经济学人297:激励员工 评级与封杀

　　Business
商业报道
Motivating workers
激励员工
Ranked and yanked
评级与封杀
Firms that keep grading their staff ruthlessly may not get the best from them.
那些总是无情地把员工分个三六九等的公司或许并不能得到最好的效果。
Mayer: who's for the chop next?
Mayer：谁是下一个要开除的？
IT IS a brutal¹ management technique in which bosses grade their employees' performance along a vitality² curve and sack those who fall into the lowest category.
老板们对雇员们的表现按照活力曲线来评定，然后把最差的一些炒掉鱿鱼的管理方法实在非常残酷。
Known as ranking and yanking, it had its heyday³ in the 1980s and 1990s.
这个被称为评级与封杀的做法在19世纪80和90年代达到了全盛期。
In America its popularity faded somewhat after it was seen to have contributed to the fall of Enron.
在美国，实施该策略的公司因其被认为促成了安然公司的破产曾大量减少，
Now it is back in the headlines.
不过现在这个字眼又重新见诸报端。
2_副本.jpgOn November 8th All Things D, a tech-industry website, reported that Yahoo staff are increasingly unhappy about a quarterly performance review introduced last year by the new boss, Marissa Mayer.
在11月8日，技术产业网站All Things D报道说，雅虎的员工们对于新老板Marissa Mayer去年引入的季度表现评估正日渐不满。
The grading exercise is said to have cost 600 of them their jobs in recent weeks.
据说，这种评估行为导致几周内就有600人没了工作。
Four days later, Microsoft announced that its own, equally unpopular system was being scrapped⁴.
四天以后，微软宣布废除它自己同样不受欢迎的评价系统。
In a memo⁵, Lisa Brummel, Microsoft's head of human resources, said there would be no more ratings and no more curve.
在一份备忘录上，微软人力资源主管Lisa Brummel说道，再也不会有打分和曲线了。
The firm would implement⁶ a fundamentally new approach, designed to encourage teamwork and collaboration⁷.
微软将会启用一个用来鼓励团结合作的崭新的方法。
Many firms, from Amazon to PwC, still use some version of what management theorists also call stack ranking to sort the sheep from the goats in their workforce⁸.
从亚马逊到普华永道的许多公司依然在使用许多管理理论家称作员工排序的方法来挑选出不够格的员工。
However, many of them enforce it more flexibly than seems to have been the case at Microsoft or Yahoo.
然而，其中大多数的公司在实行时要比微软和雅虎这些公司有弹性的多。
Even General Electric, which pioneered the technique during the uncompromising reign⁹ of Neutron¹⁰ Jack¹¹ Welch, has since softened¹² its approach.
甚至在中子弹杰克韦尔奇治下首先采用这种管理方法的通用电气近年来也软化了实行方法。
The reason such gradings have not died out entirely¹³ is because employers still need to find ways to fairly evaluate their employees and have a basis for compensation differences, says Robert Kaplan of Harvard Business School.
这种评分策略没有完全消失的原因在于老板们仍然需要找到公平评估雇员的方法并据此确定报酬差异。
This is especially true when there is a wide gap between the remuneration of top performers and the rest.
当顶级员工的工资和其他人差的很多的时候，这尤其显得很重要。
To avoid lawsuits¹⁴ claiming unfair discrimination, firms need to be able to show they have a clear basis for decisions on pay and bonuses.
这话来自于哈佛商学院的Robert Kaplan。为了避免不公待遇和员工歧视的诉讼，公司在决定酬劳和福利的时候需要有明确的根据。
Ranking and yanking is more logical in investment banks, law and accountancy firms and big consultancies:
评级和封杀在投资银行、法律和会计公司以及大型咨询公司这些行业中要更合理一些：
their business model is, in a sense, built on recruiting large numbers of junior staff and motivating them with the prospect¹⁵ of becoming a partner, even though in practice only a few of them can ever make it.
他们的业务形式在某种程度上就是建立在招收大量新员工然后用成为合作人的目标激励他们努力工作，虽然实际上只有极少数人能够做到。
In other types of business, the evidence suggests that it may work at first, if a firm needs to cut away dead wood.
但在其他行业中，有证据显示这个方法在公司想要除去公司的赘余部分时还是能管用一段时间的。
But the benefit can disappear and turn into a cost if the ranking and yanking is done repeatedly, says Denise Rousseau of Carnegie Mellon University.
但是如果重复进行下去，就会由使公司收益变为带来损失。卡耐基梅隆大学的Denise Rousseau如此说道。
You can quickly end up with the people in the bottom quartile being average performers rather than poor performers, she notes.
很快，处在评估表底部的人就会是一般员工而非业务糟糕者她解释道，
There is nothing wrong with being average in an above-average workforce.
在一群极其优秀的员工中成为普通一员可没什么不对的。
A lot of good work is done by average people.
众多的优秀工作都是由普通人做成的。
If a large proportion of the workforce doubt the fairness of the grading system, and fear being among an arbitrarily imposed quota¹⁶ of underperformers, many may try to jump before they are pushed:
如果员工中较大一部分人怀疑评价体系的公正性，并且担心被随机地划分为不合格员工，其中不少就会尝试在被开除之前跳槽：
staff turnover¹⁷ may thus be higher than is desirable.
人员流动程度就会比期望的更大。
Worse, employees may look for ways to game the system, as happened at Enron, where workers conspired¹⁸ to inflate¹⁹ their results to secure their bonuses or escape the axe²⁰.
更糟的是，雇员会想法设法利用体系的规则，正如安然事件中发生的那样，员工们串通起来夸大自己的成果来保证自己的奖励或是避免被开除。
That is not the sort of teamwork and collaboration that is wanted.
这可不是我们想要的那种团结合作。
1.fall into 分成；掉进，陷入
Can nuclear weapons fall into the wrong hands?
核武器有可能落入坏人之手吗？
The most suspicious arians may even fall into depression.
最忧心忡忡的羊儿们可能甚至陷入消沉。
2.design to 用于设计
We can use design to make a website unique and more memorable²¹.
我们能用设计使一个网站独一无二且更易记住。
Note: marriott has recently changed their design to be more like westin.
注：marriott近期将他们的设计改得更类似于westin的方式。
3.seem to 似乎
Financial markets seem to agree.
金融市场似乎也证实了这一点。
Investors²² seem to have noticed.
投资者似乎也注意到了。
4.need to 需要做
We need to stop trade protectionism.
我们需要制止贸易保护主义。
Three things need to happen.
我们必须做好三件事。

