How HR Departments Misuse 360-Degree Feedback to Justify Layoffs

In Nigeria, working in a corporate office, bank, or telecommunications firm can be stressful. Employees often look forward to annual staff appraisals, hoping for growth and bonuses. However, these reviews can sometimes be misused, especially when companies face financial difficulties.

According to reports, when companies need to reduce their workforce, they may use performance reviews as tools to justify layoffs. Instead of helping employees grow, these evaluations can become weapons against targeted staff. The practice is often referred to as 360-degree feedback, which gathers opinions from peers, supervisors, and subordinates.

One way HR departments manipulate this feedback is by encouraging managers to coach colleagues on what negative comments to submit. This creates a false impression of an employee’s performance, making it easier for management to justify layoffs. Additionally, subjective scores related to company culture can be used to label employees as a poor fit, allowing HR to sidestep proving actual incompetence.

Another tactic is to focus on negative feedback while ignoring positive comments. HR may highlight a single critical remark from a disgruntled coworker while burying praise for an employee’s achievements. This skews the overall picture, making the employee appear ineffective.

Timing also plays a crucial role. Companies may rush performance reviews to catch employees off guard, leaving them little time to prepare or defend themselves. This hurried process can lead to messy evaluations that support planned dismissals.

Finally, HR often uses anonymity in feedback to avoid accountability. If an anonymous complaint is made, the employee has no way to challenge it, leaving them vulnerable to unfounded accusations.

Employees can protect themselves by keeping a record of their achievements and preparing for feedback sessions with professionalism. If they notice unfair negative feedback during restructuring, they should request a formal review meeting with management to discuss specific examples.