Thread by @garius

Today is the day literally all of my team get an A appraisal rating because:

1) we don't link pay rises to appraisals
2) if there was a performance issue we'd have addressed it earlier
3) I'd rather spend the time discussing their needs/objectives than doing performative grading

Honestly. Who fucking sits there and spends time deciding what the semantic difference is between an A person, a B person and a C person on their team. And then tries to make that team justify which one they are.

Work is not meant to be the Hunger Games.

"well Bob, it's been a good year and I was thinking you'd maybe be an A. But I have to say that Alan has filled in the 'evidence of alignment with core objectives' box much better than you. So I think I have to give you a B so as not to devalue his A"

I guess what I'm saying here is that if you're on a date and someone tells you they design appraisal grading systems for a living you should probably leave.

Or if your neighbour admits to it, maybe sell up. Or tip off the police that they should dig up their garden.

POLICE OFFICER: Sir, I'm arresting you for the ten bodies buried under your patio
APPRAISAL GRADING SYSTEM DESIGNER: You can't arrest me! Those people were appraised to be a D! They were a D!

I should finish by saying that I think annual performance reviews are a good idea. You SHOULD be having performance chats throughout the year but we all get busy and it's good to have a fixed point to stop, chat, breathe, reflect and plan.

But grading systems are sociopathic.