Are performance reviews really a thing of the past?

It would seem like everyday, someone else is slating millennials. They get a bit of a bad rep, but we think they might be on to something. Today we’re talking performance reviews  – are they still relevant, accurate or worth the hassle? Millennials are very much against performance reviews and we’re going to tell you why.

 

What millennials think:  Performance Reviews Undermine Performance.

Millennials often feel ‘blindsided’ by their performance reviews. And before you jump to the ‘snowflake’ and ‘work-shy’ conclusions, we kind of agree with them. Millennials often feel like they are in the dark about their performance throughout the year until their performance review. They might feel like they are working really hard and then their performance review says otherwise. Millennials would prefer to have continuous smaller reviews, rather than being made to feel like they can’t do anything right.

What millennials think: Infrequent Reviews Make Them Anxious.

Nobody ever wants to be told they’re doing a bad job. But especially when it comes out of the blue. Millennials would rather know in advance when their reviews are going to take place, and would rather have reviews at specific intervals. They don’t like the unexpected and think infrequent reviews are overwhelming, in case it comes with bad news.

 

What millennials think: Reviews can lower moral and retention.

Like we said, nobody wants to be told that they’re not performing well or contributing to the team. But often, a review that isn’t so positive can put a dent in any worker’s confidence – not just millennials. It can be hard to have that ‘get up and go’ attitude when you’ve been told that you’re not doing a great job. Old fashioned reviews don’t necessarily highlight anyone’s positives either. Consequently, an employee review that is mostly negative encourages the majority of workers to look for a new job elsewhere.

 

 

What do you think of Millennials attitudes towards performance reviews? Do you agree or disagree?

Millennials get a bad rep, but we think they might be on to something here! A consistent, frequent employee review system might just work better for businesses. They’d keep morale higher, allow employees to set goals and feel less anxious about the security of their job.

Do you think performance reviews are an outdated concept? How frequently do you get performance reviews in the workplace? What would you change about them? Let us know in the comments section!