Here’s where it goes wrong:
- It ki-ls specificity
Good reviews are specific.
Bad reviews say: “Consistently demonstrates strong teamwork and leadership.”
That’s filler. That’s what AI defaults to if you don’t feed it real input. And vague praise or criticism helps no one grow.
If a manager can’t point to:
• A project
• A missed deadline
• A tough conversation handled well
…then the review is noise.
- It removes accountability
A performance review is leadership. If you outsource your judgment, you’re outsourcing responsibility. That’s weak management.
Employees can tell when feedback is generic. It erodes trust fast.
- It avoids hard conversations
The real value of a review isn’t the document. It’s the conversation.
AI makes it tempting to soften, blur, or “corporate-speak” real issues instead of saying:
“You’re strong technically, but you’re not stepping up in meetings.”
Growth requires clarity. Not polish.
- It creates legal and ethical risk
AI can unintentionally:
• Introduce biased language
• Overstandardize nuance
• Use phrasing that sounds formulaic and defensible instead of human and accurate
That’s risky in performance documentation.