How can I gain insight about management assessment of performance improvement as applies to raises?

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I started this job at the start of the year. Half way through the year I was put on performance management. I feel that the PM was the wrong call.



While I passed the PM satisfactorily, because it overlapped the review period I wasn't eligible for a remuneration review. My team leader promised that he'd apply for an out of cycle remuneration review at the end of the year.



It's getting to the end of the year and I was recently sent and email asking to sort out some documentation/evidence of work done. A colleague of mine at the same level who started at the same time was also being asked for this - I think he might be in the same situation.



How can I best determine how management assesses performance at my company? It seems my company is quick to put people on PM but am not sure how best to approach this subject (or whether I should approach my colleague or manager).







share|improve this question






















  • possible duplicate of Does empirical research indicate that salary discussions between coworkers cause problems?
    – gnat
    Nov 26 '13 at 12:31






  • 1




    I do not really understand what your question here is - what is your objective and goals? Are you hoping to find out if your colleague was also on a performance improvement program? Or just idle curiosity about whether he got a raise? Or wondering if asking for a raise causes problems?
    – Elysian Fields♦
    Nov 26 '13 at 14:32






  • 1




    @enderland I'm wanting to gauge management's assessment of performance and how willing/not willing they are to give raises or performance management. As I mentioned, I thought PM for myself was the wrong call, but I'm wondering if it's something that they're quite quick to jump to.
    – user10911
    Nov 26 '13 at 19:18






  • 1




    @user1068446 I made some fairly significant edits to your question to clarify your core question and have voted to reopen. I focused it more on what you are asking.
    – Elysian Fields♦
    Nov 27 '13 at 14:21










  • Putting an employee on "Performance Management" involves a lot of extra work on the manager's part AND forces the manager into an uncomfortable situation. It is far simpler for the manager to give a satisfactory rating but low raise and be done with it. So if you were put on PM then you definately deserved to be there, it was so bad that your manager couldn't just overlook it and hope for the best in the future.
    – Dunk
    Nov 27 '13 at 16:16

















up vote
2
down vote

favorite












I started this job at the start of the year. Half way through the year I was put on performance management. I feel that the PM was the wrong call.



While I passed the PM satisfactorily, because it overlapped the review period I wasn't eligible for a remuneration review. My team leader promised that he'd apply for an out of cycle remuneration review at the end of the year.



It's getting to the end of the year and I was recently sent and email asking to sort out some documentation/evidence of work done. A colleague of mine at the same level who started at the same time was also being asked for this - I think he might be in the same situation.



How can I best determine how management assesses performance at my company? It seems my company is quick to put people on PM but am not sure how best to approach this subject (or whether I should approach my colleague or manager).







share|improve this question






















  • possible duplicate of Does empirical research indicate that salary discussions between coworkers cause problems?
    – gnat
    Nov 26 '13 at 12:31






  • 1




    I do not really understand what your question here is - what is your objective and goals? Are you hoping to find out if your colleague was also on a performance improvement program? Or just idle curiosity about whether he got a raise? Or wondering if asking for a raise causes problems?
    – Elysian Fields♦
    Nov 26 '13 at 14:32






  • 1




    @enderland I'm wanting to gauge management's assessment of performance and how willing/not willing they are to give raises or performance management. As I mentioned, I thought PM for myself was the wrong call, but I'm wondering if it's something that they're quite quick to jump to.
    – user10911
    Nov 26 '13 at 19:18






  • 1




    @user1068446 I made some fairly significant edits to your question to clarify your core question and have voted to reopen. I focused it more on what you are asking.
    – Elysian Fields♦
    Nov 27 '13 at 14:21










  • Putting an employee on "Performance Management" involves a lot of extra work on the manager's part AND forces the manager into an uncomfortable situation. It is far simpler for the manager to give a satisfactory rating but low raise and be done with it. So if you were put on PM then you definately deserved to be there, it was so bad that your manager couldn't just overlook it and hope for the best in the future.
    – Dunk
    Nov 27 '13 at 16:16













up vote
2
down vote

favorite









up vote
2
down vote

favorite











I started this job at the start of the year. Half way through the year I was put on performance management. I feel that the PM was the wrong call.



While I passed the PM satisfactorily, because it overlapped the review period I wasn't eligible for a remuneration review. My team leader promised that he'd apply for an out of cycle remuneration review at the end of the year.



It's getting to the end of the year and I was recently sent and email asking to sort out some documentation/evidence of work done. A colleague of mine at the same level who started at the same time was also being asked for this - I think he might be in the same situation.



