According to SHRM, the most serious employee complaint about performance appraisals is not how the appraisal is conducted, but rather a.) was the review promised and never done? b.) is the review delinquent?
Here are the top three employee fears/concerns about Performance Appraisals:
1. No recognition. Employees work hard and want to be recognized. The performance appraisal process is the time to acknowledge the work employees do, and employees like to know their managers see their efforts. (Who amongst us doesn’t still ask, “Mom, did you see me out there? Wasn’t I great?!?”)
2. #FOMOF. No, not Fear of Missing Out on Football. It’s Fear of Missing Out on my Future! Employees worry that future advancement or salary increases may depend on some actual, documented proof that they have been doing well. No appraisal? How will anyone know how I’ve been doing? What if management changes?
3. Manager’s intentions. Employees may worry that managers are avoiding their performance appraisal because there are issues. Our imaginations can conjure up all sorts of reasons a manager might avoid an appraisal (Doesn’t she like me? Did I say something to offend him? Did I approach that problem all wrong?) when the reality may be something simple: a lack of time or commitment to the process.
You can help. Check to see if appraisals are being completed on time, and if not, remind managers to do their best to get them done on time.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Trakstar.com. In April 2023, Mitratech acquired Trakstar, a leading provider of performance management, talent acquisition, and workforce analytics solutions. The content has since been updated to reflect Mitratech’s broader commitment to supporting the entire employee lifecycle — from recruitment and onboarding to learning and development — as well as the integration of HR compliance best practices across our growing Human Resources portfolio.
