01/22/2024

A New Look for Performance Reviews

Workers are seeking more meaningful ways to feel engaged

It’s practically axiomatic at this point that the annual performance review is broken. According to a new report by the Arbinger Institute, a full 30 percent of respondents said that such reviews are “not useful or a complete waste of time.” 

The intensifying disdain isn’t surprising. As more workers post-pandemic look for ways to better integrate their work and personal lives, they’re seeking more meaningful ways to feel engaged with their organizations—and a tick-the-box exercise largely built around compensation decisions isn’t going to do that. A recent article by IMD Business School Senior Advisor Lars Haggstrom notes that this frustration is why companies like Microsoft are dispensing with those reviews.

Instead, Haggstrom writes, Microsoft is focusing on what it calls “Connects—check-ins between employees and managers designed to delve into performance, career development, and alignment with company objectives.” More regular check-ins are a common approach to getting away from the dreaded annual review, of course. But don’t discount that point about “alignment with company objectives.” If you don’t know what your overall organization goals are, how are your people supposed to know theirs?

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.