Busting the Bias: How You Can Improve Your Employees’ Confidence in Performance Reviews

The existence of fair and frequent performance reviews in the workplace today seems to be few and far between

The most recent Global HR Research Report by Betterworks found that less than 1 in 3 employees believe performance reviews are fair and equitable.

Most employees surveyed (62%) reported that performance reviews at their workplace were either somewhat fair or biased, leaving only 30% claiming they were very fair and 8% claiming they don’t know.

The result of biased reviewing is entirely quitting, where employees commit to only the bare minimum in their daily work and look elsewhere for opportunities. Having a fair and efficient performance review system is so important, as this is what determines your employees’ confidence, productivity, and longevity in their roles.

62% of employees reported that performance reviews at their workplace were either only somewhat fair or biased.

It was reported that productivity rose from 60% to 83%, and engagement rose from 57% to 71% among employees who believed their reviews were fair and equitable.

It’s easy to start implementing a fair review process if you’re unsure where to start. Here are a few base points that you should consider:

1. Will including peer reviews help?

The Betterworks report also found that nearly 4 in 5 employees said that including feedback from 2 or more colleagues would make performance reviews less biased.

Many businesses only conduct reviews from one source: the manager. Recent research shows that this isn’t the fairest approach, considering that in most businesses, the manager either doesn’t work closely with employees or might be too close to give an objective viewpoint.

78% of employees surveyed agreed that incorporating a review from a team leader or fellow team member would make them feel more confident about their feedback and, therefore, more motivated to act on improvement.

Amongst those surveyed, workers who were able to receive feedback from other colleagues were 2.5x less likely to report bias. Those who did not have access to this were 4.5x more likely to report bias in the system.

At Kompetently, we understand the importance of eradicating bias.

78% of employees agreed that incorporating a review from a team leader or fellow team member would also make them feel more confident about their feedback.

2. Review your employees more frequently

Most companies apply for an annual performance review. It was found recently by Quantum Workplace that employees prefer more frequent meetings.

71% of employees were reported to prefer immediate feedback, even if hostile. An annual review may need to be more frequent to address minor issues that may become more significant problems.

In addition, leaving too big a gap between meetings can lead to recency bias. This is when the importance of more recent events is overemphasized, and significant achievements or issues from the past may get lost.

That said, it was also reported that performance reviews are managers’ second most hated task after firing someone, so if you are increasing the frequency of these assessments, consider how they are conducted.

The first step is to ensure that your manager is not reluctant to conduct assessments. The Kompetently platform simplifies the process for managers so they are no longer forced to trawl through countless spreadsheets.

Consider more frequent, informal one-to-one meetings with your employees. This will put less strain on both parties while frequently and effectively keeping up with progress. It will also reduce anxiety regarding formal performance meetings and the final review.

71% of employees were reported to prefer immediate feedback, even if hostile.

3. Use competency software as an external source

Taking steps to change the process of your performance reviews may seem daunting; fortunately, there is technology designed to help.

Through software that helps people assess based on behavior, you can control how your performance reviews are conducted through skills tests and questionnaires for you and your employees.

At Kompetently, performance review bias is no longer an issue. We provide a platform for employers that will quickly guide you through the process fairly and objectively.

Through surveys based on behavioral statements that employees can relate to rather than ambiguous multiple-choice questions, Kompetently generates a personalized learning path rather than just a score for your employees. The platform also avoids cultural bias, as it caters to multiple languages.

You will learn how to analyze and track your employees’ achievements and areas for improvement and how to work with them to improve the business.

As the employer, you deserve a team that engages efficiently to get the job done; your employees also deserve to know where they stand in the role. Through a performance review system they can trust, employees can comfortably and efficiently develop their potential, thus developing your company’s success.

If you think it’s time to make that change, book a demo with us today at [email protected] or call us at +1 (512) 256-4342.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you!