1 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

2 vitality   

n.活力，生命力，效力

参考例句：

• He came back from his holiday bursting with vitality and good health.他度假归来之后，身强体壮，充满活力。
• He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。

3 heyday   

n.全盛时期，青春期

参考例句：

• The 19th century was the heyday of steam railways.19世纪是蒸汽机车鼎盛的时代。
• She was a great singer in her heyday.她在自己的黄金时代是个了不起的歌唱家。

4 scrapped   

废弃(scrap的过去式与过去分词)； 打架

参考例句：

• This machine is so old that it will soon have to be scrapped. 这架机器太旧，快报废了。
• It had been thought that passport controls would be scrapped. 人们曾认为会放开护照管制。

5 memo   

n.照会，备忘录；便笺；通知书；规章

参考例句：

• Do you want me to send the memo out?您要我把这份备忘录分发出去吗？
• Can you type a memo for me?您能帮我打一份备忘录吗？

6 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

7 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

8 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

9 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

10 neutron   

n.中子

参考例句：

• Neutron is neutral and slightly heavier than the proton.中子是中性的，比质子略重。
• Based on the neutron energy,the value of weighting factor was given.根据中子能量给出了相应的辐射权重因子的数值。

11 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

12 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
• The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

13 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

14 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

15 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

16 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。

17 turnover   

n.人员流动率，人事变动率；营业额，成交量

参考例句：

• The store greatly reduced the prices to make a quick turnover.这家商店实行大减价以迅速周转资金。
• Our turnover actually increased last year.去年我们的营业额竟然增加了。

18 conspired   

密谋( conspire的过去式和过去分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They conspired to bring about the meeting of the two people. 他们共同促成了两人的会面。
• Bad weather and car trouble conspired to ruin our vacation. 恶劣的气候连同汽车故障断送了我们的假日。

19 inflate   

vt.使膨胀，使骄傲，抬高（物价）

参考例句：

• The buyers bid against each other and often inflate the prices they pay.买主们竞相投标，往往人为地提高价钱。
• Stuart jumped into the sea and inflated the liferaft.斯图尔特跳到海里给救生艇充气。

20 axe   

n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减

参考例句：

• Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利，你要当心。
• The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。

21 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

22 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会