If starting from scratch now, would you implement your current performance review system?
How easy is your performance review system for managers and employees to do well?
Could you do a few steps to reduce bias in your performance reviews?
Improve Performance Evaluations
Why Are the Quality of Performance Assessments Important?
Performance reviews are a key component in an employee’s career and developing an organization’s team composition.
Clearer and more specific performance reviews benefit everyone.
Organization can meet business goals and perform better when:
Employees clearly understand what their most important performance deliverables are and what they are measured on.
Individual key performance metrics are clearly tracked for all employees.
The consultancy Bias Interrupters shared a case study of implementing an improved performance review system with better evaluation form and a one hour training for managers.
The number of employees receiving constructive feedback increased 2-3 times. The percentages receiving constructive feedback increased as follows:
White Men 15% to 27%
People of Color: 17% to 49%
White Women 11% to 30%
Underrepresented groups experienced less bias and a more level playing field:
People of color got more leadership mentions and correlated with performance ratings
Negative personal style comments decreased: People of color 14% before received them to 0% after
Recommendations for promotions became more pro-rata vs skewed towards white men
Step 1: Make Performance Appraisal Templates that are Clear and Specific
Clear and Specific Evaluation Criteria
Clear description of the metrics that the employee needs to demonstrate that is specific to their role and level.
Establish weighting of each metric to provide directional importance (example 35%, 25%, 25%, 10%, 5%).
Aim for 3-5 metrics. No more than 10.
Managers provide specific and detailed descriptions of employee’s rating for each metric.
What specific actions and skills has the employee demonstrated.
Be fact-based on deliverables and contributions.
Ensure managers provide honest and actionable feedback- both positive and negative.
Increase objective details and minimize gut-feeling and external factors such as similarity & likeability.
Step 2: Apply the Same Criteria to Everyone
Move from foggy and vague to concrete and specific appraisals.
Each criteria rating should have at least 3 forms of evidence.
Review performance assessments as a check for bias.
In performance review meetings, assign someone the task of ensuring specificity in performance notes and looking out for bias.
Have a small team review performance assessments for bias.
Set clear promotion criteria to ensure everyone knows what is expected of them and is judged fairly.
Step 3: Provide Training to Managers
Involve managers in developing the performance assessment templates.
Show managers how to rate performance that minimizes bias.
Demonstrate good and specific performance evidence versus vague performance comments.
Prior to every performance review cycle, provide reminders of how to avoid bias.
Resources - Improving Performance Assessments
Tools
HBR Tools: Performance Reviews - for purchase includes self-assessment form, performance assessment criteria, and performance review form examples.
Bias Interrupters Tools for Manager Performance Evaluations: performance evaluation tips, performance evaluation check-list, guide to writing an effective self-evaluation, and checklist for identifying bias in performance evaluations.
Articles:
Harvard Business Review “How the Best Bosses Interrupt Bias On Their Teams”
Harvard Business Review “How to Document a Performance Review”
Book:
Radical Candor by Kim Scott. Guidance to provide quality feedback and performance assessment.