Kill Performance Reviews Now, Do Talent Reviews Instead

Joe Cimbak, Director of Talent Management, Sunland Construction, Inc. and Affiliates

A traditional performance review is an annual process where supervisors evaluate an employee’s past year of work, set future goals, and discuss development opportunities. These are often tied to merit increases.

It sounds fine in theory. So why do both supervisors and employees dislike them?

Supervisor View

• If I manage 10 employees, I’ll spend an hour prepping and an hour conducting each review. That’s 20 hours — half a workweek.

• Scheduling these is hard. HR usually has a firm deadline. We’re always behind.

• They feel pointless. When I say, “Time for your performance review,” employees roll their eyes like I just served them broccoli.

• Employees often push back on my assessment, and sometimes take it to HR.

• Once I know someone well, repeating the same development goals every year seems unnecessary. SMART goals don’t change that.

• I have to use HR’s formula to determine ratings and raises. That limits my ability to reward top performers or give poor performers what they deserve.

Employee View

• It starts with me rating myself and writing SMART goals. I don’t enjoy this or know how to do it well.

• I dread hearing, “Let’s go over your performance review.” It’s usually an hour of my boss talking. If I disagree, what can I really do?

• My boss doesn’t seem invested. If they don’t care, why should I? It feels like HR just needs a box checked for raises.

• What bothers me most: my boss forgets much of my good work. Reviews focus only on the last month or two. A full year is too long a window.

Does HRIS Help?

HR software providers claim their systems fix these problems. When we implemented Workday, we tested their performance module. I proposed to my CEO: “Let’s do my review by the book using this tool. If we like it, we roll it out.” He agreed.

We hated it.

Too many steps, too much workflow. It felt like software built by someone who read an HR textbook but never led a team.

After we finished, I asked my CEO, “So, what did you think?”

He said, “No way we’re doing this company-wide. People will hate it, and they’ll just do the bare minimum to get through it.”

Then he asked me a critical question:

“Talent Reviews help leaders truly understand, develop, and retain their best people”

“Was there anything in this review I didn’t already know from talking to you throughout the year?”

The answer was no.

He regularly gave me real-time feedback. Whether praise, coaching, or correction, it happened in the moment — not once a year.

He then said, “We still need to manage and grow talent. So what’s the better way?”

I replied, “Let’s replace performance reviews with Talent Reviews.”

What Is a Talent Review?

A Talent Review is done by the supervisor, without involving the employee.

No meetings. No goal-setting sessions. No forms to sign.

After completing it, the supervisor shares the outcomes with their own manager. Each level in the chain does the same.

Why leave the employee out? A good supervisor is already talking to their team, providing feedback, and understanding their strengths, struggles, and goals. The Talent Review formalizes what they already know.

Tools Used in Talent Reviews

The key tool is the 9-box grid, based on four dimensions:

1. The WHAT (X-axis) Measures performance.

• Left column: Poor performers. Avoid responsibility, give up on challenges.

• Middle column: “Steady Eddies.” Dependable, meet expectations, coachable.

• Right column: High performers. Consistently exceed expectations, solve problems, and finish strong.

2. The HOW (Y-axis) Measures emotional intelligence and teamwork.

• Bottom row: Difficult to work with.

• Middle row: Generally get along well with others.

• Top row: Diplomats — calm under pressure, help others navigate conflict.

3. Potential

High-potential individuals — those who could move into bigger roles — are shown in red ink on the grid.

4. Risk

This tracks retention risk — will they stay or go? Supervisors log this separately and should be actively re-recruiting key talent.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Should I share the 9-box with my employees?

You can, but most don’t. Instead, provide regular, real-time feedback throughout the year.

2. Why review it with my boss?

To align on development, justify training spend, identify successors, and introduce high-potential employees to higher leadership for mentoring

3. Do I still give performance reviews?

No formal reviews are needed. Instead, embed feedback in day-to-day work. Praise good work immediately. Coach or correct right away. Always Be Mentoring (ABM).

4. Can this be used to determine raises?

Yes — if structured well. Those high on WHAT and HOW deserve strong raises. High potential doesn’t always mean more pay immediately — it means stretch opportunities. In some cases, flight risks are retained with significant raises when justified.

Example: An engineering manager once approved a 50% raise to retain a top employee after a Talent Review flagged him as a poaching risk. He told leadership, “If we don’t think he’s worth it, what’s our plan if he joins a competitor?”

5. Can someone be high on WHAT but low on HOW?

Definitely. They get results but lack people skills. Use the 9-box to spot this and coach accordingly.

6. Can someone be high on HOW but low on WHAT?

Yes. They’re likable but underperforming. Focus on improving output.

7. Can someone be low on both but still have potential?

Yes. Sometimes life events affect performance. One employee ranked low was later revealed to be struggling with mental health issues. After taking time off and returning, he became a strong contributor again.

8. How often should we do Talent Reviews?

They don’t need to be annual. Supervisors should kewwep the 9-box updated and add new employees after 3–4 months of observation.

9. How do I start?

You need someone to guide you through the process — someone trained in Talent Reviews and the 9-box. Not all HR professionals know how to do this. Look for a Talent Manager or consultant who can walk your leaders through it once or twice. Most pick it up quickly.

Final Thought

Performance reviews waste time, frustrate everyone, and rarely produce meaningful results. Talent Reviews, on the other hand, help leaders truly understand, develop, and retain their best people.

They’re simpler. They’re honest. They work.

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