PA and Secretary Community - Deskdemon.com

I'm working on my column for OS magazine and it's subject is performance reviews, specfically ones where the employer tells you to "fill in the form and I'll sign it".  So this begs the question, err a few of them actually for DeskDemon users...

When was your last performance review?

does your employer view this activity as important to your careers?

do you view a review as important to your career?

Do you participate in the "fill it in and I'll sign it" scenario and how?

do tell...

Andrea

Hi Andrea

I'd like to be able to give you some feedback on this one, but in my 12 and a half years with my company, I've never had such a thing!

We do appraisals at our office but these are mainly for management (or so it seems!).  

My boss quite often has informal chats with me to check on how things are going and he lets me know every so often how much he appreciates my efforts.  

I would like a formal appraisal though, just to go on my file.

Good luck with some better responses!

All the best,
Nicola.

I'm new in my current job so have only had the opportunity for a "probation review" so far.  My new boss is a firm believer in ongoing discussions and will happily chat about my progress without the need for a formal meeting.  

I find this style much better than my last boss who introduced a new performance review process which included monthly 1:1 meetings - I found these a complete waste of time as my objectives can only be met if he is doing his job properly as my work was very dependent on what he was doing.

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Since I started here in Oct 03, I have had a meeting to set objectives, which I achieved in first 6 months.  However in Dec/Jan my role changed and as yet I have had an incremental pay rise but no formal review or update.  I am expecting this in Oct 04 once I have been here a year.  I did have some input though and asked if I could complete my recent Access course in my own time.  They paid for the exam which I sat and passed in May.  Now I will see if they will do the same when I sit Outlook exam.

To be honest I have only ever had a review with one other company I worked for and even then the HR manager was a complete bluffer.  Needless to say the company closed after 18 months.

I think it depends where you work.  Some public sector bods have incremental pay rises but no performance reviews.  Private companies seem keener to go with performance reviews as there are no known salary scales and 2 people doing the same job can be on competely different salaries.

G

I can honestly say that the firm I am with do do performance reviews and it is important to them.  However, I myself as of this coming Friday will have worked for them for seven years (as of 9am) and have had a total of 4 reviews the last one was 1991, none of which advanced my career further than not getting a vital report done because I was having my review.  I did once get lunch thrown in as well (nice little Indian restaurant behind my then barrister bosses Chambers).  I should have had  review last year and the year before but seem to have fallen between the cracks.

My new boss is going to be dong a performance reviewer's training day all day today as we have implemented a new way of doing the same old stuff.  Woohoo!  I should theoretically then have to do a half day training session so I can do my bit when, yet again, I fail to have a performance review this year (same old same old)

I too would love to have a full, honest and frank performance review  as if for no other reason my bosses might get a vague idea of everything I do for them without their knowledge as for want of a better expression I know where all the 'bodies' are located and they have no idea, but too often it all depends on what sort of day my bosses are having - you know, good, bad or '$$£t I'm meant to be in Iceland this morning' type things.

I do have an annual review in this job, with objectives, and there is action on these objectives.  The last one was last week! - a sit-down interview, away from the office.  Boss views them as important, and so do I, in this context.  It's certainly not a fill-it-and-sign-it scenario.

The policy at the last place was laughable though.  At first, reviews were conducted by my supervisor and went pretty much as follows:

Supervisor: Any problems?  No?  Good.  You're doing very well.  Let's talk about what was on TV now, so it looks like we're taking time over this appraisal.  

Any requests for training, etc, were pretty much ignored by Personnel (see my posting on IiP - I wasn't one of the "pets").

Supervisor left, and bossie started doing my appraisals.  He was appalled by the scanty nature of past appraisals, and decided to suggest lots of training, objectives, etc (once we'd got into the appraisal - he decided to have a mini-meet with a colleague who was also a personal friend, and left me pacing the floor for 40 minutes without apology).  So we agreed objectives, I took the form away to write my bit, gave it back to the boss and .... nothing.  He lost it.  And didn't bother to tell me.  And Personnel weren't in the least bit bothered that there had never been an appraisal for me in that round.

