Annual performance reviews are less helpful than continuous feedback, a study by Rice University has found. This is particularly true if the employee’s manager who is providing the appraisal has had limited contact with that member of staff.
The researchers also found that ratings given on performance reviews are likely to be misleading. Most supervisors will give employees a higher appraisal rating than they deserve, as they’re concerned a lower, but more honest, score will demotivate and disengage employees.
Even 360-style appraisals aren’t immune to problems – staff are unlikely to feel comfortable giving their peers negative feedback due to the personal nature of many performance reviews.
The study also focused heavily on the importance
of creating an atmosphere where feedback was welcomed.
“Creating a positive feedback environment is critical,” said Jisoo Ock, lead researcher on the paper. “There are multiple factors that can facilitate such an environment: source credibility (knowledge of the recipient’s job requirements); feedback quality (specific information); and feedback delivery (consideration for the feedback recipient).”
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Productivity boils down to six factors
AWA’s Workplace Performance Innovation Network has identified six factors responsible for knowledge worker productivity: social cohesion; perceived supervisory support; information sharing; vision or goal clarity; external communications and trust.
The findings could have a profound impact on how leaders manage teams, emphasising the importance of a trustworthy working environment and the selection of people based on relevance of skillsets for specific tasks.
AWA’s Andrew Mawson believes HR could assist by helping leaders understand the role of social cohesion within their team. “We want people to feel comfortable enough to share their ideas, challenge each other and do it in the spirit of the best outcome for the business,” he says.
“I’d make it clear to leaders that social cohesion is a requirement, and I’d show them what it actually means.”
Even a good track record won’t help women
Women with more experience are more likely to be snubbed by recruiters than men with perceived potential, a study by the University of Kent
has found.
The researchers asked participants to rate four potential hires on how successful they thought they would be in their career, and how impressive their CV was. The participants were shown an assessment of the candidate’s leadership potential and details of their leadership achievement.
The participants rated the male applicants with the higher leadership potential scores as being both most likely to be successful in their career and having the most impressive CV. However, women who were ranked highly on managerial potential were not regarded more highly than those with a strong track record.
“The findings have implications for gender equality in the workplace, and provide initial evidence that women’s leadership potential is not recognised by potential employers,” says Abigail Player, a research team member. “This is a significant barrier to career progression and success for women.”
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