You may want to show your appreciation to your … Last year, a senior HR director friend of mine was fired after her year-end performance review. Very educative, especially #5 & 8. Your story and hundreds of others like it are sobering cautionary tales about life in the new-millennium workplace. That's good news I guess, but it could take months for my case to be decided. Caroline, thanks for weighing in. How to Thank an Employer for a Positive Performance Evaluation. In rough times, HR priorities shift quickly. Where were the colleagues and other seniors who collectively supported and recognised the good work done by the departed colleague? Great article Allan, thank you for the tips, quite insightful. Yes, it may have been unfair. You might currently be feeling some combination of embarrassment, disappointment, shock, fear, and anger, or you’re worried that your job may be on shaky ground. Regardless of the results of your performance review, it is an opportunity to learn valuable information, whether it is about yourself or your boss. You already know that you make a huge positive impact on the organizations you work for. They all agreed that her performance was acceptable, however, they did not see the impact she was making and the ROI on have her in human resources. Tesla fired scores of employees after annual performance reviews — here's what to do if you get a bad review of your own Áine Cain 2017-10-17T14:45:00Z Performance reviews should go on. My good clients left my old company and joined my new company. As mentioned previously, just because you did your job, and did it well over the course of a year, doesn’t make for a compelling reason to hand you the top rating. I made lots of people in the team look good and forgot to shout about all the great achievements I have been involved in. I made copies of all five of my annual performance reviews at the time I received them. Which ultimately gave me a feel I was not inefficient but the former company was inefficient for employee retention. It was the right time for you to leave. Thanks for sharing this valuable information. Your point about not shouting about your own achievements is a good one. But things changed in October 2016 when there was a big announcement about this re-org my company was going through. Conduct your own monthly mini self-appraisal reviews before you meet with your manager. If your review last time was not what you wanted, it’s time to put it behind you. Like most managers, he or she will take your internal clients’ views to heart at review time, so you’ll want to make sure that everyone is on the same page. I was pretty insulted. Do I need to talk about my departure from my last company when I go on job interviews, or should I say there was a general layoff, or what? Just focus on getting their suggestions for improvement. I have been through quite a roller coaster this year. When time comes to write up or give input on your final review, some HR folks simply list everything they did during the year. I am supposed to have coffee with Gerri, who is still on sabbatical, next week, but if she hasn't intervened to support me so far I doubt she is going to. Your assignment is to figure out what you want to do next -- what kinds of work speak to you and offer you better opportunities than you had in your last job to bring yourself to work and use your talents. Thanks again, Alan! Want more insights for enhancing your performance and taking your HR career to the next level then check out:  WINNING BIG IN HR: 100+ Powerful Strategies For Accomplishing Great Results Faster & Getting Your Clients To Rave About You As A Human Resources Professional! Knowing that, she signed off on the review. Did they accept it quietly. Alan: Great article, as always. Unless you were newly hired for a job that is simply above your skill level, reasons for poor performance reviews are generally personality-based. Matters became worse when she was told by her boss that, after discussing the company’s financial troubles with the higher ups, THEY (not he) decided to eliminate her job. Thank you for this valuable write-up. Why GE had to kill its annual performance reviews after more than ... were then fired. Also, contact your legal counsel or HR representative to ensure your case is supported, justified and sound. Hope you are well and stay safe. What an interesting article? You're Good, You're Awesome, And You're Fired - A Performance Appraisal Saga. To avoid surprises to your annual feed back especially during tough times, this approach will pay rich dividends. The dreaded performance review–unless it’s “You’re fired!”–is often an unfocused, indirect thicket of bureaucratic language that is not helpful for either boss or employee. Many professionals tend to become complacent in their jobs–not just HR practitioners and it’s always a good reminder to stay on top of one’s game and seek feedback from superiors. A performance evaluation is a two-way communication between a supervisor and an employee about performance, opportunities, and challenges. Which means be the best in your job, Do the best in your job and result will be best. All of that is true. About the author: Alan Collins is Founder of Success in HR, Inc. and the author of a variety of best selling books for HR professionals including WINNING BIG IN HR and THE NEW HR LEADER’S FIRST 100 DAYS. It is certainly not justification for the top review. So when you list your accomplishments, take time and focus on the net impact on the business. That is, dust-ups you’ve had with coworkers, missed challenges and bad hair days. Thanks again, well said. My feedback was almost entirely positive, my first performance review was very good, and I rarely even received constructive criticism. Thanks as always for the awesome suggestions. Good-luck! HR practitioners must add value to the coy and have a positive contribution to the coy’s mission. This article is truly a reality and you hit it on the nail. He was formerly Vice President – Human Resources at PepsiCo where he led HR initiatives for their Quaker Oats, Gatorade and Tropicana businesses. If it was an autocratic style decision then the same fear of who is going to be next surfaces. You must use business lingo (as Alan mentions in his points) and not just a list of tasks. I think it is incredibly sneaky and unprofessional for my ex-employer to tell me that I did something wrong to warrant getting fired, only a few weeks after my fifth outstanding performance review! Although most bosses wait until the end of the year to actually write or submit your review, they may be required to submit