The problem with performance appraisals

My dad sent me a Forbes article claiming that 98 percent of HR executives say that annual performance appraisals aren’t useful.

A number like that immediately makes me very skeptical of the article. That’s a bold claim, and a majority of HR professionals I meet think performance appraisals are useful and a good use of time.

I, however, don’t.

The problem with them is actually pretty simple: If your organization has managers who properly manage performance throughout the year, appraisals are superfluous and time consuming. If you don’t, they’re of no value.

Notes & Further Reading

• Forbes asks, "Are annual performance appraisals neccessary?" I'm wary of the data here.
• Frank Roche asks a few insightful questions about performance appraisals, and shares his idea for the daily performance review.
• On Renegade HR, my old blog, I've argued that performance appraisals fail at their main objectives, and that if managers were more effective people leaders, a lot of what HR does would be unnecessary.