Do Annual Reviews Actually Improve Anything — or Just Tick HR Boxes?

There is a reasonable chance you have gone through at least one annual review at work. I have been through many. But here is the question — do these reviews actually mean anything? Do they help improve performance, or are they just another routine to tick boxes and satisfy HR policies?

Most reviews require you to assess yourself across a range of vague criteria — productivity, communication, teamwork, leadership potential, customer service, and of course, the mysterious “exceeding expectations.” What does that even mean?

If you are a delivery driver, do you exceed expectations by delivering parcels in half the expected time — at the risk of speeding or ignoring safety? If you are a nurse or doctor, do you exceed expectations by giving double the dose of medication?”

That is the problem. These phrases sound impressive, but in reality, they are meaningless unless tied to something concrete and measurable.

Isn’t it the job of the employer or manager to observe and assess what we have delivered throughout the year? Do we really need to rate ourselves using generic scales that could apply to any job in any industry?

And then there is the glaring omission — where is the section that asks if we would like a promotion or a pay raise? Where is the part that allows us to say what we really think, without fear of consequences? Instead, we fill out the forms, attend the meeting, smile politely, and get on with it.

Am I just grumpy or honest?