How can I best determine how management assesses performance at my company? It seems my company is quick to put people on PM but am not sure how best to approach this subject (or whether I should approach my colleague or manager).







share|improve this question














I started this job at the start of the year. Half way through the year I was put on performance management. I feel that the PM was the wrong call.



While I passed the PM satisfactorily, because it overlapped the review period I wasn't eligible for a remuneration review. My team leader promised that he'd apply for an out of cycle remuneration review at the end of the year.



It's getting to the end of the year and I was recently sent and email asking to sort out some documentation/evidence of work done. A colleague of mine at the same level who started at the same time was also being asked for this - I think he might be in the same situation.



How can I best determine how management assesses performance at my company? It seems my company is quick to put people on PM but am not sure how best to approach this subject (or whether I should approach my colleague or manager).









share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Nov 27 '13 at 14:20









Elysian Fields♦

96.9k46292449




96.9k46292449










asked Nov 26 '13 at 10:03







user10911


















  • possible duplicate of Does empirical research indicate that salary discussions between coworkers cause problems?
    – gnat
    Nov 26 '13 at 12:31






  • 1




    I do not really understand what your question here is - what is your objective and goals? Are you hoping to find out if your colleague was also on a performance improvement program? Or just idle curiosity about whether he got a raise? Or wondering if asking for a raise causes problems?
    – Elysian Fields♦
    Nov 26 '13 at 14:32






  • 1




    @enderland I'm wanting to gauge management's assessment of performance and how willing/not willing they are to give raises or performance management. As I mentioned, I thought PM for myself was the wrong call, but I'm wondering if it's something that they're quite quick to jump to.
    – user10911
    Nov 26 '13 at 19:18






  • 1




    @user1068446 I made some fairly significant edits to your question to clarify your core question and have voted to reopen. I focused it more on what you are asking.
    – Elysian Fields♦
    Nov 27 '13 at 14:21










  • Putting an employee on "Performance Management" involves a lot of extra work on the manager's part AND forces the manager into an uncomfortable situation. It is far simpler for the manager to give a satisfactory rating but low raise and be done with it. So if you were put on PM then you definately deserved to be there, it was so bad that your manager couldn't just overlook it and hope for the best in the future.
    – Dunk
    Nov 27 '13 at 16:16

















  • possible duplicate of Does empirical research indicate that salary discussions between coworkers cause problems?
    – gnat
    Nov 26 '13 at 12:31






  • 1




    I do not really understand what your question here is - what is your objective and goals? Are you hoping to find out if your colleague was also on a performance improvement program? Or just idle curiosity about whether he got a raise? Or wondering if asking for a raise causes problems?
    – Elysian Fields♦
    Nov 26 '13 at 14:32






  • 1




    @enderland I'm wanting to gauge management's assessment of performance and how willing/not willing they are to give raises or performance management. As I mentioned, I thought PM for myself was the wrong call, but I'm wondering if it's something that they're quite quick to jump to.
    – user10911
    Nov 26 '13 at 19:18






  • 1




    @user1068446 I made some fairly significant edits to your question to clarify your core question and have voted to reopen. I focused it more on what you are asking.
    – Elysian Fields♦
    Nov 27 '13 at 14:21










  • Putting an employee on "Performance Management" involves a lot of extra work on the manager's part AND forces the manager into an uncomfortable situation. It is far simpler for the manager to give a satisfactory rating but low raise and be done with it. So if you were put on PM then you definately deserved to be there, it was so bad that your manager couldn't just overlook it and hope for the best in the future.
    – Dunk
    Nov 27 '13 at 16:16
















possible duplicate of Does empirical research indicate that salary discussions between coworkers cause problems?
– gnat
Nov 26 '13 at 12:31




possible duplicate of Does empirical research indicate that salary discussions between coworkers cause problems?
– gnat
Nov 26 '13 at 12:31




1




1




I do not really understand what your question here is - what is your objective and goals? Are you hoping to find out if your colleague was also on a performance improvement program? Or just idle curiosity about whether he got a raise? Or wondering if asking for a raise causes problems?
– Elysian Fields♦
Nov 26 '13 at 14:32




I do not really understand what your question here is - what is your objective and goals? Are you hoping to find out if your colleague was also on a performance improvement program? Or just idle curiosity about whether he got a raise? Or wondering if asking for a raise causes problems?
– Elysian Fields♦
Nov 26 '13 at 14:32




