Few events in corporate life cause employees more anxiety than their annual performance reviews. Raises, promotions and even continued employment may be predicated on what workers often regard as the subjective judgment of their managers.Recent research suggests that employees have cause for concern. Even within the same company managers often use entirely different performance criteria. “Employees often leave their reviews not knowing why they got them,” says co-author Maria Rotundo, assistant professor of human resource management and organizational behavior at the University of Toronto's Joseph L. Rotman School of Management. That has an impact on employee loyalty.Rotundo's review of existing literature revealed three basic criteria that managers commonly rely on in their performance review of employees: Task performance —carrying out the responsibilities of the job; citizenship performance — willingness to help colleagues and volunteer at corporate events and, in general, how they contribute to a positive image of the company; and counterproductive performance — indulging in negative behaviors such as drug taking or arguing with coworkers and, in general, whether they harm the organization's image.H
