As Britain's workplaces approach appraisal season, new research published today finds that nearly half (44%) of employees who receive appraisals don't think their boss is always honest during these sessions. It is unsurprising, then, that almost a third (29%) of employees who receive appraisals believe they are a waste of time while a fifth (21%) have had an appraisal they felt was unfair.
The research, conducted by YouGov for Investors in People - the organisation that works with companies to improve productivity - also found that a quarter of employees (23%) who receive appraisals believe their manager sees their annual review purely as a 'tick-box' exercise and that one in five (19%) accuse their manager of not even thinking about the appraisal until they are in the room.
While appraisals are now common in many workplaces, and 41% of employees who receive appraisals think they are a useful assessment of progress, very few have faith in their manager taking action on what they talk about. Only a fifth (21%) believe their manager will always act on what is discussed, whereas 20% say their boss rarely or never bothers to follow-up on their concerns.
A third (31%) believe that although their appraisal is helpful, they would prefer to get more regular feedback. A lack of feedback throughout the rest of the year could explain why 40% have been surprised at what they heard in their appraisal.
Simon Jones, Acting Chief Executive at Investors in People UK, commented:
“It is encouraging that many people now receive an annual review and the research suggests that they find the feedback useful. But, it is also a concern that some managers may be letting down their employees by failing to give full and frank feedback. Annual reviews can be hugely beneficial to both employer and employee, identifying areas for development as well as ensuring the employee feels motivated, engaged and part of the organisation’s success. However, many of these benefits will be lost if managers avoid difficult issues and hold things back.”
“Employees are not just after honest, but also regular feedback throughout the year so there aren’t any big surprises when it comes to the annual review. Appraisals should always cover both past performance and objectives, but equally important are discussions of future targets and opportunities. It’s a great chance for managers to make sure their employees feel challenged and valued for the year ahead, rather than unmotivated and without guidance.”
Other interesting findings from the research include:
Only 54% of people working in organisations with fewer than 250 employees have a regular annual review. In contrast, 81% of people employed at organisations with more than 250 employees receive annual reviews.
Of those who receive appraisals, the biggest sceptics of them are those working in the public sector (Government/ Local Government and Civil Service), with 40% believing they are a waste of time; 42% of people in the North East agree. The people most positive about appraisals work in accountancy and financial services and the charity/NGO sector, where 50% and 52% respectively believe they are a useful assessment of performance. Londoners are also positive, 50% feel they are a good measure of performance.
Those employed in accountancy and financial services (48%*) and the public sector (47%*) are most likely to think their boss isn't always honest in their annual appraisal. However, the voluntary (57%*) and education sectors (57%*) are most likely to think their boss is always honest and upfront in appraisals.
Londoners are most likely to ask for a pay rise in their appraisal, 37%* have done so compared to only 18%* in the North West.
Ends
* Figures relate to those questioned who have annual appraisals.
Notes to editor:
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,931 UK employees who work in a company/ business with 2 employees or more. Fieldwork was undertaken between 27th September - 5th October 2007. The survey was carried out online. The figures are unweighted.
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