Employee Ranking Systems LO16888

Robert Bacal (rbacal@escape.ca)
Fri, 6 Feb 1998 23:22:04 +0000

Replying to LO16853 --

I'm trying to be involved in this discussion without pulling out what
little remaining hair I have...but...

On 4 Feb 98 at 21:08, Rol Fessenden wrote:

> Performance rating systems are all ranking systems thinly disguised. At
> some point, every organization I know of that uses performance ratings,
> ranks.

Rol, maybe it will help if we give an example of each. A rating scale
usually involves some descriptors, usually with some number attached.

1. Poor
2. Needs Improvement
3. Adequate
...etc.

RATINGS are applied according to some criteria for each item (plays well
with others, does work in timely manner, etc), although often the criteria
are vague. Employees are RATED against those criteria.

In RANKINGS, employees are compared TO EACH OTHER, NOT a set of criteria.
Each employee gets a rank: 1st, 2nd, 3rd...etc with respect to whether
they are better than everyone else (1st), etc. So, the salesperson with
the highest sales would be 1, the next, 2, etc.

They are clearly not the same thing abstractly or in practice, and in my
practice I find the use of ratings very very common, and the use of
rankings quite rare. They CAN be used together so that people can be
RANKED on the basis of the ratings, but that isn't necessary. Many orgs.
simply use ratings.

> When you discuss performance rating within organization or job
> description, I am comfortable with that. It is still ranking, just on a
> narrower scope. When you get to the point of making promotions, raises, or
> lay-offs, ranking enters in.

I can't see how this is so.

> John, you point out that no evaluation system is a system. It is a
> process, and I agree. However, when you describe people being abused, I
> don't agree that the process did that. People did it. People wanted to
> abuse someone, so they bent the process to their needs. No refinement of
> the process will ever eliminate this behavior.

I agree that no refinement will eliminate this behaviour. But, a lousy
system creates abuse...I have talked to probably a thousand people about
performance systems...clearly even those with good managers will often
comment that their SYSTEM is a waste, even if they compliment their
manager on doing a good job DESPITE the system.

> It may be immoral behavior, and I would likely
> agree with you about that. But changing the process or eliminating the
> process will not reduce the abuse one iota.

It will reduce the abuse to the extent that the procedures encourage a
superficial review, or if the criteria are vague...etc, etc.

Robert Bacal, Inst.For Cooperative Communication, rbacal@escape.ca
Visit our Resource Centre for articles on mgmt.,training,communication, and defusing hostility
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