[TravelTechGuy]

re: the performance review: don't know about your work place, but the first quarterly review I got at [insert name of large known company], my manger sat me down and explained she is budgeted a certain amount of bonus points for her 5 team members, and required to "grade on a curve". Hence, 1 team member will be "above average", 3 will be "average", and one "below average" every quarter. And for fairness, she rotates the names. I was deemed "below average" since it was my first quarter, but the good news, she said, is when she nominates me for "average" next quarter, she'd add a "shows improvement" comment to it!

Bare in mind, real actual money was tied to this stupid scheme, and you had to spend at least 2 hours writing a document explaining what you've done for the company, the team and the product, to justify your "averageness".

I lasted 3 quarters in that social experiment. And I'll laugh in the face of corporate recruiters till the day I die.

[geomark]

I was a manager in a nearly identical situation. I had 5 engineers working for me at a remote office. The "curve" had not been used in past years. Now they insisted on applying it. Since 4 out of 5 had substantially exceeded their goals it would have been a lie to state that any of them had not met expectations. So I told my boss no, I'm not doing it. You can take whatever raise you planned for me and spread it across my direct reports (unstated was that I would almost certainly quit as a result). Or you can fire me for insubordination. He ran that back up the chain of command. Apparently I wasn't the only middle manager who refused to do it, as senior management ended up rescinding the order.

Moral of the story: If you are a middle manager then grow a backbone.

[pklausler]

(I think this is a true story, but it was somewhat before my time.)

Control Data decided to lay off 10% of its employees, and to do so across the board. Seymour Cray had a group of only 20 engineers in his lean development group in Chippewa Falls, so they told him to fire two. So he and Les Davis, his right-hand man, quit and started Cray Research.

[koolba]

> If you are a middle manager then grow a backbone.

This applies more generally even if you’re not managing people. Particularly as most corporate cogs are programmed to avoid confrontation. You’re more likely to get someone who respects your principles or someone who just bends over than an incalcitrant “no”.

[thewileyone]

I put together performance metrics that showed my team members were less than 5% deviation from each other, thus I couldn't grade on the curve. HR couldn't argue against that.

[ramphastidae]

Thank you for doing that.

[achalkley]

This.

[duxup]

I worked at a company that operated like that. Each manager could only put in so many high marks.

Company had something like 5000 employees.

I felt good that I often got the highest mark, but others were doing well too, they deserved more.

I finally asked my boss, he told me.

“I figured out that other being told in an email how to award perf reviews… nobody checks… so I give everyone the highest reward.”

[Msw242]

Upper and middle management might be aware but every system needs a release valve. E.g. you can't have juries without the risk of jury nullification.

[sokoloff]

Managers who just give everyone the highest rating are generally the reason that these forced curve policies are created.

[noizejoy]

As someone who’s worked and managed in that type of environment and later left that world to start small companies, I was very glad, that this corporate insanity made it possible to hire great individuals away from big corporations.

[mikestew]

Welcome to Microsoft 15-20 years ago. Or any company that uses stack ranking or a euphemism for same. As it was explained to me, “Jesus, John the Baptist, and the apostle Paul go in for their reviews. Who gets the ‘below average’?”

[sjg007]

Jesus cause he was clearly crucified.

[cyberlurker]

I had a very similar experience. Also, the year after a promotion there was a universal unwritten rule that you get a need improvement review no matter how well you performed.

[jokethrowaway]

I've been on the other side of it.

I hated it but I had to pick the X best in the team. You should have reported your manager to HR.

[kQq9oHeAz6wLLS]

General Electric?