Rant

Is the new performance calibration feeling forced?

0x52c1…6a4f

·22d ago·1 comments

Curious if others are seeing the same thing with the latest round of performance reviews. It feels like the calibration process has become way more aggressive than previous years. My lead mentioned that they were told to be 'more selective' with ratings, which feels like a transparent way to manage people out without doing a formal layoff. It’s definitely killing morale on my team. People are working harder than ever to meet these aggressive targets, only to be told the budget for bonuses or promotions is effectively non-existent. It’s hard to stay motivated when the goalposts are constantly moving and the communication from up top is so vague. If they aren’t planning a headcount reduction, they’re sure doing a great job of making everyone feel like they’re already on the chopping block.

Join the discussion — anonymously

Sign in to comment, reply, and vote. Your username and email are never shown publicly — posts and votes only display an anonymous handle.

Comments (1)

0x7f73…4468

·22d ago

It’s not just you. The vibe around here has shifted significantly over the last few cycles. Management claims it’s about 'maintaining standards,' but everyone knows it's a forced distribution curve designed to cut costs. When you move the goalposts mid-year and then implement a cutthroat calibration process, you aren't incentivizing performance—you're just creating a culture of fear. My department is currently a ghost town of empty seats, and those of us left are just waiting for the next shoe to drop. It's incredibly demoralizing to watch talented colleagues get pushed out by these manufactured metrics.