1




1




@enderland I'm wanting to gauge management's assessment of performance and how willing/not willing they are to give raises or performance management. As I mentioned, I thought PM for myself was the wrong call, but I'm wondering if it's something that they're quite quick to jump to.
– user10911
Nov 26 '13 at 19:18




@enderland I'm wanting to gauge management's assessment of performance and how willing/not willing they are to give raises or performance management. As I mentioned, I thought PM for myself was the wrong call, but I'm wondering if it's something that they're quite quick to jump to.
– user10911
Nov 26 '13 at 19:18




1




1




@user1068446 I made some fairly significant edits to your question to clarify your core question and have voted to reopen. I focused it more on what you are asking.
– Elysian Fields♦
Nov 27 '13 at 14:21




@user1068446 I made some fairly significant edits to your question to clarify your core question and have voted to reopen. I focused it more on what you are asking.
– Elysian Fields♦
Nov 27 '13 at 14:21












Putting an employee on "Performance Management" involves a lot of extra work on the manager's part AND forces the manager into an uncomfortable situation. It is far simpler for the manager to give a satisfactory rating but low raise and be done with it. So if you were put on PM then you definately deserved to be there, it was so bad that your manager couldn't just overlook it and hope for the best in the future.
– Dunk
Nov 27 '13 at 16:16





Putting an employee on "Performance Management" involves a lot of extra work on the manager's part AND forces the manager into an uncomfortable situation. It is far simpler for the manager to give a satisfactory rating but low raise and be done with it. So if you were put on PM then you definately deserved to be there, it was so bad that your manager couldn't just overlook it and hope for the best in the future.
– Dunk
Nov 27 '13 at 16:16











1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
1
down vote













Executive Summary



Often the people who perform the reviews (direct management) do not control the budget (which determines raises/bonuses). The only way to know these are to ask:



  1. How the review process works after the direct manager conducts it

  2. How changes to pay are controlled on a team/group/department/company level

  3. Express your specific concerns to your direct manager during the review process

Swimming Upstream



Most companies over a certain size do not have any direct correlation between the quality of your performance review and changes to your compensation. Money is controlled from the top (in the form of budgets), and performance reviews are controlled from the bottom. So you have one end trying to assess how to distribute money that they haven't been given yet, and there are bound to be holes in the process.



Some companies do this by only allowing a manager to give stellar reviews to x% of their employees to get special compensation. GE was famous for letting go the worst 10% of management every review cycle. If your company has guidelines for how many people are going to be spectacularly rewarded, then you need to know how to get in that select few, and what level of management will decide it (will your team get a special budget for that? Are you competing with members in other teams in the same group? other groups in the same department? etc.).



It's hard to win the game if you don't know the rules.



Trickle-Down Economics



The other thing to understand is how much you should expect to be rewarded. Let's say you're in a giant multi-national corporation with a dozen business divisions, and subsidiaries, and many different products of varying successes. How is the budget controlled?



If your company is controlled centrally, then resources will be pooled and may be redistributed to help out the not-so-successful business units, meaning that even if your division/product is successful and making money hand-over-fist, your compensation may not reflect that success since it has been redistributed first.



If your company is controlled more locally (so each business unit gets a larger piece of the pie and pays a tribute to the parent company of a fixed amount of sales or profit), then you have to understand how the company rewards success internally. For instance, if your division has several products, do they distribute evenly? Do they reward people who work on successful products more? Do they reward with bonuses, pay raises, or even added manpower for successful divisions?



Following the money is important to managing your expectations for what sort of compensation is available even if you do get a stellar review.



There are Exceptions to Every Rule



There is usually money available that management can free up if really necessary. If you get a stellar performance review, but are disappointed in your compensation package, then feel free to tactfully bring that up your manager (which is covered in this question). If you are worth it, they can always find a way that cuts through some of the bureaucracy that plagues many organizations, but you probably have to be beyond spectacular for them to spend their political capital on.






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    1 Answer
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    active

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    oldest

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    active

    oldest

    votes








    up vote
    1
    down vote













    Executive Summary



    Often the people who perform the reviews (direct management) do not control the budget (which determines raises/bonuses). The only way to know these are to ask:



    1. How the review process works after the direct manager conducts it

    2. How changes to pay are controlled on a team/group/department/company level

    3. Express your specific concerns to your direct manager during the review process

    Swimming Upstream



    Most companies over a certain size do not have any direct correlation between the quality of your performance review and changes to your compensation. Money is controlled from the top (in the form of budgets), and performance reviews are controlled from the bottom. So you have one end trying to assess how to distribute money that they haven't been given yet, and there are bound to be holes in the process.



