1-on-1 performance reviews are done monthly in order to correct mistakes fast and reward great contribution. Performance review results are averaged over the course of a quarter (3 months) to determine promotion, year-end bonuses, stock options, etc.
Goals
Management’s goals for effective performance management center around transparency and fairness.
- Have clear standards for performance.
- Have an opinion on the role of managers.
- Have a process for evaluation and reward.
- Don’t be soft on low performance.
- Be consistent without losing speed.
We don’t promote based on potential. We don’t promote based on favoritism. We don’t promote based on a feeling. We promote based on actual performance.
Software Developer Rubric
Qualitative
Technical Skills
Great programmer – able to write modular, maintainable code.
Able to communicate clearly on technical topics.
1. Design
Contributes to design.
Understands the user or customer.
Begins to show architectural perspective.
Leads the design for medium to large projects with feedback from other engineers.
2. Code Quality
Leaves code in substantially better shape than before.
Rarely introduces production bugs.
Provides thorough and timely code feedback for peers.
Demonstrates effective use of testing.
Conforms to company code styles.
3. Impact and Contribution
Capable of working on small projects independently, and medium to large projects with supervision.
Drive for Improvement
Strong desire to learn and grow. Should be rapidly improving.
4. Culture
A good cultural fit. Team player.
Reflects our values and principles.
Quantitative
1. OKR Performance
Perform, overperform, or underperform at
2. Total JIRA Story Points Completed
Add up all the story points completed for this performance review cycle.
Rating Levels
Far exceeds expectations: This should be very rare, indicating truly extraordinary performance. Maybe you’re doing what someone two levels above you would be doing. Or you’re making an unusually high impact.
Exceeds expectations: This means you’re consistently knocking it out of the park. You’re starting to do the job above you.
Achieves expectations: This is where 50 to 60% of people are expected to land. Achieving expectations means you’re hitting an already very high bar.
Does not achieve expectations: Getting this rating means you’re struggling and either need help, plan to improve or both. Your manager and People Ops are responsible for helping you turn this around.
Types of Reviews
Each engineer will be evaluated by three types of individuals using the same exact rubric above.
Self
Self evaluation. Be honest about both your strengths and weaknesses.
Peer
Everyone who’s worked closely with you, and are at the same level as you.
Manager
Your direct manager and CTO.