In an increasingly data-driven world, many companies, including Adobe, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs, have made the surprising move to do away with number-based performance reviews. Some have opted for more open-ended, narrative-based performance evaluations, while others have eliminated reviews completely, conducting regular “check-ins” instead. The argument for the shift away from numerical reviews is strong: narrative performance reviews allow for more context and can better offer employees ways to improve while affirming their particular strengths. At the same time, some companies who’ve eliminated numerical reviews have reverted to creating “shadow” rankings, where narrative feedback is offered to employees, but internal numbers are used in order to track growth or to have a more objective way to tie performance to bonuses or raises. This can leave employees feeling like they’re being secretly judged in ways they can’t fight or speak to.
