Annual reviews

My company is coming up on our annual review. Like most people, I despise them. Each year, you are assigned a series of goals. Your manager is supposed to meet with you monthly to review your progress. This never happens. In the past 2 years, I've had exactly 2 meetings with my manager, and both were about a coworker I was training.

Has anyone ever refused to do their annual review? What are your thoughts on reviews in general?

I think it's too late to address at the annual review, it needs to be done before.

Yes, I might say your manager is being lax, but it is also your responsibility.

I take an update against my objectives to my manager each month. Highlighting successes or areas I need support. If we miss face to face then I just email it over.

Be proactive throughout the year, not reactive on the day.

It'll be company policy, so you'll not have much of a choice...

Just get through it and think of it as the typical corporate bull. Most of these things are circle jerks and dumping and posturing dressed up as feedback.

Before you go, use this study guide to nonsense corporate jargon. It's a great parody of the usual bull:

I don't know anyone who has or ever would just refuse an annual review. They're fairly standard practice. Kind of an awkward line in the sand to draw. I'd just suck it up and bite my tongue for the 30 minutes.

I don't like annual reviews either - and I've always gotten good ones. I've never heard of someone refusing one. That seems like a good way to get on someone's bad side. I would just suck it up and get through it.

Don't you get a raise at these reviews? That's a good reason to go.

Just get through it and think of it as the typical corporate bull. Most of these things are circle jerks and dumping and posturing dressed up as feedback.

 

Before you go, use this study guide to nonsense corporate jargon. It's a great parody of the usual bull:

 

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Too funny!! It even has synergy!! (whatever that is, lol) but hey now, monetizing our assets is a real thing.

I think it's too late to address at the annual review, it needs to be done before.

Yes, I might say your manager is being lax, but it is also your responsibility.

 

I take an update against my objectives to my manager each month. Highlighting successes or areas I need support. If we miss face to face then I just email it over.

 

Be proactive throughout the year, not reactive on the day.

It'll be company policy, so you'll not have much of a choice...

Agreed. I've talked with my manager about it several times. He simply says I'm a wonderful employee and he wouldn't change a thing. Sure, I'm all kinds of wonderful (lol) but I'm not perfect. When I say that, he laughs, and then tells me it doesn't matter since we'll all be laid off eventually anyway.

Le Sigh.

I agree with all of the responses, reluctantly, and think it's pretty much job suicide to refuse a review. But man, I would really love to. It's 6 pages long and you have to add examples for every question. Employees are supposed to take it very seriously while our managers make it clear it's meaningless.

It's got me thinking about reviews in general, versus performance or career plans. It's got me thinking about employee growth in terms of job and soft skills.

I recently interviewed at a Fortune 500 company. It was like being on another planet! They had great in-house classes and rich tuition programs among other things. They obviously invest in their employees.

With all this running through my mind, I wondered if anyone had ever just said no to the BS, and/or would anyone want to if there were no repercussions. I won't do it in real life, of course. I've got that silly food and shelter stuff going on, lol. But if you could boycott it as it is, and build something new, what would you do?

Don't you get a raise at these reviews? That's a good reason to go.

We get between 0 and 2.5% each year.

The process is dehumanizing. My manager spends 5 minutes reviewing my performance metrics from last year, and we calculate my raise. Then he spends 15 minutes writing up goals for next year, and those have been identical every year.

He has to turn in my self review along with his comments. I never see those. It gets passed on to upper management who adds their notes, and again we never see it. Six months later, you notice a small bump on your paycheck. I've seen some get nothing, and when they ask about it, they were told, "Oh. Yeah. We're not giving you one this year." No explanations, no growth plans, not even the courtesy of telling them about it.

It's really bad.

Just be glad you are only doing self reviews and not peer reviews. I have to review 2 of my coworkers (and several coworkers review me). Yes, it's a questionaire and requires specific examples. I always forget the review is coming up, and have the hardest time thinking of specific things about a coworker who I have directly worked with on anywhere from 0-2 projects throughout the year.

Just write some pretty sounding words and don't worry about it too much. Also - give yourself a good review. That seems to be what your manager wants you to do.

Do you find that the peer reviews are helpful? Do they give you any good insights into yourself or how people view you at work?

"When I say that, he laughs, and then tells me it doesn't matter since we'll all be laid off eventually anyway. "

LOL - like your manager! I don't like reviews -feels so vulnerable even if it's all positive - but it's like going to the dentist (which I had to do yesterday, ouch) - necessary evil. I had my first one in 8 years recently (because I got back to part time work about 6 months ago after a 7 year hiatus) and the build-up was far worse than the meeting lol. Luckily it was just an initial review, my 2 supervisors were there who I have been getting to know and like (and it's mutual so far!) so it was positive and painless. I would be surprised -and impressed -if people actually look forward to/enjoy them (unless they know specifically what's going to be discussed and that it will have a positive outcome).

I'm not surprised your review went well That's awesome!

You mentioned that the only way people would enjoy them is if they know what will be discussed and the outcome would be positive. Yes! Yes, that's it exactly. We should know the discussion points, and at least know it's an overall good (or bad) review before we walk into those meetings.

eta - I'm not worried about my review or the results. I've never had a bad one (and am now wondering if karma is gonna teach me not not brag, lol). The disconnect between what is supposed to be happening and what's really happening is huge.

It's a Rorschach test. Everyone sees what they want to see:

Do you find that the peer reviews are helpful? Do they give you any good insights into yourself or how people view you at work?

Not with my current job because determines how big the raise will be for the next year.