I've worked a long time - for several different companies, types of businesses, public and private companies - and I have yet to figure out how any of them come up with their criteria for reviews.
I'm not perfect by any means - but my last one - they literally wrote "XXXX needs to have her work checked by another person for errors, etc." This is a bit strange - as no one else does my work - or anyting like it -- I'm in a department all by myself! When I asked what errors had I made that prompted this 'negative' - they couldn't come up with one - and ended the discussion by saying "We feel no one can ever have a perfect review - so we have to mention something." Really? Like that matters? And then you hand me a nice fat raise? Go figure.
I find the whole thing laughable too -- when people know the reviews are coming up - they all of a sudden start acting nice and going out of their way to do things - when the rest of the year they would just as soon knock you over on the way to the copier as help you out!
I'm not looking for an explaination to this - I'm just wondering if anyone else has the same perception of these things - I think the word I'm looking for is bewildered.
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Unfortunately, performance reviews are like children at Christmas time. The rest of the year is forgotten and concentration is given to being good close to the time Santa will arrive (i.e., you get your review). Even if you are "good" the rest of the year, your supervisor seems only to remember what you did "yesterday." So you "better watch out"!!!
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Anonymous on
12/5/2011 1:02:52 PM
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I just had my review this past week and had a similar thing happen. Our review is reflected from our Job Descriptions to a tee. We get to fill out our own ahead of time to put down how we think we did, and then our boss reads their thoughts and ideas and then us. In the past before I came aboard I?m sure staff really did try and step up before theirs because there were bonuses involved. There isn?t anymore. I still try to step it up all year long because we are an at will employer. I?m not looking out just for review time I?m looking out for all the time. Anyways my boss had to bring up an area of concern that he had already addressed with me months ago. My only thought was that he was just gently reminding me to beware. I?m not going to ask him to remove it because it was a legit concern; I was just a little disappointed that what could have been a perfect review got tainted by him reminding me of this. Never the less I got E?s which are the top of the top and was happy to receive them because I never have before and I took on twenty extra hours worth of added responsibilities in the last ten months.
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Annoymous on
12/5/2011 12:57:40 PM
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I would ask for very specific details or have the "goal" removed from my evaluation. I've done this in the past. My executive came up with something lame..."get along with other administrative assistants". I asked for examples of what he was referring to and he had none. So I asked for it to be removed. He did so. Try it and see what happens. If he won't, go to your friendly HR department. :)
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Carolyn Santora on
12/5/2011 10:38:23 AM
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No, I think you have a really good grasp of the situation. Apparently the evaluation system and opportunities for feedback aren't valued very highly where you work and that's too bad as you may never really know where you stand in the organization. Are there a lot of weather changes in your company? Now, about your raise... If you don't think you earned it, feel free to send it to me or [insert favorite charity here] and we'll put it to good use, LOL! Good luck and take care!
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Anonymous on
11/30/2011 3:26:55 PM
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Welcome to my world!! I agree - the performance review frequently only reflects the views of the supervisor/manager reviewing you.
I worked for a company for 11 years - the first 10 years as Executive Assistant to President/CEO - during the years he did my review there were always positive remarks - thank yous - and then the one thing he would like me to stretch on the following year - always top ratings.
Then the past several years there was an administrative manager who all EA and admins reported to - well he still needed to run the review by my President yet the final product was he review - each year the review got more negative - AND I always wrote a response.
This last year the review did everything but call me a no good, useless employee - he felt I had not worked as part of the team, did not work up to potential. When my president left the previous year it was two months before this manager even began to speak to me - never gave me direction on what or who I supported, was to do - even to the day I retired he had not given me any job duties or responsibilities. This review was the worse I have ever received - which of course meant the bonus was lower than I felt was deserved. AND boy did I write a response!!
Then I decided the time had come to cut my ties and because we were anticipating a move of over 300 miles away I RETIRED on 6/16/11....and sold my local house on 6/17/11 :)
The system has flaws - no doubt about it!
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breezyblnd on
11/30/2011 2:19:59 PM
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I've had several evaluations while I was I was in the military and I just recieved my civilian assessment as a federal employee. And I do not agree with the description that you wrote at all. A review is suppose to be a legitimate assessment of your work and VALID suggestions for improvements or the next steps of promotion, not just something to have for your file. I would really question if this will be something that a representative that access in deciding wether you can be promoted or ready to take on more duties. I recently read an article on Yahoo that says you should never avoid signing a negative review but I would definitely press the issue if you had no documented issues with your work or history of disclipinary problems. Yes, they are correct with remarking that no one has a perfect record but then they also document if you are one of one in your department or your previous reviews have been positive. I would request that some more beneficial be added.
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Ciari Green on
11/30/2011 11:13:27 AM
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Yes, that was a bit strange to say the least. My question to you is - did you sign it? Remember, reviews usually have a way of following you. If you signed it, did you make a statement about not agreeing with the comment about errors?
No one's perfect (although we like to believe so). I feel if a review is unfair, make a statement explaining why you feel that way.
To me, signing without a statement means you are in agreement with what is being said.
But look on the bright side, you received a nice (I'm assuming) pay increase.
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Charlita Wright on
11/30/2011 11:12:32 AM
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I have worked for several "Corporate Bosses" and numerous companies that have had the same criteria: No perfect scores. It's not that a person isn't doing the best that can be done, the system is set up to reflect a mindset that there is ALWAYS room for improvement.
Your immediate superior is aware of your preformance and should compensate you accordingly. It's just "on paper" the system needs to show that something can be improved.
I know from personal experience. My Regional Manager argued with Corporate about my 5 star review that had been returned. He was able to give me the highest raise that was available but had to take off 1/2 point on the paperwork just to please the home office.
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Karen Rust on
11/30/2011 11:01:36 AM
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No matter what you do, some people will never give you a 5-star review. We have an understanding in our company that no one is a perfect employee and no one will get all 5-stars. (I know people who have and gotten the biggest raises; but they had an amazing manager who managed to push it through the corporate pipeline.)
As long as you're getting a raise, I wouldn't worry about it. Just continue doing what you're doing and don't rock the boat.
Cindy ;)
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Cindy Brock on
11/30/2011 10:43:35 AM
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Does your company not have an evaluation form that specifies criteria for your job description? Where I work each position has a basic job description and a separate key results document that outlines specifically the basic tasks for that job and additional criteria that would make each task excellent. For example:
Answers telephone and takes messages.
a. answers the phone by the third ring.
b. documents caller's name and phone number.
c. is able to resolve some phone calls by providing the information requested.
c. etc.
Theoretically, if the assistant performs all of the above when answering calls, this would place this task in the excellent field.
If you do not have a written evaluation process perhaps now would be a good time to develop one and present to your boss.
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Debbie on
11/30/2011 10:42:11 AM
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I've gone through that too. I keep a "kudos" file in Outlook - we do a lot of email communication here and when someone either compliments me on my work or complains, I file it for review time. In five years, I have no complaints, but you're right and so are they. No one is perfect, but what they wrote makes no sense. Of course, you can always rebut their critique under staff comments on your review. You can say something like, I will work on double checking my work before submission, as there is no one in this department other than me!
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Masterg on
11/30/2011 10:39:59 AM
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