sure who will reap those benefits. But it may increase the likely hood raises may be reinstated in the not so distant future by allot of companies trying retain critical skills. Review rankings can also determine the order of the layoff queue when/if that time comes.
 
We all wish it was as simple as "did they do their job? yes/no". Define the job ? Can the job as predicted in January go 12 months without changing ? Mitigating circumstances ? New opportunities, new unforeseen road blocks through out the year ? Project plan changes ? People who go the extra mile vs people who work just hard enough to not get fired vs people who do less then that ? I do not know how to answer those with 1 yes/no.
 
Fortunately all I have to do at my company is list accomplishments for the year, especially against critical deadlines, their impact on the team, and the business (customers), and let my management decide whose list deserves the A's, B's, etc... (C's go on probation and D's are usually on their way out the door). Since a good way to get to the D's is to spend too much time on forums I am signing out now. Good luck.

kerfwango · Dec 2, 2010

Pure hell and my boss agrees but we have to do them anyway. I'm about five months behind getting my mid-year done.

bap · Dec 2, 2010

We have to do a self-assessment. My secret is to write myself a stinking assessment so my boss spends the whole appraisal telling me not to be so hard on myself. <img alt="icon_tongue.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/icon_tongue.gif">

gretriever · Dec 2, 2010

I usually try out stand-up routines for my self-appraisals. Where I work now they love it. Where I used to work - well, I got the best write-up ever from a manager. 
 
"There is no place in the government for comedy."
 
<img alt="blob7.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/blob7.gif">

GaReb770 · Dec 3, 2010

Despite not having an appraisal (self or my supervisor) I received an unexpected Christmas bonus today. That is the best performance appraisal I've had all year. <img alt="icon_santa.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/icon_santa.gif" style="width:22px;height:25px;">

jebba · Dec 3, 2010

I work for the government, so raises are unlikely for the foreseeable future. I am also one of a handful of people who speak Spanish, so my job is fairly secure.
 
I am commited to doing not just a good job, but a great job. I just hate the idea of rating myself on what feels like an arbitrary scale with semi-arbitrary metrics for assessment.

kerfwango · Dec 3, 2010

Awesome. Gotta love government self-parody. 

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by gretriever <a href="/forum/thread/71449/performance-review-for-yourself-ugh#post_1966768"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-bottom:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-right:0px solid;"></a> I usually try out stand-up routines for my self-appraisals. Where I work now they love it. Where I used to work - well, I got the best write-up ever from a manager. 
 
"There is no place in the government for comedy."
 
<img alt="blob7.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/blob7.gif">
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Performance review for yourself - ugh!

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