Performance Management

PS: short answer no reference needed. Just to answer the questions after reading the summary.
What Is Your Current Salary?
For eons it’s been standard operating procedure to ask job candidates: “What is your current salary?” The motives for this question are obvious. If your current salary is beyond that budgeted for the job you’re interviewing for, then employers often and quickly exclude you from the candidate pool, while those with lower current salaries are assumed to be more likely to accept an offer.
This Practice Is Damaging
This is changing, however, as legislators in multiple states have outlawed companies from asking about job candidates’ salary histories. Policymakers’ motives are to help eliminate one factor contributing to persistent gender and minority compensation disparities. In support, Susie Clark, director of undergraduate studies at the University of Indiana’s Kelley School of Business, says: “Gender pay inequality will go on forever if we don’t do something.” Eliminating the question about salary is expected to focus employers’ attention on job qualifications, such as skills, abilities, and experience, and to use market data to set pay. Put differently, the argument by some is that employers should not be making offer decisions based on a candidate’s current or past pay.
Such Changes Would Be Ineffective
Many HR experts and executives disagree and argue banning the box will not have the desired effect of reducing unwarranted pay disparities. They further argue it is reasonable and necessary for employers to learn during the interviewing process if they can reasonably expect to meet a candidate’s pay expectations.
Alternatives Already Exist
Some companies and HR managers have already devised and implemented alternatives, particularly in instances when considerable and accurate market data exists. This information enables them to confidently “price” jobs. Still other employers determine and implement pay ranges which allow for some adjustment based on an individual’s qualifications. But neither of these provide insights into candidate expectations.

What Would You Do?
Assume you are the person responsible for setting the practices at your company, what would you recommend?
Would you eliminate such questions from your hiring process? Defend your choice.
Describe how you would implement this practice, and explain your rationale.
Given your response to #1, assume the law changed in your state and requires you to do the opposite. Describe how you would effectively implement that practice.
Manager’s Hot Seat
Performance Management—F Is for Feedback
I. Introduction
A-Plus Government Solutions is a government contractor that handles Department of Defense contracts. Christopher has been assigned to work on the client site on behalf of A-Plus and is up for his one-year performance evaluation with his boss, Heidi. Heidi believes Christopher is doing an excellent job from her point of view, but she keeps receiving complaints from the general he works with onsite. Heidi and Christopher are now meeting to discuss his performance.
Summary: Heidi and Christopher are meeting to discuss his performance during the past year. The conversation starts off on a positive note as they discuss his sales performance. The conversation then turns negative when Heidi brings up concerns that an onsite client has had with Christopher. Christopher is not only upset that these concerns have hurt his performance evaluation, but he also wants to know why Heidi did not mention them to him until his actual evaluation as he believes he has appropriate justifications for them. The next scene is still in Heidi’s office, but two months later. A-Plus may lose their contract with the Department of Defense, and Christopher is anxious about his job, especially because of client concerns that seem to have not been effectively addressed by Heidi.
Respond
Evaluate how and why performance management can go wrong.
Analyze the different methods of setting expectations and goals.
Evaluate the best method to conduct a performance review.
Analyze the different perceptual errors in evaluating performance.
III. Scenario Description:
Scene Set-up: Christopher and Heidi are meeting in Heidi’s office.
Scene Location: Heidi’s Office
Profile:
Heidi Banks, IT Supervisor
Christopher Thom, IT Specialist
Summary: Heidi and Christopher are meeting to discuss his performance during the past year. The conversation starts off on a positive note as they discuss his sales performance. The conversation then turns negative when Heidi brings up concerns that an onsite client has had with Christopher. Christopher is not only upset that these concerns have hurt his performance evaluation, but he also wants to know why Heidi did not mention them to him until his actual evaluation as he believes he has appropriate justifications for them. The next scene is still in Heidi’s office, but two months later. A-Plus may lose their contract with the Department of Defense, and Christopher is anxious about his job, especially because of client concerns that seem to have not been effectively addressed by Heidi.
IV. Discussion of Theory
What can go wrong with performance management?
Perceptual errors