To hold on to your job you have to be “excellent, necessary and trustworthy”, according to Elon Musk. But does the Technoking of Tesla even pass his own test?The maverick chief executive of the electric-car maker and co-founder of companies including SpaceX has incited lawsuits and SEC investigations. There are regularly sudden shifts in direction at his businesses because of his autocratic decision-making style and the working culture is so demanding it leads to high burnout and staff churn. Musk’s own employees and investors may conclude there are enough reasons to show him the door, but unluckily for them he’s the one in charge.
Yet Musk’s remarks raise a more serious question — what is the correct and fair way to judge worker performance? And can you ever truly eliminate manager bias?
Big companies often turn to performance reviews to provide a structured way to give feedback, help employees understand their strengths and weaknesses and provide career development advice. In theory, they are a chance to recognise and reward good work while motivating staff and boosting morale. Employees too can air grievances.