When Appraisals Become a Tool for Favoritism: Tales from the Trenches of HR

It's that time of year again - the bi-annual performance review season is upon us. And based on insider intel from my HR contacts, this year's appraisal process is shaping up to be another jaw-droppingly unfair display of favoritism. Cue the eye rolls and heavy sighs from HR professionals.

As an experienced HR professional, I've seen firsthand the frustrating reality of how some managers abuse the review system to reward their pet projects and punish those who dare to challenge the status quo. From supervisors doling out "meets expectations" ratings to their top performers simply because they won't go along with the boss's sketchy schemes, to department heads lavishing glowing reviews on less-qualified but more compliant team members who laugh at the boss's terrible jokes, the examples of appraisal manipulation are endless.

The impacts of this favoritism can be devastating, as I've witnessed. Hard-working, high-performing employees become disillusioned and start looking for new opportunities, while the "teacher's pets" coast along without any real accountability - snagging plum assignments, hefty raises, and even promotions. And when the occasionally brave HR professional like myself tries to intervene and advocate for more objective, equitable review processes, we're often overruled or waved away by the powers that be.

Fear of, "We don't want to loose our jobs, Nigeria is hard itself, the street is not smiling on job search"

What, you want us to actually be fair and unbiased? How novel!"

I urge readers - whether on the employee or management side - to be vigilant for signs of unfairness or bias during the upcoming performance review season.

Employees, I encourage you to push back and request more transparent, data-driven evaluations if you feel you're not being judged solely on your merits.

And managers, I implore you to resist the urge to let personal preferences or political calculations cloud your judgement, remembering that the review process has a profound impact on team morale, productivity, and long-term success.

"Seriously, boss, if you give Janet one more undeserved 'exceeds expectations' just because she laughs at your dad jokes, I might just have to throw my coffee mug at your head. Fair warning." thats on a lighter note.

So let's all commit to making this review season a shining example of objectivity, transparency, and merit-based evaluation. Who's with me? It's another half of the year, let's do better.

I'll be here in the trenches, doing my best to guide employees and managers alike through the chaos.

Until next time,

HR Tales to Tell with Retta!!!

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