Anyone else get a lower performance rating than expected?
My manager gave me my first rating below meets expectations I’ve ever received. No notice: positive feedback all year, then this out of the blue. New problems and complaints I hadn’t heard before.
Thinking of fighting it, but also wondering if this is the norm. That or I’m being targeted to get laid off and should just quit while I’m ahead.
Good luck gang, brutal out there.
I’m glad that it worked out for you. However, any pushback/questioning your manager at Nike can result in you being put on the next RIF list. It really depends on your manager.
Plus one the quota note.
This happened to me last year, inconsistent rating, first time ever after 7+ years. Same thing, no feedback at mid year, 360 feedback was fine but heard some made up reasons not based on facts. Took it to the skip level sr dir but they were of no help. Talked to HR but in a diplomatic way to understand what it means. Hr suggested to create an action plan together with the manager (not pip) which exactly what I did. It was all a stupid game but it worked and I got a successful rating this year with great feedback. The whole thing just went away as I “embraced” the feedback.
My advice not to fight it but take it serious with HR and your mgr (see above). You won’t be targeted for layoffs if you’re not on pip. Just get a better rating next year and the whole thing will be water under the bridge. Needless to say, if you get a chance get away from the sh@@ty manager as soon as you can.
You will be fine don’t worry.
It’s also possible that your manager was overruled. I had a direct report once that I believed was “successful” and managed them accordingly. Then at the 11th hour, my Sr Director told me I had to give a “below expectations” instead. Needless to say that didn’t go well for me or my direct report.
I was a senior director involved in many layoffs who got whacked last year in Feb.
I would definitely fight this.
It is much easier to fire / layoff someone with a bad rating. Also it is difficult to transfer laterally with a bad rating which is what I would recommend doing as well.
Most managers at Nike are not skilled and it is way too much to expect an actual plan and feedback. Also you need to realize that no managers have any idea what is going on so how can they plan for their subordinates.
Almost all top execs as senior level and VP themselves receive almost no feedback and probably don’t do PMP plans and just get a rating and some offline words.
@OP same exact situation. manager came up with a bunch of surprise feedback and trivial examples. i am fighting it with HR.
Directors trying to show 'its not my fault my people are lazy and not doing what I say' the whole of GT has degraded to highest a-s kisser and cool aid drinker wins
@eh god forbid they just make a pay adjustment
Person who decides ratings ALSO decides raises. They are expected to primarily consider factors outside the rating system to best navigate talent retention.
Ratings are worthless. Worth less than the time they steal from everyone involved in this dog & pony show.
Ratings can affect pay increases, but they do not always. It's up to the manager. Managers get to decide who to invest in, which could be due to performance but also things like pay in the job code range. If someone is meeting expectations but very low in the pay range, then the manager could also invest in that person (to get a larger raise). If someone's pay is too high for the job code range, then the manager can decide to provide no raise or a smaller raise.
Ratings don’t affect merit raises? Then what does?
Performance rating means nothing. It doesn’t affect raises. If you’re part of the 1% allowed to receive the top rating you’ll get a $1,000 bonus.
The only thing ratings actually ‘do’ is PIPless Performance Improvement Plan. Aka, layong the groundwork for “You’re fired!”
What do you mean no raise? We all got raises last year and they haven't said anything to indicate we won't this year..
@bv It doesn’t matter how much HR tweaks the definitions. None of it means much if it’s not tied to actual comp or growth. I’ve gotten highly successful or exceeds expectations for years, but it’s always the same excuse.. no promo, no raise. So really, what’s the point?
What use is tracking a metric that changes meaning year by year? Feels like HR is intentionally trying to increase turnover and keep employee tenure short.
I’m in HR but not close to Talent Performance. I did hear the “ratings” scale has changed this year from prior years. Supposedly 40% will be in meets the rest dispersed throughout the rating scale.
The definitions have also changed on how it’s rated. Use to be successful was meaning you did the job you were asked to do. Now meets is that plus some. So the higher the rating the harder to obtain.
Personally, I wish it was just a two point scale, (Meets or doesn’t) with another scale to rate additional components such as leadership and expertise in the field.
OP’s situation su-ks, but what’s the point of getting Exceeds or Far Exceeds if it doesn’t come with a promo or raise? Doesn’t even save you from layoffs
Wow- that's a cr-p move by your manager. Feedback you receive in your review should never be a surprise!
@ar I wish I could say without risking giving them or myself away. Nervous about retaliation (I know it’s technically illegal, but as someone else said, weird Nike world…)
@ap According to the HR site, no more than 5-15% of your team should score within the “Does not Meet” to “Partially Meets Expectations” range. From what I’ve gathered so far, almost half of my team scored within that range.
+1 to someone from HR elaborating on this please
@an I scored somewhere below the “meets expectations” mark. I would gladly take average at this point :D
Sorry mate. Sounds like you had a sh--e manager who doesn’t know how to give feedback. By the way, is it a he or she?
This is the new game being played and receiving this with no warning or previous feedback is a sign of cowardice on your manager’s part but also you now may be targeted for the next layoff. Once they have you as below expectations that’s all they need when they need to make the list next time. I’d fight it if I were you and ensure you document everything via email with a copy to HR.
Isn’t it a bell curve with 20% below “meets expectations”? Maybe someone from hr can explain
Are you talking that you got an average and were expecting above it? Or you got a below average, implying you have performance issues?
In both cases have a conversation about expectations and need of continuous feedback, but in the first case do not fight the rating, it is ok to be average.
OP here, you guys rock - grateful for the feedback and for this community.
I definitely plan on fighting it, calmly, respectfully, and factually. I am concerned that my skip level is complicit in my rating, but I’ll never know if I don’t try I suppose. Here goes nothing.
This is happening in my org too. A year of moving targets by leadership, my team performing and executing as best they can, and then a higher percentage than usual of teammates being marked below “meets expectations”. Feels super wrong
A few scenarios
You don’t fight, you’re laid off
You fight (respectfully), lay out the evidence with your skip level manager
Your skip level manager acknowledges and CAN change your rating.
You leave on your own, and miss out on severance
Your rating stays, you get re org, then you’re fighting for your career again on another team
Hope you have a good outcome OP, a lot of people experiencing the same thing despite a year of good performance
The system creates a score for you and it does tend to lean to lower rating than higher. It’s up to the manager for overriding the score.
that sounds like weird Nike world
That's a bad manager who doesn't give you feedback earlier in the year that you are not meeting expectations. Maybe the manager had to meet a quota. And you definitely could be a target for layoffs now.