Let's talk performance reviews!

[u/[deleted]]

This post is inspired by another post asking why "meets expectations" is considered bad. This is not really an answer to that, but how I think we could look at performance reviews.

​

1. First things first - There is no job security in the private sector!
   Your rating will not predict whether or not you will keep this job. So always be ready to move.
2. Ratings and reviews done in a vacuum are a farce. Your manager needs to tell you what goals or milestones you need to hit at the beginning of the year. If he doesn't, the review is not a reflection of your ability but you manager's inability to make use of resources.
3. Ask your manager what his/her expectations are up ahead and negotiate what you think is possible. If they react negatively to that - Leave!
4. If you achieved what was discussed in 3. and don't get the rating you expected - hint at wanting to leave and watch the hike come in. Works.all.the.damn.time. Companies care a lot of about attrition. Giving you a lower rating would mean getting more work for less money, but they wouldn't want to lose a resource altogether. Have a plan of leaving if you think this won't work or will backfire.
5. Have your own metrics for your career. Don't let the performance review matter. How would you rate yourself as a developer? ( Also, if your manaer asks you this, always say 4/5 :P). What are the things you want to improve on? Working on this will get you a lot farther than reaching the coveted "exceeds expectations".
6. You will always earn more with a job change than we a hike or a promotion, remember that.
7. Most companies will only give 10% of the workforce, the highest rating, in order to save money and to shame the rest into working hard. Don't fall into this trap.
8. Indian managers are a unique specimen. They think giving you a rating that 80% of the workforce will get, is an insult. A lot of us take it as such, so it works for them to get more out of you.
9. Detach yourself from everyone and their opinions, define your own success and keep moving. Always keep an eye on your health and well-being. Evaluate if you are happy working with the manager and his team.
10. If your manager indicates you are not skilled, he maybe lying. He is not your well-wisher, don't take his word for it. Also, you will not improve in skills by working towards a rating. So, again, do not assign meaning to it.
11. I recommend constantly evaluating what your job is doing for your growth and moving jobs to gain more experience.

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[u/WorldLife-John]

This sir, is an eye opener.

[u/[deleted] → u/WorldLife-John]

Hmmm... This, sir is a ma'am. Or should it be "this sir, is a ma'am"? I think it's the latter. Or no comma at all? You pick :)

[u/cupcake_thot]

Who often do you think one should switch companies in early stages of the career?

[u/[deleted] → u/cupcake_thot]

Early or late stages, you need to consider your overall satisfaction with the work and team and move on if you are unhappy.

Staying with one team for 2-3 years can teach you a lot if the work and team are good. You could change otherwise.

[u/[deleted] → u/cupcake_thot]

Every freakin opportunity. Plz at the end of the day no one cares how many switches you had. Especially in your early days.

[u/not_so_cr3ative]

My new manager has asked me to set goals based on my 5 year plan lmao. Like dude I'm 23 and I have no clue where I'm gonna be next year

[u/[deleted] → u/not_so_cr3ative]

You could flip it on him. I am not sure how your team works but you could influence your manager into giving you good projects with a good answer.

Look around at your leads/architects and identify whom you want to learn from or which project seems exciting. At your age, your 5 year goal could just be architecture and design skills. Your manager needs to help you define these goals and he/she also has to create opportunities for you to meet those goals. So go in with something concrete and walk him through giving you your favourite project.

I don't know if you needed advice on this but just sharing :)

[u/[deleted]]

Yes yes this is so right, I used to get ratings even when all work was good, I always felt bad after it. Confidence down. But now I have my own growth plan. If it intersects with companies goal and work then I will stay. If it starts diverting then job search process starts.

Abhi tho mei Manager ko darvne Sapne dikhta hu. 100% hike or switch ( Anime voice)

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

100% hike? Forgive the sceptic in me

[u/dumblywise]

I work at a unicorn startup. This whole performance review thing made me delusional.

The code quality here sucks and I am mostly moved around projects requiring different types of expertise (anything from react, ci/cd, backend). I agree I'm a slow learner and didn't take much initiatives to actively seek projects. Being an introvert also didn't help much for visibility. Though I have been offered a good increment, I am quite jealous of my peers who are promoted to the next level.

I am split between pursuing a masters abroad or switching companies. Can't make up my mind. Working 12 hours a day leaves very less to think about myself and prepare for anything else.

Maybe it's time for me to prioritise my life outside of work and hone my skills for switching.

Just an average dev from an average college with big dreams yet to achieve.

[u/[deleted] → u/dumblywise]

Your manager needs to create opportunities for you to meet their expectations. If you also have to seek projects, it makes your manager redundant.

Pursuing masters and switching companies are not mutually exclusive. You could do both. One is short term and the other is long term. Decide and plan it!

You don't benefit from resigning to calling yourself average. Identify the gaps in your skills and fill them.

Slow or fast is a lame and vague metric. Over time you will get better.

You have to prioritise you life anyways! Your career has to aid and support the life you want to live, not the other way around.

[u/ImmortalTimeTraveler]

I always rate myself the highest rating because I once heard a manager saying he can't rate someone higher than they rate themselves.

[u/[deleted] → u/ImmortalTimeTraveler]

Yes. People should go higher and work out any imposter syndrome or self-esteem issues because of abusive managers like the one you described. He literally is not needed for an evaluation then. I hate the smugness in that statement. The role of the manager has to be to give clear feedback on what is working well and what isn't. There is no logic to that statement. I hate that managers get away with this. There needs to be more accountability and they need to be asked to give clear data points for the ratings they are giving people.

[u/JR_RK]

I just started my career and these points are great for me, thank you. Take the silver xD

Edit- word

[u/[deleted] → u/JR_RK]

Thank you!

[u/_average-j0e_]

Wish I had read this before my performance review meeting today.

[u/[deleted] → u/_average-j0e_]

Took me 2 years and a skip level meeting to learn this. It's alright.

[u/[deleted]]

6. You will always earn more with a job change than we a hike or a promotion, remember that.

But the question is, who has the motivation to follow all these points for a performance rating when you know this is the only thing that matters.

[u/FFD1706]

Will keep this in mind, thanks!

[u/lazy_fella]

Spot on. Would have given you an award if I had one.

[u/growingEachDay123]

I've been thinking about changing my job, all these things at a vague level almost every day, but this is put together really well! Saving the post to come back to this whenever I need motivation and not slack off from the prep, thanks!

[u/skaddooshh]

The expectations are always endless

1. You do your job and complete you task on time - that is something anyone can do, you should focus on some ideas

2. You submit some ideas - appreciate it but please log kaizens for some day to day development activities

3. You submit kaizens and even get recognition - oh this is good you should now document every bit which no one will ever read

4. After all this also you get to listen "You are also supposed to do some tech certification"

5. Now certification also done - "No spillover please. Nothing above customers"

And if you apply some ninja technique and complete all these tasks - this year budget is crunched and you've got highest please cooperate.

After switching multiple organizations, my experience is your organization doesn't matter that much as your manager and team matters which is so hard to know before you join.

[u/[deleted]]

Wanna expand more on that Indian Manager point ? Didn't expect that.

[u/fullmetalpower]

meets expectations = there is always next year