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The Future of Pay-For-Performance Under Pres. Obama

only a 3

MWR manager
Navy
Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:17 AM

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And no matter what I do as a low level manager I will get 3's. so what's the point? Why should I strieve harder next year?

Pay-For-Performance Stinks!

Paralegal Specialist
USPS
Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:19 AM

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The system was supposedly designed to make the appraisal process more objective, but -- by including so-called "core dimensions," such as communication, organization, etc., as a major part of the evaluation, it allows subjectivity right back in. I came out alright, but a colleague who consistently outperforms everyone got a lower rating so that an insufferable suck-up slacker could get the extra point. There is also the influence of budget. Our entire office is limited to the "Contributor" range, even though we are the top -- of 9 -- office in the country, because the agency lost money last year, even though we made money for the company.

Pay for Performance

Labor Relations Officer
Department of the Army
Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:20 AM

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I am a huge fan of Pay for Performance. It's about time we said to civil servants that you must do more than come to work and have a pulse in order to receive a top block rating. Pay for Performance forces sets the bar much higher and rightfully so. I do understand that it's time consuming and labor intensive for supervisors, but then we pay them to supervise and that is now part of the job. I, for one do not advocate going back to TAPES, where everyone got the same rating because supervisors didn't want to do their job and were too afraid to accurately rate their employees. It might take a couple of years to work out the kinks, but I believe anything worth doing is tough and we owe it to our employees to demand the best from them and reward accordingly.

Re: Pay for Performance

Civil Engineer
Dept of the Army
Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:13 AM
Put down the cup and step away from the Kool-Aid. NSPS doesn't do anything to enhance the effectiveness of the agency. By putting the decision on individual ratings in the hands of an anonymous pay pool panel that doesn't know what you do, doesn't care what you do, and not only doesn't have to justify their decisions, but is prohibited from justifying them, is a prescription for alienating all employees. My supervisor's assessment says I exceeded all my objectives (and I did), but the panel in its infinite wisdom gave me a 3 while giving 74% of the pool 4s or 5s. Everyone is shocked when I tell them what I got. All the supervisors are frustrated with the system that, in reality, cuts them out of the process while still requiring them to expend a lot of time and effort. Those who are rated low get no credible feedback on why they were rated that way or what they need to do to improve their rating.

Re: Pay for Performance

LRO
Air Force
Thu Jan 22, 2009 10:02 AM
In the AF,
1.2% rated 1 or 2
53% rated 3 (valued employees)
40.3% rated 4
5.5% rated 5
Seems to be a real motivator when a componet in effect says, "we consider any of you "valued performers" right down there with the bottom 1.3% of our employees."
Those who receive a rating of 4 may be motivated but the "valued employees" are certainly not.

Re: Pay for Performance

Unhigh on the Food Chain
VA
Thu Jan 22, 2009 12:35 PM
It is very obvious that you work for an organization with accountability. That is not evident in VA and the pay for performance only allows incompetent managers to penalize good employees who refuse to "suck up."

Re: Pay for Performance

Editor
DoD
Thu Jan 22, 2009 12:56 PM
Labor Relations Officer - I don't know if you are the same person who writes in everytime there's an article about NSPS, but if so, you prove yourself to be even more of an ignoramus each time you respond! It's obvious you are just sticking to the party line and saying what you think you are supposed to say about NSPS, but you're not even listening to the very intelligent arguments against NSPS. I am not under NSPS (thankfully), but I agree with several posters here that the main problems in this (or any) system are managers who don't know how to motivate their employees and those in the pay pool, who rate people without ANY knowledge of what those employees actually do. One more thing - NSPS obliterates confidentiality - more than one NSPSr I know says that everyone else knows what rating they got and immediately the comparisons begin. How is THAT a good thing? It just lowers morale and destroys any sense of teamwork.

