Total word count – 376 words.
Took me 1.3 minutes to read.
I don’t love appraisals.
Honestly, I don’t love jobs either—just saying.
Appraisals are when average workplaces suddenly go into panic mode — as if the world is ending. You’ll hear the usual classics — “Corporate isn’t doing well,” “We need to cut costs,” and “The market’s down.”
PS: Your CEO just purchased a Mercedes-Maybach or an Audi Q7.
Moving on…
Employees turn into chit-chat machines and sugarcoat every interaction.
Though there’s no point — top management has already done the appraisal math.
Meanwhile, bad managers pretend to be clueless about who actually gets the work done — Observed multiple times.
Sometimes, you even feel disowned—who knows, maybe you’re going through that right now.
And what’s the reward for all this corporate drama?
A 5% hike — if you’re lucky.
Usually, with a comment like “Great job!” …followed by, “We’ll consider it again by mid-year.”
As a manager — let’s be honest — you should reward people based on outcomes, not buttered egos or fucking excuses.
POV: An extra 2–3 lakhs for a top performer won’t make your P&L lose shit.
No one was hired to babysit your insecurities.
And employees — please stop letting these ratings mess with your head.
A number on a slide deck doesn’t define your value.
Please don’t lose sleep, peace of mind, or self-worth because someone decided your effort was just “Meets Expectations.”
If you delivered and still got crumbs, take that without tears (I know you worked hard) — then start prepping your exit.
The best revenge?
Watching them hire your replacement at the exact hike they denied you.
And here’s the kicker: the system isn’t broken.
It was built this way—on vague goals, subjective opinions, and silent suffering.
So don’t beg.
Don’t bother.
Don’t break.
You should get praised for your work, not for saying yes to everything.
Think for yourself.
Move for yourself.
And next time someone says, “It’s that time of the year,” just smile.
Because maybe, just maybe, your time is better spent elsewhere.
POV: Out of the 12 people I’ve spoken to, 9 said they considered stability after a certain age —managing work without compromising on life.
– Shailesh Thakran
That’s all, folks.
This is the “Ideal Appraisal” in brief.