Six months later, boss started talking about my appraisal again, and how we must fix something.  At that stage, I was thinking about quitting, and quite frankly couldn't be bothered to make the effort of booking an appointment from which there would be no result.  So I didn't.  And do you think Personnel were bothered?  Silly question.

And six months later .... when the issue of appraisals came up, I was working my notice.  In essence, I'd not had an appraisal go the full way (to Personnel) for eighteen months, and no-one seemed to care.  Small wonder that lots of staff left feeling completely demoralised by the whole process.

Edited by catsmeat on 20/07/04 09:59 AM.

Annual appraisals are part of our company policy and everyone has them, including the Chief Executive.   As union rep, I managed to achieve appraisal training for all our managers.  I think training is a key factor in good appraisals as few managers know how to give good appraisals.  

We don't have performance-related pay, but I believe that appraisals are extremely important in career and personal development.  They should help both the manager and employee to focus on a review of the objectives set at the last appraisal, achievements, failures (if any and why they happened), standards of work, training that needs to be undertaken, and objectives for the forthcoming year.  

We have a special form, which is completed by the person being appraised and the manager.  This is used as an aide-memoire during the appraisal meeting.  After the discussion, the manager writes up a report which is given to the person being appraised.  The text and the objectives have to be agreed by both parties (and the appraisee, if there is such a word, can appeal if he/she does not agree with the outcome) before being signed by both parties and filed in the appropriate personnel file.  

My approach to appraisals is very straightforward and methodical. I also have in mind what I want to achieve from the appraisal process.  The appraisal is, after all, my opportunity to influence how my job is developing.  It also is one of the concrete ways in which my value to the organisation is assessed and formally acknowledged.  So far, I have managed to reorganize my remit in my company, take on new responsibilities, improve my prestige within the company, improve my pay and acquire the help of an administrative assistant.  

I think, based on my experience of all my employments to date, that appraisals can be a very positive and valuable experience, but it depends on the value that companies place on them.  If the company culture is right, then the appraisals will be useful.

Raindance

Appraisals are not quite a total joke here, but pretty unimportant in the grand scheme of things (at least to management!).  We are supposed to have one every year; however, there have been times when I haven't received one for 3 or 4 years and no one seemed to care.  There is a form that is completed by the supervisor and the employee is to sign.  We are also supposed to have a sit-down with our supervisor at that time but of all the reviews I've gotten, only about half have actually had a talk with them.  Raises are also supposed to be merit-based; however, our reviews are never completed until the summer (if at all) and the raises are budgeted in March - so they've never been able to convince me that we get more than a straight across-the-board increase.  The supervisor I have had for quite a while has no clue what we do.  However, they are now hiring that position, and I can only hope that we get someone who actually gives a darn!

We used to have a fill in the blanks form, which, when completed, was sent around to the people we supported for them to rate us on. Since it was pretty random, one year I got a high review based on the quality of my candy jar! Another poor admin had her baking compare unfavorably to another's, and thus got a lower review. Um, we're an accounting firm, not a bakery. Finally, they instituted a proper process, but it's still pretty random, and if the people that you support don't feel like turning in their section, too bad for you! Raises are based off your evaluation ranking, so that can be a little bizarre sometimes. This year, my evaluation consisted of people that I support by making labels for them once a month, and the bossie that takes up 90% of my time didn't turn anything in. On the other hand, he grades a lot more harshly than the people who did do my eval (lots of grade inflation from them), so I'll be getting a higher raise than I would if he did turn something in. Which seems to be pretty unfair all the way around, even if it did work out in my favor.

On the other hand, I do get an annual appraisal, which I never received before working here. No, wait, in 10 years, I received 2 appraisals, which consisted of here's your raise, now sign here.

We have reviews or appraisals every year here but the format has been changed every year for the past 3 years so you never know how it is meant to apply.

Ours are also meant to be pay raise and bonus related - that hasn't been the case.Top management and HR do seem keen to have this implemented throughout the company but a lot of people are sceptical about it.

I've worked for this company for 12 years now & I've NEVER had one!

