Interviewing company asked me for past performance reviews - seems odd to me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why this is viewed as bad behavior. Any job has a right to ask to speak to a prior supervisor about your work. Why would a written evaluation be any different?

For fear of being sued, former employers generally give dates of employment, duties of position. They are not even allowed to give salary but give a range. The Performance reviews is a sneaky way for the new employer to find out more. I wouldn't bring them (and mine are excellent) because it is much too intrusive and an invasion of privacy. They can call former employer. Many former employers will now only give a written reference with former employee's permission.

Agreed. Reviews are confidential from the employee and the employer side. What the employer says to an employee about potential for growth, areas to work on, etc. is private. This level of detail is not appropriate to share. I have had good reviews throughout my career, but I would not supply them. Agreed I would be happy to let them call for references.

Employment lawyer here. Generally speaking, unless the employer specifically says otherwise there are no restrictions on employees sharing their own performance reviews, as long as they don't contain proprietary information (e.g. "Linda's goal for 2011 is spearheading the upcoming merger with Acme Corp.")

This is one of those things where you have to decide how badly you want the job. It's a pretty big red flag to not produce them IMHO, and the potential employer is going to assume they contain something you don't want them to see. So if you really need or want the position I would produce the performance reviews as requested.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't be happy about the request either OP.

However, if I REALLY wanted the job and had good reviews available I would probably just bring them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would never provide my past performance reviews. I think it is too intrusive. One of the PPs hit it exactly, in this economy, employers can get away with doing more and more ridiculous things because competition is so fierce.

How horrible is it that one bad performance review from one crazy boss could cost you a job? In so many case, performance reviews are entirely subjective and it does not feel right to have them haunt you for life at other companies.

And I've got a stack of stellar performance reviews, so I'd be in good standing, but it surely does not seem fair.

Would it change your opinion to know that a potential employer is free to call any of your past employers even if you didn't put them down as a reference? They may not find anyone willing to talk to them, but if you've got a crazy boss in your past perhaps he will be the one who gives them an earful. Nothing illegal or immoral about it. Your employment history is what it is. If it's really one just one crazy boss you should have plenty of other great reviews and references to balance it out.

[Anonymous]

This request used to be (still is?) standard for federal jobs.

[Anonymous]

It is standard at Fed jobs but often only if coming from another Fed job. I don't have a problem with it. It is so hard to get rid of someone who is a bad hire, I can see why managers want all of the information they can get.

[Anonymous]

I've never heard of this either and would be surprised at the request. I have always been under the impression that reviews were considered confidential at my company so I would fear that if I did share them and my current boss found out, that would get me in trouble. And if you don't get the job at the new company, you have a big mess to deal with. On the same token, I'm not sure how you would be able to find out if your current company has a legal policy in place against sharing performance reviews without raising eyebrows. Kind of a conundrum.

I guess if you have reviews from past employers, that would be more acceptable but I can't say that I have ever saved performance reviews from job to job.

I would just say that your company has a policy against sharing reviews but you would be happy to give them phone numbers from past employers so they can speak with them directly. I would feel very uncomfortable putting my current job at risk if I didn't have a 100% guarantee that the new job was definite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of this either and would be surprised at the request. I have always been under the impression that reviews were considered confidential at my company so I would fear that if I did share them and my current boss found out, that would get me in trouble. And if you don't get the job at the new company, you have a big mess to deal with. On the same token, I'm not sure how you would be able to find out if your current company has a legal policy in place against sharing performance reviews without raising eyebrows. Kind of a conundrum.

I guess if you have reviews from past employers, that would be more acceptable but I can't say that I have ever saved performance reviews from job to job.

I would just say that your company has a policy against sharing reviews but you would be happy to give them phone numbers from past employers so they can speak with them directly. I would feel very uncomfortable putting my current job at risk if I didn't have a 100% guarantee that the new job was definite.

I've never saved my reviews either and would not be able to produce the requested reviews.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of this either and would be surprised at the request. I have always been under the impression that reviews were considered confidential at my company so I would fear that if I did share them and my current boss found out, that would get me in trouble. And if you don't get the job at the new company, you have a big mess to deal with. On the same token, I'm not sure how you would be able to find out if your current company has a legal policy in place against sharing performance reviews without raising eyebrows. Kind of a conundrum. I guess if you have reviews from past employers, that would be more acceptable but I can't say that I have ever saved performance reviews from job to job.

I would just say that your company has a policy against sharing reviews but you would be happy to give them phone numbers from past employers so they can speak with them directly. I would feel very uncomfortable putting my current job at risk if I didn't have a 100% guarantee that the new job was definite.

Not really a conundrum. If it's not mentioned in your employee handbook, on the face of your performance review, or in some other paperwork you've received from the company, then it's safe to assume that they don't have an enforceable policy in place.

Also I think you're putting your job at risk more by letting them call than by giving them the performance reviews.

[Anonymous]

I've never heard of this and I agree, it's intrusive. I've only ever received excellent reviews but I see them as confidential documents. I also would be concerned that my former employer would not be happy at having this used without their knowledge/permission and I wouldn't want to approach them about using them either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why this is viewed as bad behavior. Any job has a right to ask to speak to a prior supervisor about your work. Why would a written evaluation be any different?

Uh, if another company called a supervisor from my current company, the supervisor would be required by my current company to transfer that person to the Human Resources department who would merely acknowledge that I had worked there and provide my salary information. That's how it would be different.

But I'm still trying to decide what I think about this review thing.

[Anonymous]

In general, I don't mind sharing because I get good reviews. HOWEVER, once you give a written or electronic copy of that review to someone, it's out in the public domain, forever. I can just see someone putting up a website filled with people's job reviews. At least within your own company, there are confidentiality standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In general, I don't mind sharing because I get good reviews. HOWEVER, once you give a written or electronic copy of that review to someone, it's out in the public domain, forever. I can just see someone putting up a website filled with people's job reviews. At least within your own company, there are confidentiality standards.

I could totally see this, like that silly rate your professor website, instead, rate my government contractor!

[Anonymous]

My performance reviews are excellent but my boss once confided to me that he only gives 4's and not 5's to everyone because he doesn't want to have to give everyone raises. This has to be common. For that reason, I think it is a bad idea for an employer to use them as a determining factor. I wouldn't. Performance reviews written by one person are so subjective, even if you take the foolish things above out. Better to get a good read on the employee and then check the references they give. If several high level people with a proven work connection can vouch for an employee, I'll use that over a review any day.

[Anonymous]

OP here with more to add.

I have been able to dodge the request so far because they are expecting the performance reviews at my in-person interview which isn't until next week. However today I got an interview confirmation email that reminded me about my performance reviews and:

"2. Supporting documentation for your previous compensation, which should include a W-2, 1099 or similar document."

They want to see my W-2s?! And it's not like this job is high-security or anything. Am I crazy for thinking they are crazy?

[Anonymous]

They should be able to verify your previous compensation by calling your prior HR office. They shouldn't need your W2s, that makes no sense.