Are we rating performance or just playing favourites?

Consider a scenario where an employee worked tirelessly throughout the year, ensuring deadlines are met, results are delivered, and consistently going the extra mile. When year-end performance review season arrives, the employee is excited for his hard work to be recognised and rewarded.

- PUNEET ARORA

Consider a scenario where an employee worked tirelessly throughout the year, ensuring deadlines are met, results are delivered, and consistently going the extra mile. When year-end performance review season arrives, the employee is excited for his hard work to be recognised and rewarded. To his surprise, however, he finds another colleague who spends more time chatting with the manager than actually working, receiving a much higher rating and a better salary increment.

Now imagine a professor who spent months thoughtfully designing an engaging and relevant course. His students learnt a lot from the course. Semester-end ratings came in, and to his surprise, students rated him poorly. Why? Not because he was ineffective, but because he enforced strict deadlines, did not believe in grade inflation, and wasn't as fun or lenient as others.