Some are aware some are not so just gonna throw this out there.
The rating system is done on a bell curve. Managers are only allowed to give a certain number for exceeds in a cycle.
Also guess what… Sometimes they also have to give a needs.
Many times the needs are setting up the game for that person to be on the next layoff list. Even if they don’t deserve it.
Former manager, SVP here. I went thru my last review cycle a year ago. Was told 5 times that I didn’t have enough “inconsistently meets” or “needs improvement”. All my peers were as well. Went back and reviewed my entire org with each team manager. Made a couple of adjustments that were warranted and moved on. Nope. Was told repeatedly to do more. I said I had no more low ratings to give. All were doing their jobs and many doing more. Not accepted. A peer manager, SVP said he was meeting with his team mgrs and telling them there was no option, they had to cycle ratings lower that he “wasn’t going to take a hit” for not doing it.
I fought it and was finally able to complete my ratings. 3 up leader advised we hadn’t done enough at mid year and to prep for more low ratings at year end. I decided I’d had enough of this insanity and I retired early. My teams deserved better than that and I couldn’t work with such low integrity.
I realize many can’t retire as I could, but seriously, this is Wells Fargo. If you can find a better place to work, I’d highly recommend it. CS is all about “expense management” since there are still regulatory limits to growing the business. Jobs will continue to move to India and Philippines. Jobs will be lost here. It’s not worth becoming another Denise (may she rest in power).
Former manager here - it has a very heavy political component as well
“Meets is the new exceeds”
This bell curve rating system seems to happen on a team level.
Example:
Team 1: made up 60% high performers
Team 2: made up of 15% high performers
Despite team 1 having a higher ratio of high performers, both teams may only get to hand out 2 exceeds ratings and the next level manager will push back if the manager of team 1 tries to assign too many exceeds ratings. Often times those that missed out on exceeds ratings on team 1 are measurably better performers than those that got exceeds on team 2. This should not happen if WF was fair with ratings.
As a manager, I will resign before I am forced to give any employee a rating that is not deserved
This person is not a manager. After 5 years of this we have all been forced to assign a low undeserved ranking to someone. I like most managers began rotating the lower ratings and giving the bigger bonuses to people who were 2 rated last year. My managers dont say anything as long as I give them a couple of 2's each year.
I was laid off in June. My manager put in my mid year review into the system about a month later without my knowledge. I was not notified it was uploaded and was unable to appeal it. He falsely gave me a needs improvement rating after only giving me positive feedback in person. I'm sure this was to justify laying me off and also to keep me from being eligible for a bonus. I can only hope that karma will do its thing.
@sgx+1upo8S98
"Do I "quietly quit" and wait for WF to decide to lay me off? Do I try to find a way to increase my worth to a future employer? Do I actively search for employment elsewhere now or wait for a layoff? All of these actions have costs/benefits."
Thanks for saying this. Hopefully, those that think people should quit because they are a decades long career person, boomer, etc, will think about this and understand why there are so many waiting on severance. It is a cost/benefit analysis that is in our favor to do so.
@vio+1upo8S98 You should get over your "love of Wells Fargo". NOW!
Think about it. Not what Wells Fargo has done for you in the past ... but what Wells Fargo will do for you in the future. Don't be a fool. This bank does not care about you. You are a commodity to them. You are more of a cost than a benefit to them.
As this bank reacts to competitive pressure in the marketplace it hires you to do a project. Now the project is done you are a cost. Something to be eliminated to become more "efficient".
Understanding what WF is in the present moment and not getting caught up with the emotions of past accomplishments.
Increasingly you need to check your "worth" to the employer. Are you contributing? Are you benefitting the customers? Does your management give you the resources to do this effectively and efficiently? If not you are in the wrong place. Then consider how to get to the right place. Do I "quietly quit" and wait for WF to decide to lay me off? Do I try to find a way to increase my worth to a future employer? Do I actively search for employment elsewhere now or wait for a layoff? All of these actions have costs/benefits.
As a manager, I will resign before I am forced to give any employee a rating that is not deserved.
I am about to be layed off. No matter how much output and what i do my manager is constantly dinging me. He has his favorites. I was a high performer til they moved me to a new group where they disliked my execution style and are throttling me cause my bar is too high. My manager is a good guy but politics play over execution at this place. Any other bank if you execute quickly they pave the road ahead of you to get the job done.
If i get laid off it will hurt both sides since i love my job and have a passion for it and others just treat it as a group of tasks then go home.
If talents and drive are not appreciated here then you know something is wrong. I love WF but where does that love go?
There’s no naïveté. I’ve successfully cited policy in two different years to tell managers above (and HR in parallel) to pound sound while brandishing policy.
It helps to have a spine though. 😂
I love the naïveté that comes with people saying that there are policies that prohibit this. What do you think they’re going to say? it very clearly is a curve. In fact we were told last cycle to downgrade people and if people wanted to go to employee relations that the executives and COO did not care. Especially in they see it and nothing more.
If you aren’t a favorite, Why bother even trying? The bosses favs get the exceeds, those not in the fav circle are where the BS happens regardless of actual company value. The place is rigged for low integrity types.
Only do the minimum. And barely do that.
Umm, no.
The policies are actually VERY clear that you should NOT be doing forced curves or rating based on stacking.
if you had say 10 on your team and all got above meets there still will be some challenges come calibration.
OP checks out as a true blue Wells Fargo employee. Why say in two words (Forced Ranking or Stack(ed) Ranking) what you can stump about in 1000? Do you also setup meetings for Fridays at 4:30pm?
The herd can’t be culled soon enough.