Being asked to evaluate performance of perm staff

[Glazza]

Was asked to do this today. Took 5 mins and frankly I was helping them out by giving them something to put on the form. So I only see an upside to this. It's just a going through the motions and a tick box exercise anway. Nobody will get fired or for that matter promoted based on what I say.

[chicane]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and ideas.

I think it's one for some off the record blah blah blah, say they both appear competent, defo say nothing negative, then a bit more blah blah blah ! Job done.

I agree with rootsnall.

Spend 5 minutes typing up a bit of blah, blah, very competent, pleasure to work with, blah, blah.

What rootsnall is suggesting runs with my gut feeling of the best approach to this. However, I'm not (as DieScum has suggested) keen on putting anything in writing - I think it'll have to be a phone conversation to keep things as off the record as possible!

The only safe way to do this (assuming it has to be done!) is to get an addition to your contract to cover the currently out-of-scope work and ensure it makes clear you are making these comments anonymously, your assessment will stick to objective criteria and any subsequent actions based on them are entirely the responibility of the client.

Mal, I agree 100% with everything you've said in principle - however ClientCo is the kind of place (like many places these days) where they don't really "get" contracting as you and I see it. Their default expectation is that contractors will behave in the same manner as FTEs, and more than a certain degree of resistance against this is generally perceived as the contractor being resistant and stubborn just for the sake of it.

I'm therefore constantly treading a fine line between retaining my independent status as a contractor and meeting their expectations in terms of conduct and behaviour. Any shenanigans like those you've suggested above would no doubt be interpreted as "blah blah blah... irrelevant defiant mumbo jumbo" and be met with a blank stare.

[rootsnall]

Maybe stick a recommendation for something nice like "He has shown an active interest in learning about technology X so he would be a great candidate to send on a training course"..

Nice touch !

[malvolio]

Christ I hope you dont talk to your kids like that Malvolio.

Hey, this is Malvolio speaking, remember...

Anyway No 1 daughter is mid-30s with a 6'7" boyfriend. I am polite at all times...

[DieScum]

I agree with rootsnall.

Spend 5 minutes typing up a bit of blah, blah, very competent, pleasure to work with, blah, blah.

Maybe stick a recommendation for something nice like "He has shown an active interest in learning about technology X so he would be a great candidate to send on a training course".

Whatever you say nobody is going to get sacked. You're not that important.

[rootsnall]

Christ I hope you dont talk to your kids like that Malvolio.

I think it's one for some off the record blah blah blah, say they both appear competent, defo say nothing negative, then a bit more blah blah blah ! Job done.

[singhr]

Which bit of "your assessment will stick to objective criteria and any subsequent actions based on them are entirely the responibility of the client." did you not understand?

Thing is, I've worked as an Inerim Manager when you have to get involved with permie staff HR stuff. I've always made it clear that if I render an opinion, it is only an opinion and it's up to the client to decide how to use it: I make no decisions nor reccommendations on what they should do.

Christ I hope you dont talk to your kids like that Malvolio. I take your point though but am always wary of IT folk conjuring up legalistic sentences that mean zippo in law. I guess the OP could always run it by his legal team before he writes it but they wont do that for free, which reminds me of my favourite legal gag:

"It was so cold, the lawyer had his hands in his own pockets."

[malvolio]

You would be a mug to get involved with this. Have you thought of consequences should the perms get the chop, take clientco to court and tangle your assessment of them up in the case? Does your Prof Indemnity Ins cover this kind of activity if you are sued? I would give firm No as you are not insured to take on such activity.

Which bit of "your assessment will stick to objective criteria and any subsequent actions based on them are entirely the responibility of the client." did you not understand?

Thing is, I've worked as an Inerim Manager when you have to get involved with permie staff HR stuff. I've always made it clear that if I render an opinion, it is only an opinion and it's up to the client to decide how to use it: I make no decisions nor reccommendations on what they should do.

[singhr]

You would be a mug to get involved with this. Have you thought of consequences should the perms get the chop, take clientco to court and tangle your assessment of them up in the case? Does your Prof Indemnity Ins cover this kind of activity if you are sued? I would give firm No as you are not insured to take on such activity.

[thunderlizard]

Really you could handle it either way. If it's not a service that you offer, no shame in saying so. Explain that you're a delivery-orientated company, and you haven't had the training to do that sort of thing, etc.

Or if you don't mind doing it (& it's not a sign of being part & parcel), as long as your evaluations are constructive it shouldn't cause waves. (I'm assuming you're liked and looked up to by all the client's staff...?)

Of course as Malvolio says, if it's not within the scope of your contracted deliverables then write up a variation notice or similar.

[original PM]

Realistically there is no reason why you cannot give impartial honest feedback to people regarding their performance on the project.

And you may be better giving it directly to them rather than to a third party as this may look like you are going behind their back.

Maybe if you get their feedback on your performance it will also hopefully reduce the risk of them feeling like it is a one way process.

[malvolio]

The only safe way to do this (assuming it has to be done!) is to get an addition to your contract to cover the currently out-of-scope work and ensure it makes clear you are making these comments anonymously, your assessment will stick to objective criteria and any subsequent actions based on them are entirely the responibility of the client. That way you can cover off the MOO implications and, more importantly, ensure you are not in the firing line if any of the employees is upset by their employer's appraisal of their performance. You are not there to impact any permanent employees's prospects and are well within your rights to refuse to do so.

[chicane]

As a result of working on projects at ClientCo alongside a couple of perm staff, I'm now being asked to evaluate their recent performance to aid in the performance review process. I can see that being completely truthful has the potential to burn bridges with these guys (it'll be clear where the feedback came from) and doesn't appear to gain me anything.

Can anybody think of a creative response to this request, as the best idea I've come up with is to be overwhelmingly positive regarding the performance of these guys. I can't help but think this will be seen as a cop-out.

As a sidenote, I know the "correct" response would be to state that "There is no mention of performance review-related activity on my contract, I'm here to deliver technical solutions, I'm not part-and-parcel of this organisation, blah blah blah".

However, I don't want to be out of the door at the time of next renewal having upset a couple of managers for being uncooperative - this is a good working environment with a nice bunch of guys and there's nothing remotely comparable out there on Jobserve.

Thanks.