    Some companies do this by only allowing a manager to give stellar reviews to x% of their employees to get special compensation. GE was famous for letting go the worst 10% of management every review cycle. If your company has guidelines for how many people are going to be spectacularly rewarded, then you need to know how to get in that select few, and what level of management will decide it (will your team get a special budget for that? Are you competing with members in other teams in the same group? other groups in the same department? etc.).



    It's hard to win the game if you don't know the rules.



    Trickle-Down Economics



    The other thing to understand is how much you should expect to be rewarded. Let's say you're in a giant multi-national corporation with a dozen business divisions, and subsidiaries, and many different products of varying successes. How is the budget controlled?



    If your company is controlled centrally, then resources will be pooled and may be redistributed to help out the not-so-successful business units, meaning that even if your division/product is successful and making money hand-over-fist, your compensation may not reflect that success since it has been redistributed first.



    If your company is controlled more locally (so each business unit gets a larger piece of the pie and pays a tribute to the parent company of a fixed amount of sales or profit), then you have to understand how the company rewards success internally. For instance, if your division has several products, do they distribute evenly? Do they reward people who work on successful products more? Do they reward with bonuses, pay raises, or even added manpower for successful divisions?



    Following the money is important to managing your expectations for what sort of compensation is available even if you do get a stellar review.



    There are Exceptions to Every Rule



    There is usually money available that management can free up if really necessary. If you get a stellar performance review, but are disappointed in your compensation package, then feel free to tactfully bring that up your manager (which is covered in this question). If you are worth it, they can always find a way that cuts through some of the bureaucracy that plagues many organizations, but you probably have to be beyond spectacular for them to spend their political capital on.






    share|improve this answer


























      up vote
      1
      down vote













      Executive Summary



      Often the people who perform the reviews (direct management) do not control the budget (which determines raises/bonuses). The only way to know these are to ask:



      1. How the review process works after the direct manager conducts it

      2. How changes to pay are controlled on a team/group/department/company level

      3. Express your specific concerns to your direct manager during the review process

      Swimming Upstream



      Most companies over a certain size do not have any direct correlation between the quality of your performance review and changes to your compensation. Money is controlled from the top (in the form of budgets), and performance reviews are controlled from the bottom. So you have one end trying to assess how to distribute money that they haven't been given yet, and there are bound to be holes in the process.



      Some companies do this by only allowing a manager to give stellar reviews to x% of their employees to get special compensation. GE was famous for letting go the worst 10% of management every review cycle. If your company has guidelines for how many people are going to be spectacularly rewarded, then you need to know how to get in that select few, and what level of management will decide it (will your team get a special budget for that? Are you competing with members in other teams in the same group? other groups in the same department? etc.).



      It's hard to win the game if you don't know the rules.



      Trickle-Down Economics



      The other thing to understand is how much you should expect to be rewarded. Let's say you're in a giant multi-national corporation with a dozen business divisions, and subsidiaries, and many different products of varying successes. How is the budget controlled?



      If your company is controlled centrally, then resources will be pooled and may be redistributed to help out the not-so-successful business units, meaning that even if your division/product is successful and making money hand-over-fist, your compensation may not reflect that success since it has been redistributed first.



      If your company is controlled more locally (so each business unit gets a larger piece of the pie and pays a tribute to the parent company of a fixed amount of sales or profit), then you have to understand how the company rewards success internally. For instance, if your division has several products, do they distribute evenly? Do they reward people who work on successful products more? Do they reward with bonuses, pay raises, or even added manpower for successful divisions?



      Following the money is important to managing your expectations for what sort of compensation is available even if you do get a stellar review.



      There are Exceptions to Every Rule



      There is usually money available that management can free up if really necessary. If you get a stellar performance review, but are disappointed in your compensation package, then feel free to tactfully bring that up your manager (which is covered in this question). If you are worth it, they can always find a way that cuts through some of the bureaucracy that plagues many organizations, but you probably have to be beyond spectacular for them to spend their political capital on.






      share|improve this answer
























        up vote
        1
        down vote










        up vote
        1
        down vote









        Executive Summary



        Often the people who perform the reviews (direct management) do not control the budget (which determines raises/bonuses). The only way to know these are to ask:



        1. How the review process works after the direct manager conducts it

        2. How changes to pay are controlled on a team/group/department/company level

        3. Express your specific concerns to your direct manager during the review process

        Swimming Upstream



        Most companies over a certain size do not have any direct correlation between the quality of your performance review and changes to your compensation. Money is controlled from the top (in the form of budgets), and performance reviews are controlled from the bottom. So you have one end trying to assess how to distribute money that they haven't been given yet, and there are bound to be holes in the process.



