We’re approaching appraisal season! It’s that time of year when managers frantically rack their brains, and try to remember what their direct report has been up to all year so they can provide an arbitrary rating to reflect an entire year of work. It can be a flawed process, potentially open to the influence of bias such as the halo effect, or recency effect.
The CIPD commissioned an Rapid Evidence Assessment to sift through the evidence on how the process works and its potential pitfalls. Here are 4 consistent errors the research identified that managers make when appraising their people:
1: If a manager feels they have a greater level of power, they are likely to provide lower ratings for their people
2: If a manager has received a high rating in their appraisal, they’re more likely to rate their direct reports highly
3: If an employee was hired by the manager who is doing the rating, they are more likely to receive a higher ratings
4: Introverted managers will tend to underrate extroverted and/or disagreeable employees
What are your thoughts on appraisals? Do you love them or loathe them? What potential pitfalls do you see in the process?
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