& I'm still waiting for a job description!!

There is a form that we fill in, rating ourselves.  Then we sit down with bossie, who, in turn, gives her ratings perception and shares positives and negatives.  The review has nothing to do with salary, because we receive automatic raises tied to our years with the school.  

I've been with the school since 2001, and have had two performance reviews.  At the first one, bossie's only negative comment was, "You don't take the mail with you when you leave at night."  I had been given an A-Z job manual when I arrived, and followed it to the nth degree PLUS doing over and above as I thought best.  This mail thing hadn't been mentioned before, though.  I could have pointed out that I can't meet expectations that aren't expressed, but I just started taking the leftover mail with me at night.  

At the second review, this year, bossie struggled to find another criticism.  Best she could come up with:  your mailbox is too full when you leave at night.  I explained that I clear off my desk before I leave, storing ongoing work in the mailbox for safekeeping till morning.  Bossie suggested that instead I stuff everything in a drawer.  This seemed like micromanaging to me, so I just ignored her.  Then she retired.  My new supervisor seems much more professional.  I think the reviews could be an excellent tool to help me serve the school better, if used properly.

I've been on my job for over six years and never really had one.  I had a sit down with the guy who was my first supervisor after the first six months to discuss my work to date.  The other lady working here at the time laughed at that because he had already given her what my raise was - and that was 3 months late too.

Since then, I've received my annual increase every July just like everyone else and have yet to have a formal review.  This year though, I was semi-promoted and took on quite a few new responsibilities which was reflected in the very generous increase I received.  But...........I only found out how happy my supervisor was with my work when I had a sit down with him to discuss my impressions of his satisfaction and the stress I was trying to cope with based on those impressions.  Fortunately for me, I was very wrong and he stated I was doing an excellent job.  

I don't put much credence in reviews to be honest.  Unless a company has an across the board policy, bases them strictly on work performance and not popularity, and actually ties an increase and/or bonus to them, they're not worth more than the paper their printed on.  Plus, the feedback needs to be able to go both ways and any grievances by the employee taken seriously and not held against them.

Just my opinion.



Michelle

Well since I started with my present company 5 years ago, I have had 2 appraisals a year.  Every one included objectives for the year and a section for training and development.  These are completed by your main manager, although there is a form to send to others who you have worked for or with you, for 360' feedback for your present manager.  

There are also guidelines for what the manager has to do and what the appraisee has to do prior to their appraisal.  Although I think I only briefly managed to skim through them - there were a lot of pages to read, it was pretty basic and I had better things to do with my time.

And these appraisals do get completed, if not, you find HR chasing - although they aren't too worried about the mid-year appraisal, the year-end appraisal is linked to both your pay-rise and bonus, so pray that you get on with your boss and there is enough in the budget for a pay-rise.  

I think the appraisals are good as long as they are done correctly with specific objectives and developments for the year (which is good as for every job I've had, I've had to write my own job description, after spending months searching for the mythical document).  

But from reading the above replies my company seems to be doing something right, even if it is only the appraisals.  

Look forward to seeing the forthcoming article, I'll keep my eyes peeled.

Mina  

Well, the company I work with also does 2 reviews per year, and they have to be done or else.  And supposedly the end-of-year review is used to determine bonuses and such.  In the past, you either passed or failed the review, with documentation of why or why not, and then all those who passed were eligible to receive bonuses, but how those bonuses were handed out is still a mystery to me.  Starting this year, they have reverted to the "old" system which is a weighted score from 1 to 5, with 5 being Outstanding.  This has the potential of being a good tool, but I can see how it will be just like the other system, and just like it was last time it was used, and lots of managers/supervisors will just pencil-whip their employees into 5's.  If you score all 5's you are eligible for more bonus than someone who gets all 5's but one 4, and so on.  The elements included on your appraisal are direct from your PD (where they are listed as Critical Elements) and then the standard ones for every employee (ie: Customer Service).  Anything rated a 2 or below requires some sort of action plan on how to improve, so it would be a good tool for a manager to use if they would only be ballsy enough to actually use it appropriately.  No appraisal form is worth anything if it is not used honestly and appropriately, which is the problem most manager's and supervisor's run into.

