For those of you following along, last year I started a thread in MPSIMS about my pending annual review. I had it later that day and I got the second highest rating (that’s not the word I want) possible, a Very Good.
So, over the following twelve months I worked hard. I completed several projects, ahead of schedule and under-budget. I continued to, when my schedule permitted, field support calls (of all levels) even though that is SO not my job. I implemented a few cost-saving measures hither and yon but never got around to blowing my boss and the CIO to ensure an Excellent. In other words, nothing changed.
I’ve been waiting and waiting for my review. The office manager wanted to sit in on it but I shot that down and quickly, too. Last Friday, I got an envelope marked Personal and Confidential. I opened it to find a letter outlining the monetary part of my review. This year I got an Excellent. I also got a raise.
The whole ordeal was a bit anti-climatic. I was looking forward to hearing about how well I did a and how I could have done b better and how I completely flubbed up c. Instead I just get an envelope…with a letter…telling me how much more I’ll be making this year. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ungrateful, just the opposite, actually. The whole thing just seemed a little, I don’t know, clinical.
I just recently had my first real review after changing departments a little over a year ago. My department head wrote an absolutely glowing testimonial and I got the standard “cost-of-living” increase. I’m not really bitching but, as I always say, a pat on the back is just a few inches above a kick in the butt.
Juanita, is there any way you can sit down with your supervisor and go over your review? Maybe couch it in the terms, “I met the goals you set for me at my last review, what would you like me to concentrate on now?”
I had to write my own review. My boss absolutely refuses to do it but his boss still wants it done so that leaves it up to me. The worst part is having to write it in third person so it sounds like my idiot boss wrote it. I get no feed back except what I point out. I’ve been tempted to write something along the lines of “Grant headed up our Martian venture. While having to deal with a different species was difficult he laid a solid foundation for future sales.” Just to see if anybody notices. I doubt it. I’m pretty sure it is just a formality and they already have my raise in mind before the review process starts.
My review went about the same. They have us complete self-evals, then schedule an actual face-to-face review at some later date that never comes. One day out of the blue I got a call from my team leader telling me I’d gotten a raise. He said our boss would sit down with me and we could go over my review. That was last fall. Other than that self-eval, I’ve never spoken to anyone about my performance, and the copy of my “review” was essentially my self-eval transcribed to a different format by the department admin. :rolleyes:
I decided not to do the self-evaluation this year. I don’t think it matters one iota. We’re working on a major project and I guess he’ll make time to sit down with me when it’s completed, even if it’s just via video conference (we don’t work in the same office).
ivylass, we have to meet, I guess. I received an Excellent, the raise that goes along with it and another raise on top of that. The latter was called a ‘salary adjustment’ and, oh boy, what an adjustment it was!
I’m a subscriber to the Gary Gnu School of Management. “No reviews is good reviews.” I figure if my performance was an issue, I’d have heard something about it by now.
Congratulations on the fat raise, too. When will the crabs be ready?
I transfered to a different department this year. So it was perfectly understandable when my manager, at review time, said “I have no idea what you did this year. I could either make something up, I could ask your old boss (who was a bit bitter about being dropped from manager to contributer after most of his department either quit or transferred out when they tried to relocate us all) to write up what you did, or I could ask you to write it. I’m asking you to write it.”
Well, mine is coming up on the 29th and I haven’t had a raise in at least 2 years.
Last year, I got a bonus, which was just as good as a raise.
I was really hoping for one this year, but then my boss has started poking at my credit card bills and was saying that maybe he can pay one down or off and use it was a company card (if needed) for my bonus this year. :eek:
Then today he mentioned something about me paying the company back.
I know I’ll be saving a few bucks a month on interest, but where’s my raise or bonus then?
Well I work for the State, so raises are few and far between. I’ve “topped out” in my classification; meaning no matter how well I do, I get no more money. Only raise would be cost of living, but my current Governor likes to punish State employees, so no dice until new administration.
I’m “vested”, meaning I’ve worked for the State so long the only way to get me out is retirement or dynamite. So, no raise in money for good work. Haven’t had a raise, of any kind, in 5 years. And you want me to work on Saturday? UMmmm No.
My reviews consist of my boss sitting down, my pointing out that reviews are redundant for me at this point, and me signing a form. 2 minutes tops.
Wow, I didn’t know people actually liked getting their performance reviews. I hate them, even though most of my bosses have been very nice people. I dislike someone rating me. I think it must be the corporate environment, however, because I have no problem accepting the criticism and flat-out rejection inherent in being a writer.
