Surprised by Poor Review in Year 3 – Advice Needed
Surprised by Poor Review in Year 3 – Advice Needed
Hey everyone,
Looking for some advice on a situation I’m facing in my analyst role.
In my first two years, I consistently received positive reviews, and my co-workers and managers seemed happy with my performance. However, towards the end of year two, going into year three, I received a surprise poor mid-year review. My manager framed it as something I could improve on before the year-end review, so I made a concerted effort to address the feedback.
Despite my efforts, I still received a poor year-end review. From my perspective, and based on the data I’ve gathered (e.g., feedback on my work, deliverables, and general performance), I feel I’ve been performing fine and don’t see a clear reason for the negative reviews.
One of the main points my manager raised was about small issues in my work, such as an occasional mislinked cell or pulling something from the wrong source. However, these issues are minimal. On any given piece of work, I might get between three to ten comments, which are typically resolved within one to two rounds of feedback. It’s worth noting that the work I handle is internal (portfolio management for an LOB), not client-facing, so these minor issues don’t impact external deliverables. When I compare my output to that of my peers and other bankers, I don’t see any material difference in quality.
Leading up to the year-end review, I scheduled weekly one-on-one meetings with my manager to better understand his expectations and receive structured feedback. Unfortunately, these meetings often didn’t yield much value. My manager rarely came prepared with actionable feedback, and on several occasions, he canceled the meetings entirely due to other priorities.
Adding to the frustration, the work environment has been extremely toxic. I’ve observed inappropriate behavior from bankers across all levels—analysts, associates, VPs, and even senior leadership. This has only amplified my stress and contributed to an overall negative experience.
I’ve also asked for clear examples of work that meet my manager’s expectations, but I haven’t received any clarity or actionable guidance. The feedback has remained vague and left me feeling stuck in a gray area.
Lastly, my firm uses a bell curve for performance reviews, which I suspect could be playing a role here.
At this point, I’m feeling frustrated, demoralized, and unsure of how to proceed. Do you think this is a sign I should start looking for another role, or is there a way to turn this situation around? Has anyone dealt with a similar combination of unclear expectations?
Would really appreciate any advice or insights. Thanks in advance!
Nah it's all bullshit bro. You're actually doing fine. They're just finding a way to push you out. Maybe they don't like the way you look or something personal. Chin up king!
Didn’t wear the Patagonia vest enough times in the office idk
This is the most probable answer
stay and fight hard while plotting your exit simultaneously
They want you out
Thinking the same thing 😂
That’s just a prelude to fire you. This way you cannot take any action for unfair termination as there are multiple poor reviews on record.
Sign to start looking ASAP.
They already have it documented on record with HR for mishandling my medical accommodation. The bad review kicked in after I received that accommodation. Not that your point isn’t valid, but it’s worth noting that, despite the paper trail, some other serious issues have occurred here that are also documented
No clue about your performance but the way you write is extremely thoughtful, eloquent, and well spoken. You’re clearly smart. GTFO and don’t think twice
He's got a good point, wouldn't hurt lateraling
Like everyone said, the writing is on the wall. They're leaving a paper trail to properly get rid of you. It happens all the time. There's nothing you can really do except look for a new job while you have income. For whatever reason they've made up their mind and started the process. Don't take it personal, it has nothing to personally do with you personally or the quality of your work.
Also, always remember that HR is for the company, not you. If you're reporting things to HR, even if it's justified, then you're a bad apple, liability, and a risk to the firm. You always have to ask yourself if you have a really good reason to get HR involved and if it's worth it because 9/10 there will be retatilation and you will lose.
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