        Some companies do this by only allowing a manager to give stellar reviews to x% of their employees to get special compensation. GE was famous for letting go the worst 10% of management every review cycle. If your company has guidelines for how many people are going to be spectacularly rewarded, then you need to know how to get in that select few, and what level of management will decide it (will your team get a special budget for that? Are you competing with members in other teams in the same group? other groups in the same department? etc.).



        It's hard to win the game if you don't know the rules.



        Trickle-Down Economics



        The other thing to understand is how much you should expect to be rewarded. Let's say you're in a giant multi-national corporation with a dozen business divisions, and subsidiaries, and many different products of varying successes. How is the budget controlled?



        If your company is controlled centrally, then resources will be pooled and may be redistributed to help out the not-so-successful business units, meaning that even if your division/product is successful and making money hand-over-fist, your compensation may not reflect that success since it has been redistributed first.



        If your company is controlled more locally (so each business unit gets a larger piece of the pie and pays a tribute to the parent company of a fixed amount of sales or profit), then you have to understand how the company rewards success internally. For instance, if your division has several products, do they distribute evenly? Do they reward people who work on successful products more? Do they reward with bonuses, pay raises, or even added manpower for successful divisions?



        Following the money is important to managing your expectations for what sort of compensation is available even if you do get a stellar review.



        There are Exceptions to Every Rule



        There is usually money available that management can free up if really necessary. If you get a stellar performance review, but are disappointed in your compensation package, then feel free to tactfully bring that up your manager (which is covered in this question). If you are worth it, they can always find a way that cuts through some of the bureaucracy that plagues many organizations, but you probably have to be beyond spectacular for them to spend their political capital on.






        share|improve this answer














        Executive Summary



        Often the people who perform the reviews (direct management) do not control the budget (which determines raises/bonuses). The only way to know these are to ask:



        1. How the review process works after the direct manager conducts it

        2. How changes to pay are controlled on a team/group/department/company level

        3. Express your specific concerns to your direct manager during the review process

        Swimming Upstream



        Most companies over a certain size do not have any direct correlation between the quality of your performance review and changes to your compensation. Money is controlled from the top (in the form of budgets), and performance reviews are controlled from the bottom. So you have one end trying to assess how to distribute money that they haven't been given yet, and there are bound to be holes in the process.



        Some companies do this by only allowing a manager to give stellar reviews to x% of their employees to get special compensation. GE was famous for letting go the worst 10% of management every review cycle. If your company has guidelines for how many people are going to be spectacularly rewarded, then you need to know how to get in that select few, and what level of management will decide it (will your team get a special budget for that? Are you competing with members in other teams in the same group? other groups in the same department? etc.).



        It's hard to win the game if you don't know the rules.



        Trickle-Down Economics



        The other thing to understand is how much you should expect to be rewarded. Let's say you're in a giant multi-national corporation with a dozen business divisions, and subsidiaries, and many different products of varying successes. How is the budget controlled?



        If your company is controlled centrally, then resources will be pooled and may be redistributed to help out the not-so-successful business units, meaning that even if your division/product is successful and making money hand-over-fist, your compensation may not reflect that success since it has been redistributed first.



        If your company is controlled more locally (so each business unit gets a larger piece of the pie and pays a tribute to the parent company of a fixed amount of sales or profit), then you have to understand how the company rewards success internally. For instance, if your division has several products, do they distribute evenly? Do they reward people who work on successful products more? Do they reward with bonuses, pay raises, or even added manpower for successful divisions?



        Following the money is important to managing your expectations for what sort of compensation is available even if you do get a stellar review.



        There are Exceptions to Every Rule



        There is usually money available that management can free up if really necessary. If you get a stellar performance review, but are disappointed in your compensation package, then feel free to tactfully bring that up your manager (which is covered in this question). If you are worth it, they can always find a way that cuts through some of the bureaucracy that plagues many organizations, but you probably have to be beyond spectacular for them to spend their political capital on.







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:48









        Community♦

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        answered Nov 28 '13 at 0:41









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