How Associations Can Handle Performance Review Bias

When it comes to running an office in today’s world, leaders have to make complex decisions that can impact productivity, recruitment, retention, and other important metrics. These decisions also affect how work is approached, making performance reviews more difficult and prone to biases that can particularly affect female employees. Organizational behavior expert Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio has identified three common biases that leaders face, two of which are related to the hybrid workforce model.

The first bias is proximity bias, where leaders tend to favor employees who are physically present and visible to managers during assessments. This bias assumes that those who are physically close are doing the most important work.

The second bias is in-group/out-group bias, where preference is given to individuals who belong to a group with which the leaders identify. As leaders, who are often male and frequently present in the office, may perceive women as outsiders, they may fall victim to this bias.

The third bias, experience bias, highlights the importance of leaders reassessing how they handle performance reviews and management. Experience bias involves overvaluing tasks that are easily defined and quantifiable, such as timely delivery of work or public speaking. However, achievements like fostering cohesive teams or addressing long-term systemic challenges are harder to measure and often overlooked for recognition and promotion.

Cecchi-Dimeglio recommends that workers are encouraged to be more explicit about their work and its challenges, even if it doesn’t align with traditional goals and metrics. This approach helps reduce bias and emphasizes the collaborative nature of work. Additionally, a team-based assessment approach can help combat biases associated with individualized compensation incentives. For example, the Center for Effective Philanthropy shifted towards compensation based on overall organizational performance, which has not negatively impacted staff performance or motivation.

Each organization needs to determine the balance between team and individual performance during performance reviews. It’s important to recognize that the concept of teamwork has evolved significantly in recent years, as have individual accomplishments. Therefore, assessing employees based on both aspects is essential for fair and comprehensive evaluation.