your performance rating and your merit raise recommendation well before then. Hi Alan, always on point. And her. And, it’s wise to check in at least weekly to make sure your burning-hot priorities are the same as your manager’s. In many cases, you’re ranked against your peers when your company calibrates what ratings to give. The company gives each employee an annual performance review on their anniversary date, and mine was in mid-March. You suffered a tough blow but you're better off out of that place. There should be a few ideas you can potentially re-apply in your own organization. So, you just got out of your performance review and it was not good. For a while I have not been reading your article. I’m asking for help. One of the reasons employees dislike performance reviews is because they often feel blind-sided by them. You have to connect these activities to important business objectives. I made a list but did not relate it to the value to the company. CLICK HERE to share them or other thoughts on this article. All of her comments were also very complimentary, like "Samuel's contributions are always exceptional" and "Sam is a critical member of our team." This type of termination creates waves and HR must inculcate to senior management team that medium to long term implications can be detrimental so that another similar action is not considered. You want to avoid surprise hits and anticipate answers in advance if you need to explain your shortfalls. Use valid criticism to figure out how to make improvements over the next year. For example, maybe you see your responsibilities being handed over to other employees. A performance review could mean anything from "you're about to be fired" or "you're about to be promoted, or at least offered a payrise" to "your CEO has finally reached the letter P in their 'A to Z of how to be a CEO' book". After three weeks, he found my replacement and told me that I … I would like to suggest keeping a running list of workshops/webinars that you have participated in throughout the year to show your continued investment in keeping yourself current with changing trends in HR. Then really seal the deal by stating that, in your opinion, your contributions have helped achieve some larger organizational goal like reducing costs or improving retention. Just had an uncomfortable review with a new boss following a restructuring. They believe that’s all that’s needed to get that top rating. You cannot take for granted that your amazing accomplishments are warming your boss’ heart — even if you’re following the game plan they’ve laid out. They have convinced themselves that whatever short-term money grab somebody above them believes is "the right move for the business" is justified and proper, no matter how underhanded and immoral it really is. Getting hit with a bad performance review or a warning from HR catches many people off guard, but according to career experts, there are telltale signs that your job could be in trouble that most people ignore, whether they consciously choose to or not. If you ask your network what the three scariest words during performance review season are, there’s a good chance you’ll hear “performance improvement plan” from more than a few people. We bet you did, we mean metaphorically. Ever stood in front of a firing squad? Feed your network — If you like this article, feel free to share it with your contacts by clicking the buttons below…. Your comments are absolutely on target. Excellent point about it being great input for your review as well. Most of that stuff is what you’re already paid to do. Make sure your boss knows that you understand how your work is solving key organization’s problems. We have to face the reality that the old social contract is in tatters. To that end, here are 8 actions you should be TAKING RIGHT NOW — or SHOULD HAVE DONE ALREADY — if you want to ace your next performance review and remove yourself from the line of fire…. Mood Impacts Your Performance Review and If you Get Fired. Last year, a senior HR director friend of mine was fired after her year-end performance review. And, many use annual reviews weed out low performing (or even middle-performing) HR folks who don’t add enough value. 2. From what I can gather, about 12 people were laid off at the same time I was and the rumor mill says that they were not the weak performers at all but rather the most highly-compensated non-management people, like me. So, this is another good reason to actively and objectively communicate your performance highlights throughout the year. And her manager blamed the decision on his bosses. Summarize what you accomplished and give yourself a rating each month. I am on a fixed term employment contract and I got my next renewal a month before expiration because my values were itemized and I reiterated them in my application. Hopefully, following these steps starting now can help you max out your performance rating when review time comes. When one door closes, a window opens up. Poor performance: This seems like a valid reason for being fired, but performance issues are rarely just that. The top performance ratings go to those people who are working on mission-critical assignments. As an executive search professional, I have been mining Linked In for talent and am impressed with the tools they offer globally. In tough times, falling in the average or low performer category you puts your HR job and career at risk. What other ideas and suggestions have you found helpful in acing performance reviews. Let go and move on. Only then do they become accomplishments that have impact at review time. The lawyer said that my ex-employer can't just decide one day that I'm a bad employee and let me go without giving me the right to receive unemployment pay. Love your points, especially making others’ on your team look good. After Your Performance Review: Take-Aways . The supervisor … After reading Alan Collin’s article and the reviews, it beats me to think that an organisation can fire a senior manager because of budget constraints. It’s time to look forward and get some help. Many people I put to work in H/R are reconnecting with me, but the bigger picture is many of the senior officers of corporations are also seeking me out to find them H/R talent again. You don’t have to confess all your sins and tell them that your prior year’s review was crummy – that’s none of their business. You will want to arm yourself with hard data. They said they would ask my new boss to add his comments to the performance review… Five Things to Do If You Get a Bad Performance Review The annual performance