Decision Guide
How to mitigate bias in performance reviews
Mitigate the impact of bias during employee evaluations to ensure all team members are judged fairly and objectively
January 19, 2022
Managers and team leaders can use this tool for scheduled employee evaluations (for example, when going through your organization’s annual performance review cycle). Before conducting employee evaluations, review your evaluation process and materials to make sure you have the information you need to assess staff fairly. During each employee’s evaluation, use the suggested reflection questions to identify where bias may be at play and mitigate the harmful effects. Finally, after completing the performance evaluations for all your team members, use the suggested questions to reflect on the distribution of scores across the entire group.
Time Required
30 minutes to reflect
Review your evaluation rubrics
Base your reviews on clear, consistent criteria and incorporate input from your team members rather than relying solely on your view of their performance
Reflect on potential biases influencing each performance review
Take deliberate action to mitigate the harmful effects of bias during performance evaluations. Use these reflection questions to identify where bias may be at play
Analyze performance across groups
After completing performance reviews for all your team members, use these questions to reflect on the distribution of scores and any patterns across the entire group