Major corporations are fundamentally transforming their employee performance evaluation systems, with AI adoption emerging as a key driver of these changes. Companies including Meta, Amazon, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) are revamping how they assess workers, reflecting the accelerating pace of technological change and the need for greater workforce agility.
Adecco Group is leading this transformation by overhauling its review process for more than 35,000 corporate workers across 60-plus countries. The staffing firm is streamlining goals to between two and five per employee while emphasizing behavioral aspects alongside achievement metrics. “We have this combination of what we want to achieve, but also how we achieve it,” explained Daniela Seabrook, Adecco Group’s CHRO. The company is shifting from annual or biannual formal reviews to continuous feedback exchanges between employees and managers.
The changes reflect broader industry trends. BCG has incorporated AI expectations directly into performance benchmarks, evaluating consultants on their ability to use AI tools for problem-solving and other tasks. Meta is simplifying its evaluation process to better reward top performers, while Amazon is adjusting reviews to focus more on individual accomplishments.
According to Gartner’s 2025 assessment, 65% of organizations now use a “continuous performance design” that emphasizes regular, systematic feedback alongside annual reviews. This shift addresses widespread dissatisfaction with traditional review processes—only 2% of Fortune 500 CHROs surveyed by Gallup in 2023 strongly agreed that their performance processes motivated workers to improve.
Workplace experts cite multiple factors driving these changes: the need to keep pace with AI-driven business transformation, tighter labor markets enabling employers to demand higher productivity, and workers staying in positions longer. Allison Vaillancourt, VP at HR consulting firm Segal, notes that performance questions increasingly center on agility and adaptability in fast-changing environments.
Adecco Group is also separating development goals from performance assessment, recognizing that aspirational growth objectives shouldn’t be conflated with formal evaluations that determine compensation and promotions. This distinction helps prevent “shadow ratings”—informal tracking systems managers create when formal documentation is inadequate.
Key Quotes
We have this combination of what we want to achieve, but also how we achieve it. The behavioral aspect is really important for us.
Daniela Seabrook, CHRO of Adecco Group, explained the company’s new approach to performance reviews that emphasizes both outcomes and behaviors. This reflects the growing recognition that how employees work—including their AI adoption and collaboration skills—matters as much as what they accomplish.
It’s very important that the people know, ‘Where am I? How am I doing? How am I developing?’
Seabrook emphasized the need for continuous feedback to help employees navigate rapid business changes driven by AI and other technologies. This statement underscores why traditional annual reviews are insufficient in today’s fast-paced environment.
I’m going to really ramp up my performance evaluation process, so I’m only keeping my best people.
Allison Vaillancourt, VP at HR consulting firm Segal, described how employers in tight labor markets are using more rigorous performance evaluations to maximize productivity. This reflects increased pressure on workers to demonstrate value, particularly through AI adoption and adaptability.
They understand that lack of growth opportunity is a key driver for attrition.
Rajesh Namboothiry, senior vice president at ManpowerGroup, explained why companies are focusing on career development within performance systems. As workers stay in positions longer and AI transforms job requirements, clear growth pathways become essential for retention.
Our Take
The integration of AI expectations into performance evaluations marks a watershed moment in how companies assess and develop talent. BCG’s approach—embedding AI proficiency into consultant benchmarks—will likely become standard practice across knowledge work sectors. This isn’t merely about using AI tools; it’s about fundamentally reimagining job competencies for an AI-augmented workplace.
The shift toward continuous feedback also addresses a critical challenge: AI capabilities evolve faster than annual review cycles. What constitutes AI proficiency today may be baseline expectation in six months. Companies need agile performance systems that can adapt as quickly as the technology itself.
However, there’s a potential equity concern. Workers with greater access to AI tools, training, and experimentation opportunities will naturally perform better on AI-related metrics. Companies must ensure that performance systems don’t inadvertently penalize employees who lack resources or support for AI skill development. The most successful organizations will pair rigorous AI-focused evaluations with robust training programs, creating pathways for all employees to develop necessary competencies rather than simply identifying and rewarding those who already possess them.
Why This Matters
This transformation in performance management represents a critical inflection point where AI technology is reshaping fundamental workplace practices. As AI tools become essential to business operations, companies must ensure employees can effectively leverage these technologies—making AI proficiency a core competency rather than an optional skill.
The shift toward continuous feedback models reflects the reality that annual reviews cannot keep pace with AI-driven change. When business priorities and required skills evolve rapidly, static yearly evaluations become obsolete before they’re completed. Companies that fail to adapt risk losing competitive advantage as more agile competitors better align workforce capabilities with technological opportunities.
For workers, these changes carry significant implications. AI literacy is becoming a performance requirement, not just at tech companies but across industries. BCG’s integration of AI expectations into consultant evaluations signals that professional advancement increasingly depends on demonstrating AI competency. This trend will likely accelerate as AI tools proliferate across business functions.
The emphasis on retaining and developing top performers also reflects labor market dynamics where companies recognize that engaged, AI-capable employees are essential for successful digital transformation. Organizations that excel at continuous development and clear career pathways will have competitive advantages in attracting and retaining talent capable of driving AI-enabled innovation.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-are-revising-performance-review-process-2026-2