#WorkLife #PoorReview #NewManager #HRHelp
Hey fellow work warriors! 👋 Has anyone else experienced getting a less-than-stellar review from a new manager without any solid feedback to back it up? I feel your pain! 😩 Here’s my situation – my new manager, who seems to lack experience and communication skills, gave me a terrible review based solely on their feelings. 🙄 I’ve asked for feedback and data to support their evaluation, but they couldn’t provide any customer service survey results or tangible reasons for their assessment. 🤔
I’m torn between responding with “I am disappointed that my review was based upon intangible items that lack standardized units of measure” or seeking help from our HR department. What do you think I should do? Here are some possible solutions I’m considering:
* Request a formal meeting with the manager to discuss their feedback and ask for specific examples.
* Document any instances of unfair treatment or lack of communication from the manager.
* Consider involving HR if the situation doesn’t improve or if you feel like you’re being treated unfairly.
Have you been in a similar situation? Share your thoughts and advice below! Let’s help each other navigate these tricky work situations. 💪 #SupportEachOther #WorkplaceIssues
Not all reviews need to include objective data. Your manager having opinions and feelings about your soft skills and such is valid.
You really haven’t supplied much useful information. So I’m going to ask a few questions:
What were the negative marks on your review about? Productivity, attitude, tardiness…?
When you say they are “sheltered” do you mean that they don’t have life experience and don’t know how the real world works (for example, they blush around profanity) or do you mean they’re a nepo baby and got their job by kissing the right asses and not actual skill and hard work?
(Remember that promotions often require some degree of politics, and the higher you go, the more those soft skills are necessary. Hard skills will only take you so far.)
That’s a perfectly reasonable response. Just don’t expect it to change anything.
Want a better review? Accept your boss and learn to work with them.
A few years ago, my Director left in April, they put an interim Director in place until she got promoted in September. The interim and her replacement jointly gave me my evaluation, which was not horrible, but also not as good as all the ones I’ve gotten. I was pissed, because, the timeframe was being evaluated on ended in June, and the interim has given me 0 feedback before the evaluation. I challenged her by asking how I would know I was doing any of those things that she didn’t like if she never had a single one on one with me the entire time she was my manager.
I’ve been in HR for 25+ years, a rule of thumb is that nothing in an annual evaluation should be a surprise-problems need to be addressed, good work needs to be recognized throughout the year, so that staff can make changes as needed.
The HR department is going to support the manager and the company. they have no interest in helping you or protecting you. The solution here unfortunate as it is is to find another job . you can go through a lot of pain and heartache, but that’s gonna be the answer in the end. Doesn’t matter that it’s not fair.