I've worked at my job for over five years. I work hard, I'm not the type to pull out my phone and dilly dally. I care about the clients. I honestly spend all day, every hour, at work doing my actual job. I go above and beyond. I know nearly every client by name. I recently took a promotion, because the company has fixated on a different business model that requires universally trained employees. I have resisted promotions in the past, due to my own past management experience and the subsequent burnout. Plus I have two kids and with working full time, I didn't want to be a manager anymore. Anyhow, fast forward to now, and I'm in a new role for the last while , but staffing issues, like we all know over the last two years, have kept me from being able to fully train or develop in the new role, despite my desire. That being so, I'm STILL in the top ten in our area. Not a huge area, maybe out of 40 to 50, so I don't gain a ton of clout there, but still. My problem is, I had an annual review with a manager that transferred to my location, and during the review, he told me that he ranked me as “needs improvement”. I was floored. I was able to argue myself up to a 3, which is “meeting expectations”. Anyhow, that's the prologue. My big issue is that he told me during the review that “nobody gets a 5”. For reference, a five is what I would imagine is equitable to “kicking ass and taking names”. I pressed him…nobody gets a 5?!?! Then why is it there? He said he has never seen it happen..
How am I supposed to stay motivated if you tell me it's unreachable? I didn't get that far in the Convo because I was so taken aback by him ranking me at a 2 and felt winning a 3 was as far as I would get in that moment. But it still eats at me. If you tell me I can never be a five, that it's unattainable, it makes me not want to put in the work I otherwise would have. And I'm the type of person that WOULD DEFINITELY try to be a five. I would show up and go all out to get that elusive 5… if I hadn't been told it “just doesn't happen”. Should I approach the subject with him again? Any managers on this thread who think giving a 5 is unachievable? Am I to think he's been too influenced by a corporate mentality that he wants to keep us employees down to not have to explain himself to upper management when raises are allotted? Also, since I've been with the company for years, they now hire on people with significantly less experience, even to start than I had when I was hired, and they get paid significantly MORE. I make $21, with years of experience in the company, and ten years management prior, and they're hiring people with two years of retail at two dollars more an hour than I make. I guess loyalty + reliable hard work means nothing.?