This pretty much sums up my views on performance reviews:
Incentive Pay Considered Harmful
Add in the fact that if a manager is doing their job properly, they shouldn’t be able to assess their subordinates’ performance, only your subordinates should be able to assess your performance. Are you kidding me? Once a year I’m going to reflect back over your performance and “grade” you?
The fact of the matter is that performance appraisals are based on (maybe) the preceding month’s worth of work (if not just the preceding week’s). If something massively positive or negative has happened, right before your performance review, regardless of your performance throughout the rest of the year, expect your review to be negative/positive. It’s the way memory works.
I’m surprised that more employees haven’t figured this out, and just goof off 11 months of the year and then deliver major milestones in the period of a month.
I’m not sure that I agree that all positive reinforcement is bad though: I think it can be damn demoralizing feeling that nobody higher up in the company has taken notice of any of your accomplishments; in that sense though, a pat on the back is just as good as anything else. Please scrap any sort of plaque, lucite award or coffee mug though.
If employees are paid adequately, throwing an extra few cents their way isn’t all that important, and it can create divisiveness on a team.
