My experience, while working for a health care provider for 3+ years, is that incentive plans based on specific metrics handcuffs both the manager and the employee. Since reviews were performed yearly and being that I worked in a faster moving IT department, reviewing the annual benchmarks were either found to be yesterday's news or projects that were swept under the rug due to business concerns. It did not keep pace with an ever changing business and technical environment.
I distinctly remember that one year I 'exceeded expectations' for 8 out of 8 total performance metrics or goals. The result? A 4% raise from my current salary. I laughed when I received the letter (from a manager I hadn't even heard of) because it seemed more like a COLA than a raise. Oh well.
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Great post
Submitted by El Cheapo on March 27, 2008 - 10:24.
My experience, while working for a health care provider for 3+ years, is that incentive plans based on specific metrics handcuffs both the manager and the employee. Since reviews were performed yearly and being that I worked in a faster moving IT department, reviewing the annual benchmarks were either found to be yesterday's news or projects that were swept under the rug due to business concerns. It did not keep pace with an ever changing business and technical environment.
I distinctly remember that one year I 'exceeded expectations' for 8 out of 8 total performance metrics or goals. The result? A 4% raise from my current salary. I laughed when I received the letter (from a manager I hadn't even heard of) because it seemed more like a COLA than a raise. Oh well.