Hey all,
I have an interview set up next week (experienced hire, 3 years out of school) and was asked to provide a copy of a recent performance review from my current job. Unfortunately, my performance at work has suffered over the past year, mostly as a function of me not liking the work that I do.
- Is this is a standard hiring practice at most companies?
- Am I going to face a serious uphill battle during my job search?
(OP’s original post continued at end)
Do I Need to Provide a Past Performance Review in an Interview?
It’s not common practice to ask candidates to bring in a physical copy of performance reviews from current or past jobs. If this question comes up, here are a few tips for handling it:
- Say that your employer gives oral reviews
- Say that the company doesn’t give hard copies or you lost your hard copy, and that you believe it would raise red flags to request it
- Say that you can't ask for one as you don't want your current employer to know that you are looking as it might jeopardize your current paycheck
- If they want a written recommendation, can you find one friend at the company (or someone that's recently left) that could write one?
- Say your company does not release performance reviews and that the report is created by your associate (or whoever would write it at your company/level/etc.) and only read by the MD, a summary of your performance is then discussed in a face-to-face conversation
- Explain that performance reviews are confidential, so you can't bring in a hard copy, but you can verbally discuss how it was
- Say it's on a read-only, unprintable protected site
Related Reading
- 1st Year Analyst How to Prepare for 1st Year End Review
- Mid-year Review Time
- How to Breeze Through Your Next Performance Review
- Associate Performance Reviews
- Was Told Lack of Initiative in the Interim Performance Review Help
…..
OP’s post continued:
I'm not incompetent (I swear), but if I was doing work I was genuinely interested in then I know my performance would improve - hence my desire to make a switch.
I could never bring myself to forge a recommendation (although I'm sure some people have sunk to that), but at the same time my reviews are such that I would never get the job if a hiring manager saw them. Furthermore, it's pretty obvious that to NOT provide a recommendation in this situation would be an enormous red flag.
I know many people here will say "I get what I deserve," and maybe so. However, my biggest mistake was choosing to take this job in the first place - and now I can't leave even though I want to!
I can't be the only person with poor performance reviews trying to interview? What have others done in this type of situation?
I've personally never come across this. It is not common practice to give employees copies (hard or soft) of performance reviews. Just say that your employer gives oral reviews, and that you believe it would raise red flags to request it.
If they want a written recommendation, can you find one friend at the company (or someone that's recently left) that could write one? Similar to the above, say that you can't ask for one as you don't want your current employer to know that you are looking as it might jeopardize your current paycheck.
Exactly what the above poster said. Say your company does not release performance reviews and that the report is created by your associate (or whoever would write it at your company/level/etc.) and only read by the MD. A summary of your performance is then discussed in a face-to-face conversation. In other words, make up something.
I think if you are not able to motivate you for the job you are currently in it is a red flag for yourself. Nobody loves his job 100% and performing bad because you dont like it is Kindergarten mentality.
I've never been asked for a hard copy, but I've been asked to describe verbally what criticism I've received in reviews. Like some people have already said, you can tell them that you didn't retain a copy and that the sensitivity of making this move means you're unable to request a duplicate copy from HR.
Just wondering, is this an IBD job that is asking you for a copy of your performance review? Seems very bizarre to me.
Thanks for the responses guys. Seems like this isn't typical (I am neither coming from nor going to an IBD position, but it is finance-related).
They asked on the phone if I could bring one, and in the heat of the moment I said it wouldn't be a problem because I didn't want to appear dodgy. Our performance reviews are retained online, so it would appear that unless I were to quit first and then interview (obviously a stupid decision, not happening), I would still have access to them - the interviewer knows this.
Even if I were to bring one in, would I just show them in person and then take it back with me? Because if I email it or give them a hard copy, who knows where it could end up (posted online, etc.)? Obviously I'm being a little paranoid here...all I want is a clean slate.
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