Ask the Experts: No Right to See a Performance Review
Question:
I recently had a performance review. It was not as good as I expected it to be and there were quite a few things that I did not agree with. The review was mostly verbal. My supervisors did fill out the evaluation form that is used at our company. When I asked to see mine at the end of the review they said I could not see it. Can they refuse to let me see my written review?
First Answer:
It is unusual for the employee to not be allowed to read a copy of their performance review.
The recommended practice is to set a private meeting with the employee where the employee and the manager work through the
meeting agenda items together, item by item. The manager talks
about their impressions and the comments underlying the them;
the employee discusses the counter view. Based on more
information from both sides, there is input regarding what
should be done to improve or not, accommodations the employee
needs to do a better job. There is a discussion of strong
points, areas that need work, desires that the employee has as
far a work conditions, training, future opportunities.
Together, the employee and manager come to an agreement about what they will work on together for continued success and sign
a copy of that agreement, representing their mutual
understanding. It is recommended that the agreement terms only
be changed by another writing. A great source that demonstrates
good and bad examples of a performance review is
CRMLearning’s “Talking About Performance.”
Bearing this in mind, it sounds like this meeting was not one that followed the recommended format. There may be many reasons
for that and I’ll not speculate.
I recommend that you approach your manager again about being able to read your performance review. Explain that you would
like to use the information as useful feedback so that you can
focus on the areas where you can grow. If there are
discrepancies (although it is after the fact) you will want to
point them out so that the misinterpretation is cleared up. At
this point, these should be done in writing and filed along
with your review.
When there is staunch resistance to having a dialogue about the employee’s performance — both parties discussing — and coming
to a mutual understanding and agreement, it usually indicates
strong dissatisfaction that can only be overcome with a
tremendous amount of work. The work required to remedy that
needs to be mutually understood and agreed to. Otherwise, it
becomes a frustrating endeavor that leaves everyone
disappointed.
If you would like further private coaching on this or other career development issues, I can be reached
at consultant@entrance-s.com.
— Yvonne LaRose, career and professional development coach, Career and Executive Recruiting Advice
Second Answer:
I am not an employment attorney, but unless you work in the state of California, it’s “employment at will.” That means an employer can terminate your employment at any time without even giving you a reason why your services are no longer needed. Most employers will, however, build a file on an employee they are considering terminating, especially if that employee is in a protected class (older worker or member of a minority group) or if they have received or anticipate complaints based on sexual harassment or discrimination. The fact that you are not being allowed to see your review suggests to me that you are a candidate for termination albeit in a poorly managed organization. Some organizations now identify a “bottom 5 or 10%” pool of employees who will be the first to be let go in a downturn, or even automatically in an attempt to increase the caliber of the talent pool.
Most sophisticated performance evaluation programs require employees to sign their performance review in order to acknowledge that they have read it; many provide an opportunity for an employee to refute evaluations he or she deems unfair or inaccurate, and some require the employee to do a self-evaluation against pre-set criteria, and participate in setting goals for the next year.
The fact that your evaluation was not as good as you expected indicates that you and your supervisor have different expectations of your performance and criteria for measuring it. This should be a big, red flag and you need to take pro-active steps to address the problem. Request a meeting with your supervisor to go over the unsatisfactory aspects of your performance, and ask for specific targets to meet in order to earn a more positive review next year, and for meetings at least quarterly to get feedback on your progress. If you do not know how your work is being measured, every day you are shooting darts blindfolded. So if you cannot get this dialogue going and some measurable goals agreed upon, I’d start looking for a new job.
— Carol Anderson, Career Development and Placement Office, Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at New School University in New York City
Third Answer:
My first question is…did you ASK to see the written review? It sounds like you haven’t.
Performance reviews should be a two-way communication to help you and your supervisor understand where you strengths and weaknesses are. A good performance review helps you improve!. For this reason, most companies not only encourage employees to see their review(s), they require it. I would certainly check and see what your company’s policy is. Chances are, you can and should see it.
That being said, even a verbal review gives you an opportunity to learn what your supervisor’s think you need to improve and what they feel you are doing well. Although reviews are somewhat subjective, there must be some basic criteria on which you were judged. Even a verbal review gives you a chance to have an open dialogue with your supervisor(s). Did you take advantage of this opportunity? Ask (in a non-hostile way) to see the final review and make it clear that the reason you want to see it is so that you can understand more clearly in what areas you need to work harder during the next review period.
— Alison Blackman Dunham, life & career expert, columnist, personal public relations consultant, half of THE ADVICE SISTERS¬Ã, and the author of the ASK ALISON career advice column
Fourth Answer:
The review, even though verbal, can be discussed. Many companies require both the supervisor and the employee’s signature. I’d find out from HR what the policy is – without incurring wrath of your supervisor – in regards to the review. Maybe you have a friend in HR? Also, there’s HRLinks.com or shrm.org for information on HR and the Equal Employment Commission, which can give more on employment law.
— Marcia Merrill, the Assistant Director for Career Development and Placement Center at Loyola College in Maryland
