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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to hate work yearly reviews

87 replies

user789653 · 19/10/2021 19:37

Tomorrow I have my yearly review at work and I'm dreading it. I hate them at the best of times but this one is my first since been back at work after cancer and my confidence is so low.
Feeling so anxious about it. AIBU?

OP posts:

TracyLords · 19/10/2021 19:49

I hate them too. As does my line manager. If there is an issue it should be addressed through the year... as should praise

Sparklingbrook · 19/10/2021 19:52

YANBU, I hate them. I'm not looking for promotion or any extra responsibility at this point. I don't want to manage people or go home worrying about work.
I've already had an email asking for me to sort out some goals for the next year.

hotmeatymilk · 19/10/2021 19:55

You’re not alone, it’s fucking awful. I’ve skirted them for years by being self-employed or doing contracts and I’ve got my first one for TEN YEARS this week. Bricking it.

I don’t want to hear my weaknesses or areas I can stretch myself! I’ve got a small child and a house to renovate, just want to work and get paid, ta, not set goals and expand and blah blah blah. Awful nightmare things.

Lyricallie · 19/10/2021 19:55

I feel like I usually go into an annual review knowing roughly what is going to be said. If things have been left to the annual review to be brought up something has gone very wrong with your management. Think of it as more forward looking and an opportunity for you to ask for any support or development you would like, rather than your manager just bringing up things you think has gone "wrong". I bet it will go much better than you think!

FangsForTheMemory · 19/10/2021 19:58

I hated them too, mainly because I had crap managers including at least two who used the review to get back at me for small things.

TeachesOfPeaches · 19/10/2021 20:01

I have a quarterly review plus annual

iklboo · 19/10/2021 20:02

I hate them too. I hate blowing my own trumpet - my stats speak for themselves. I don't want to manage. I'm already doing some projects. I've had good feedback from other teams. I go through support issues every 1-2-1 because I have a disability.

My role doesn't change, my targets don't change, so it's pretty much the same every year just worded a bit differently.

HollaHolla · 19/10/2021 20:06

I hate them.

I did once get told you should never go into one, and get any surprises. Sadly, my boss doesn't seem to believe this, and saves up any minor errors, inaccuracies or perceived slights for the year, and goes through them one-by-one. It's some kind of power play for her. She's the epitome of someone promoted beyond their level of competence.

It's wrong that one person can make this such a negative experience, and have so much bearing over your career.

TroysMammy · 19/10/2021 20:10

What's a yearly review? I do know but we don't get. I think the last one was 2019 or was it 2018? Anyway nothing changed in fact it has got worse.

KittenKong · 19/10/2021 20:13

Oh I hate them - but doing them is pretty crappy too. I used to take my team members out to the pub to ‘complete the forms’.😁

Thiswontendwell · 19/10/2021 20:25

Oh my goodness!
Just want to put another view...
I line manage a number of people (NHS-mental health) and the annual appraisals are a space to think about learning from the past twelve months (so people are invited to highlight good experiences and think about how they have developed) and then we look at the next twelve months and make SMART objectives - what do they want to achieve and how can they be supported to do it.
It isn't perfect at all but it's supposed to be a supportive thing...
There is another way!!!
(Poor performance and disciplinary issues are addressed other ways in case people are worried about that)

Blankspace4 · 19/10/2021 20:26

I absolutely despise them too, and I’m a line manager.

So much time consumption and very few are ever happy.

Outdated if you ask me

MagentaRocks · 19/10/2021 20:27

I don’t mind them, but it is time consuming doing them for my staff. I have regular meetings with them, so nothing in the yearly review is a surprise to them. I update the record regularly with good work etc and I ask them to go their own personal copy, so if they have received a direct thank you or something. Then at the review time I marry it all up and we have a chat through it.

TerribleZebra · 19/10/2021 20:33

I manage quite a few people and I enjoy the ones I do with them, but I loathe my one with my line manager. The difference is I have 30 min 1:1s with my staff every week so the 6 monthly reviews are just an extension of these and so nothing is a suprise. My team is fab so I really enjoy helping them reach their potential. I also prepare for them so I have notes and a structure to follow. On the other hand my line manager frequently cancels my 1:1s and never prepares for any meetings so he just gables and makes stuff up. He's now in formal performance management with HR due to this.

DrManhattan · 19/10/2021 20:37

Does anyone read them? I've cut and paste a couple over the years...

ftw163532 · 19/10/2021 20:40

Setting completely pointless SMART goals is the absolute highlight of my year.

Dibble135 · 19/10/2021 20:41

YANBU. Thankfully my last one was in 2019. My company then dumped them in favour of “career conversions” with the emphasis on you to ask for one as and when. I never have and never will!

Kite22 · 19/10/2021 20:42

I don't 'dread them', but I am just annoyed that I have to waste my time sitting through them. I am more annoyed on behalf of my Manager who has to not only sit through her own, but half the Team she manages too!

In our Team they are a complete waste of time - we all raise things as we go through the year if we need or want to, and our Managers would raise things with us if they want to. It is just a complete box ticking waste of time exercise.

ftw163532 · 19/10/2021 20:43

Anybody who surprises you with stuff or saves up examples of mistakes from 12 months ago for an annual review is a shit manager.

Ilikewinter · 19/10/2021 20:43

Yep i hate them to, as does my manager. I havent looked at mine since i wrote it 12 months ago and yet ive ecxeeded my contract! Guess actions speak louder than words.

ftw163532 · 19/10/2021 20:44

@Dibble135

YANBU. Thankfully my last one was in 2019. My company then dumped them in favour of “career conversions” with the emphasis on you to ask for one as and when. I never have and never will!

Living the dream.

Flufferty · 19/10/2021 20:45

I hate them. Just console yourself with the thought that your line manager probably hates them just as much as you do

FangsForTheMemory · 19/10/2021 20:46

@ftw163532

Anybody who surprises you with stuff or saves up examples of mistakes from 12 months ago for an annual review is a shit manager.

True, but good luck if you decide to tell them that.

maddening · 19/10/2021 20:47

There should be nothing in there that you don't expect, if the first you hear of how badly you have done is qt your annual review then the manager has totally failed and I would be raising it to their manager.

It should be a case of, this is what you do well, this is stuff you should aim to stop doing and this is what you should start doing.

PrincessPaws · 19/10/2021 20:48

I work in HR and while I can see the value I also hate them on a personal level.

I just find talking about myself very uncomfortable and hearing people say nice things about me makes me cringe.

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