Should performance reviews be used as a method for layoffs?

This episode of Ask Me Anything was actually asked twice; once by a client of mine, and again on LinkedIn. The gist of the question is: Should performance reviews be used as a method for layoffs?

The answer is, of course, “it depends.” Or more accurately, both yes and no.
I’ll explain. 

Performance reviews should be a memorialization of a year’s worth of performance conversations. The culmination of multiple interactions between supervisor and employee, with no – repeat ZEO – surprises at the end. That’s what they’re supposed to be.

Okay, yes, reviews can certainly be used as "A" factor in layoff determinations, though except for extreme cases probably shouldn’t be the SOLE factor. And again, no surprises.

Now, the reason for this question stems from google and facebook, er, I mean meta, announcing that employees should prepare for harsher, more negative performance reviews, “to expect lower ratings,” as each of those employers is frantically looking for rationale to reduce headcount. Layoffs.
Ok, that particular usage of performance reviews… it’s bullshit. 

To say "expect lower ratings" than you’ve been receiving on your reviews is telling people one of two things: Either (a) we've been lying all along about your positive performance (oops, my bad!), or(b) we're unethically changing your performance expectations after the fact. Too bad for you -- you should've guessed better. The bowling-blindfolded analogy comes to mind.Again, Performance Reviews (annual, biannual, semiannual, whatever) should always be a simple memorialization of ongoing discussions.

THERE SHOULD BE NO SURPRISES. EVER.In fact, Meta VP of People Lori Goler has been quoted saying that if anything is surprising in these reviews, then “something has gone horribly wrong.”

Ok, then “something has gone horribly wrong!”Wonder how she's backtracking on that case of foot-in-mouth disease. Sort of like politicians, she “misspoke.”So, using performance reviews for layoffs may not be inherently wrong, but using them THIS WAY most certainly is.

Let me know if we can help in any way, and be brazen, remembering that grace and accountability can coexist.

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