Normally, my supervisor would ask me to fill mine in with 'suggested comments' and then he would review, make changes he felt were needed, and then we'd meet and go over them.  Since I knew most of what was on the review, it was no surprise and really nothing came from this meeting except that I had the opportunity to share my goals and request any specific training that I wanted for the upcoming year.  The mid-year appraisal was less than that.  It was simply a stop by my desk, stating "you're doing a great job and it's time for your appraisal.  Please sign here."  Now, I have a supervisor who has no real idea of what she should be doing.  She's from the Nursing side of the house, and nurses are rated differently, and their PD's are written differently, but she's trying to hold all of us non-nursing staff to those standards.  Not possible!  She won't give anyone a 5 because "that would mean you're promotable to the next level" --- ummm, no, it means that I'm doing outstanding work at THIS level and for THIS PD.  She reviews the PD's line-by-line and expects examples of what I'm doing in my job that supports each and every line of the PD.  Ummm... ours are by paragraphs, with one paragraph explaining one or two responsibilities, not each line is a different responsibility.  So far, she has asked for input on our appraisals but then sits down with us and actually goes through it more, but these are only the interim appraisals, as she took over recently and had to give us all 90 day appraisals.  If only she would realise before our annual appraisals how to score them properly, I might have a chance at an award or bonus.  Then again, my one mistake a couple of months ago may just be enough for her to rate me even lower and ruin my shot.  We'll have to wait and see.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

When was your last performance review?

December 03.  Every employee is reviewed each December.  This was my third review in 3 years.  Our annual merit raises are based on the outcome of the review.

does your employer view this activity as important to your careers?

The company views it as important, I believe, but my former supervisor seemed to hate doing these--couldn't wait to be done with them.

do you view a review as important to your career?

Yes, it provides me with the only feedback I get from my boss to tell whether I'm doing well or not, and whether my service is of value.  My former supervisor was so poor at this, I never knew what he was thinking.  And my new boss is even more distant. Since he's always very busy or traveling, I have scheduled quarterly informal discussions with him, so I can make sure we're both thinking along the same lines.  So far, he hasn't even responded to the invites.

Do you participate in the "fill it in and I'll sign it" scenario and how?

Yes, I have to complete a comment section and then sign the review each year.  The first two years, I wrote a few paragraphs to defend myself, but last year was so astoundingly poor, I couldn't even respond, so simply signed it. He explained he was trying to work within a certain range, so as to provide me with a minimal merit raise.  (Wow, thanks!  You're such a motivator!)

I received a transfer 5 months later, and thought things had to get better.  The jury's still out on that.

Movinonup

When was last review:  Reviews are done yearly at our company - during the month of March and then merit raises, promotions or equity raises are effective April 1st, showing on payroll on April 15th.
The yearly review is viewed as an important activity by the company.  My specific boss also views it as a time to appreciate work done in the past year, review strengths and areas for growth, and set forth next years goals.
In the past (I have been with this company for 4 years) the process was a so/so, feel good, just because we have to do it routine.  With the new management since June of 2003 this years review process was much more beneficial and worthwhile.
Following the review of the past year, then the new/increased responsibilities and goals are listed.  My boss had me fill out my proposed goals and then we met and agree upon the final version.
Then he gave me the opportunity to give him feedback on what he could do to help/encourage my abillity to carry out my duties as his executive assistant.
This was the first review that I felt had any meaning/meat and was worth the time and trouble.
And he appreciated and acknowledged all my effort and support.  The above average raise was a welcome treat at the end of the process. Actually since last years review with a 6% raise and 6% equity raise and a grade increase with a 6% increase and a 6% equity increase-to compensate for lost overtime and this years 8% increase I feel very well appreciated and compensated.

As an addition - this year it was proposed and approved by management to have Quarterly Reviews, which are not part of the employee record, done on an informal basis within the department.  It gives employees current feedback and a marker during the year as to how they are doing.

Edited by ocblnd on 24/07/04 11:35 PM.