Excellent point that is currently overlooked. I got caught in the Jack Welch forced ranking BS at age 58.
We used to have a CEO who parroted everything Welsh did. When the forced rankings showed up, I was running a group that had gone from 40 people down to 12 via automation and we only kept the best obviously. So all 12 were people were historically rated 4 or 5 on a 1-5 scale. Plus they adapted and learned to leverage the new automation. The group had been lauded for their productivity and for how well they adapted to the new processes. I was told one of them must be rated "does not meet expectations" and one must be rated "partially meets".
I said I have no idea how to do that given the history I mentioned above. How does someone go from a 4 rating to a 1 in three years while improving output and accuracy at the same time? We might have had a 1 or a 2 when there was 40 people, but no longer. My VP squirmed and said talk to HR. HR manager just echoed the CEO's explanation - in any group, people can be rated against each other, and in our "pursuit of excellence" it is necessary that we weed out low performers. Completely ignoring what I said about our specific circumstances. Then I made a mistake by saying "so what you're saying is that we should hold onto some low performers in case someone says we're going to have forced rankings and that way you have someone to sacrifice, because if you were proactive earlier you'll be punished? And we're going to punish my group for taking action before this system was in place? So what message are we trying to send?"
Ooh, that hit a nerve. HR guy said you know what has to be done, we're not making exceptions because everyone like you would be outside my door.
Thanksforcomingbyandhaveaniceday.
I told my VP what happened and that I was not going to rate anyone a 1 or a 2, and if he wants to overrule my ratings that is his right. But I cannot honestly do it and I won't act dishonestly.
Well, turns out my VP ended up lobbying the CEO on behalf of my group using my arguments and it turned out the CEO LOVED that we took action
before he got here. And we got a pass for three years on the forced rankings. But HR guy held a grudge against me for 2 years until he left.