Re: Pay for Performance

Employee
Defense Commissary Agency
Thu Jan 22, 2009 1:37 PM
It's ironic that the only positive comments come from a "Labor Relations Officer" If this is such a great system, why have the Unions fought so hard not to implement it. I agree with the majority, the NSPS system is not working. It looks good for the bosses when they have the bell effect and the majority are rated as 3's. This system reeks of "good ole boy" and suck up employees benefiting. Those employees that do a good job, but are not in the "in crowd" will never be recognized in this system. GO AWAY NSPS!!!

Re: Pay for Performance

Diversity Manager
DOL
Thu Jan 22, 2009 7:52 PM
thee is no way there are that many 4/5's in the AF. The problem with NSPS is that supervisors fail to take their jobs seriously when it comes time to evaluate their personal. There should be as many 1/2's are there are 4 and 5's.
That's the reason why the 3's feel slighted. Its the taxpayers who have a right and expectation to insure their CS perform properly

Re: Pay for Performance

Border Patrol Agent
U.S. Border Patrol
Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:38 PM
It's a wonderful system that turns employees into nothing more than beggars and self-promoters who spend more time doing this than their jobs. The hard workers won't bother begging for raises and promoting themselves and they will get left behind the suck ups. You are right, it is a wonderful system.

Pay for Performance

Worker
Government
Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:30 AM

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One of the major problems is evaluations. The problems start with criteria. In my job they are and must be subjective as my work is not bean counter type of work. It evaluates certain things which is a subjective job. Based on the issues and the complexity of the issuesinvolved, the case could take a short period of time or a long period of time. Therefore, the manager must do a subjective evaluation.
The problem here is that some managers, either are not
competent enough to do this type of evaluation, listen to their managers about quantity issues, or just does not like the worker. So the evaluation is lower and based on baloney.
For this reason, I would not like my annual increases or step increases to be based on my evaluation.
I exceed, but am not outstanding. Therefore, I believe DOD workers raises should be civil service raises.

Performance

Accountant
Army
Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:31 AM

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Those that do perform still get less. Those who don't still get reward. When are managers going to deal with documenting bad performance.
There are too many people now that are not working that would appreciate a job in the gov't and be glad to perform.
This is what would improve the gov't workforce.

PFP

Nora Otte
Southwest Civilian Personnel Operations Center
Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:32 AM

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For the last almost three years I have been under NSPS and being rated a '3' for all three years. I know people such as STUDENTS are receiving '4' therefore getting more shares than that of the actual workforce. Maybe it is just my organization but people who work with the pay pool manager fair better than those actually performing the duties. Why should I work hard, have a 99.5% goodness of data just to be rated a '3'? My managers all are very pleased with the personnel service that I give their organizations but that doesn't set me apart from lower performers and they get more shares than I. Something is definitely wrong with NSPS.

Future of Pay Performance

Staffing Specialist
Civilian in Kansas
Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:33 AM

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I am an NSPS employee, I just received my rating, it was a "3". In the NSPS world that is considered to be a "Valued Employee". In the real world it means, no matter how hard you work, how many managers give you the thumbs up, the PAY POOL MANAGERS decide your fate. I know this because I had received emails from different managers telling how I went above the call of duty for their employees. I put this in my self assessment rating and received a "3". So even with this kind of input, I received a "3" because that is what the HIGHER PAY POOL MANAGERS who decide the rating and the amount each person gets has decided I am worth.
So to your PAY FOR PERFORMANCE SYSTEM, I say, GO AWAY.

Re: Future of Pay Performance

Fed Peasant
DOD
Thu Jan 22, 2009 2:40 PM
I have experienced your situation in the past. It leaves some bitterness, & distrust, that unfortunately lasts for a long, long time. These fools, with these rigged personel systems, & formulas have no idea how this impacts the careers & lives of workers. Or if they do, they are simply callous, stupid, & shelfish. You are probably a person with a strong work ethic & pride. You will still try to do a good job. You will still be a good coworker, to those deserving such team work. And, you will become more outspoken & challenge authority!!!
Total Comments: 88
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