Detecting bias in performance reviews at work

The programme takes a practical approach in application, using case studies to contextualise understanding. We guide participants through six key biases that impact assessments of talent within the performance review process; these include: 

• Recency bias: The tendency to make an assessment of an employee’s performance based on recent information, as opposed to making an assessment over the length of the performance cycle 
  
• Confirmation bias: The tendency to seek out information that confirms existing views of an employee’s performance 
• Halo / horns effect: The tendency to take one core factor of an employee’s traits to make an overall assessment of performance 
  
• Leniency bias: The tendency for managers to give favourable ratings even though they have employees with notable room for improvement 
• Idiosyncratic rater bias: The tendency for managers to rate others higher for skills they themselves do not possess. Conversely, they rate others lower in areas they are personally stronger in.
• Gender bias: The tendency to rate men and women differently across a number of competency areas.  

To ensure relevance, we often take a client’s own performance review framework and build a set of learning materials around this, including real, but anonymous case studies. Furthermore, we provide participants with a set of practical tools and tips which are designed to both mitigate bias and ensure fair and equal performance reviews.  

Our programmes are often supported by “live reviews”, in which one of our consultants acts as a neutral observer within a real performance review setting. Our consultants then provide feedback to the manager on possible biases observed.