{"id":1007,"date":"2020-02-25T15:03:41","date_gmt":"2020-02-25T15:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/workwithimpact.co.uk\/news\/performance-reviews-how-effective-are-they\/"},"modified":"2022-04-11T20:54:40","modified_gmt":"2022-04-11T19:54:40","slug":"performance-reviews-how-effective-are-they","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/workwithimpact.co.uk\/news\/performance-reviews-how-effective-are-they\/","title":{"rendered":"Performance Reviews – How Effective are they?"},"content":{"rendered":"

This month we are exploring the conditions that allow people to perform better at work and which help them to thrive! Following our main article regarding the importance of focus, we wanted to share with you what we learned from the Division of Occupational Psychology 2020 Conference that can enrich everyone\u2019s understanding of how performance can be optimised. Professor Frederik Anseel gave an opening keynote speech at the DOP Conference titled \u201cWhat evidence do we have for redesigning performance management systems.\u201d His talk got us thinking about current performance management practices and we would like to share with you what we learnt.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feedback and performance appraisals are favoured by HR practitioners which ensures their continued use across organisations. Why is this? It\u2019s because of the long-standing idea that feedback is key to motivate and enhance other\u2019s performance. However, latest research may suggest otherwise…<\/p>\n

Being at the receiving end of feedback stimulates our thinking, for example \u201cIs this personal?\u201d or \u201cWhat do people think of me?\u201d. Consequently, people stop thinking about the content of the feedback and what it is referring to. This in turn affects individuals\u2019 self-enhancement motives i.e. talking about ourselves, how we think about ourselves and the impact of our self-image. For example, those who have an unrealistically positive self-image during a threatening situation will not process the feedback properly. This is clearly detrimental and renders the feedback useless as they do not absorb the information.<\/p>\n

So, what can we do? Instead of focusing on performance feedback per se, we need to create a psychologically safe environment, which is more likely to create a self-improvement mindset i.e. where individuals consider development needs. Therefore, when conducting performance appraisals and reviews it is important to create a safe and trusting environment for the individual to get the most out of the session.<\/p>\n

\"\"Professor Frederik Anseel at the Division of Occupational Psychology Conference 2020 during the delivery of his keynote speech.<\/em><\/p>\n

Some large corporations have gone the other way and scrapped the appraisal altogether e.g. Microsoft and Dell. There is a new approach whereby managers have an informal \u201ccheck-in\u201d with colleagues, and they are encouraged to discuss how they feel without the use of rating scales. But what led these companies to get rid of an age-old practise?<\/p>\n

Criticism of performance reviews:<\/p>\n