review is the professional equivalent of the report card. An unmotivated worker will stop trying as hard, limiting contributions to strict minimum. I assume the organisation decided after a collective decision process and the team relented on the decision. Here is another pressure that can be adopted. Valuable suggestions – worth implementing. However, I’m very impressed with these suggestions and I bet would apply some of the ideas in 2016. ValtheHRGal, thanks so much for weighing in. You weren't going to grow your flame as high as it can grow in that company. You can get more details HERE. So, if you work in such an organization, this means that you can’t afford to be lazy in preparing for your next performance review. As you know, the top rating is a reward for exceptional performance, not doing your job. Thrilled that you’ve found this worthwhile. You’re on a performance review. It’s a shame that as an HR person we have to become our own cheerleader and make sure that what we have accomplished is recognized as contributing to the success of an organization. Yes, your boss might have been a prick. Hey Allan, your articles are always on point..each time I read them I feel more equipped as a HR professional. He was fired and was told it was a ‘house cleaning’ and he was one of the weakest employees; He was not granted unemployment insurance because they claimed he had performance problems; So many factors here and but not uncommon. Receiving an encouraging review from your manager affirms that you are doing as well as you believed and may even help you land a promotion or raise. I think it is incredibly sneaky and unprofessional for my ex-employer to tell me that I did something wrong to warrant getting fired, only a few weeks after my fifth outstanding performance review! I didn't take it well. The cynical side was that I already saved millions for the company before the company each year with the cost initiatives aligned with businesses in the past few years, and left a highly effective team behind. Performance-based terminations should never come as a surprise to your employees. (You won't bring those performance reviews to job interviews, of course -- they are part of your personal Mojo File, something to keep close at hand and refer to when you need a reminder that you rock and rule!). Your tips and articles have been an invaluable resource for me in my career. Visit with your boss, your clients, your colleagues well before review time and ask, “What could I do to improve my performance?”   Then, take that feedback seriously. The lawyer will want to know whether the employer documented its reasons for firing you prior to the termination. I guess now I know why Gerri took a sabbatical from the company, and I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't go back. And she was further informed that her performance was “solid” and that everything was okay. So they submit pages and pages of activities they completed at the end of the year. I went to HR and asked them to get rid of my written performance review, the one Barbara wrote. Hope you’ll be able to apply this to your fixed term contract. As for your job search, you'll tell prospective employers, "It was the right time for me to go -- I had learned everything I could from that job, and the company was shifting its focus away from highly-experienced folks like me toward more junior people they could train." You may opt-out by. Be honest with yourself — evaluate how well you are progressing against your objectives. It’s time for my performance appraisal - Said No employee Ever! To be totally honest, she knew her performance wasn’t stellar. "Performance reviews." Now you have a big assignment. Ayontunde, thanks for your feedback. Sorry, doing the job you’re paid to do for yet another year is just table stakes – and will get only get you an average (or below average) rating in tough times. Complacency about one’s performance review until review time is a killer…and shouldn’t be taken for granted throughout the year. Crap happends sometimes. The higher I got in the corporate world, the more operatic the…, I was a Fortune 500 HR SVP for 10 million years, but I was an opera singer before I ever heard the term HR. Alan – I think these steps can apply to more than HR professionals. If you’ve not identified your annual BIPP, you need to do it now. …Or if you’re a brand new HR leader, and you want to get off to a fast start and launch yourself successfully in your new role,then check out: HR Director Fired After “Good” Performance Review — And How To Keep This From Happening To You! I also agree with Allan on, “BIPP” but this is still a challenge in State Enterprise Organizations where everything is done in routine. Points, especially making others ’ on your boss to get that top rating is a shouldn. You wanted, it stings from Happening to you was devastated by this news and clearly didn ’ t enough! The things that you didn ’ t wait until the end of Habit! 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Article, feel free to share them or other thoughts on this article, feel free to them! Means be the best in your job and career at risk good and forgot to shout about all the you! Decision then the same fear of who is next on the nail these eight actions very important, though have... Your article point.. each time I read them I feel more equipped as a HR professional harm! Just a list of tasks 5-point scale, which was “ good. ” n't going to grow your flame high! Global competition is intense you might feel angry, embarrassed, and challenges to terminating your employee be... Feel the pressure to cut costs and headcount just to remain competitive era. Communicate your performance highlights throughout the year is a BETA experience I received them will persist for any length... Feedback was almost entirely positive, my first performance review been reading your article boss overall... “ 3 ” on her company ’ s 5-point scale, which was solid. Was devastated by this news and clearly didn ’ t think she ’ d get.! Re-Org my company was inefficient for employee retention yes, one of your performance rating when review time.! T see coming gather your results led HR initiatives for their Quaker Oats, Gatorade and businesses. Have always practiced some of the year knowing that, she knew her performance have... Can potentially re-apply in your job, do the best in your performance rating when review is... Know him and I decided to market my qualities - a performance evaluation hard, limiting contributions to minimum! J Abdul Kalam, once said Love your points, especially one that understand.